Creighton University
Bethune-Cookman
Softball Travels to Sunshine State For Hatter Classic
2/14/2024 10:33:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays will play five games in three days in DeLand, Fla.
Hatter Classic • DeLand, Fla. • Patricia Wilson Field
Game #6: Creighton Bluejays vs. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 • 8:30 a.m. || LIVE STATS
Game #7: Creighton Bluejays at Stetson Hatters
Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 • 2 p.m. || LIVE STATS | WATCH
Game #8: Creighton Bluejays vs. Colgate Raiders
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 • 11 a.m. || LIVE STATS
Game #9: Creighton Bluejays at Stetson Hatters
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 • 4:30 p.m. || LIVE STATS | WATCH
Game #10: Creighton Bluejays vs. Colgate Raiders
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024 • 9 a.m. || LIVE STATS
Up Next
Creighton continues early season tournament play with a trip to Sunshine State for five games at the Hatter Classic, hosted by Stetson in DeLand, Fla.
The Bluejays open play against Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 8:30 a.m. before facing off against host Stetson at 2 p.m.
Creighton will return to the field on Saturday, matching up against Colgate at 11 a.m. before meeting Stetson for a second time at 4:30 p.m.
The Bluejays will then wrap up their stay with a rematch against Colgate at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Follow The Games
Live stats for all five of Creighton's games this weekend in DeLand, Fla. will be provided via Sidearm Stats.
Creighton's two games against Stetson on Friday and Saturday will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
Links to live stats and live video can be found on the Creighton Softball schedule page.
Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.
Bluejays not Blue Jays
Creighton's mascot is the Bluejays or Bluejay, one word. Conversely the MLB Toronto team is the Blue Jays.
Scouting Creighton (3-2)
The Bluejays started its season with a 3-2 showing at the Texas State Tournament in San Marcos, Texas last weekend.
After being held without a hit in the season opener against Southern Illinois, Creighton responded by tossing a no-hitter of their own in a 2-1 win over Northwestern State. The Bluejays then post a pair of wins over UTSA and Kennesaw State before falling to Texas State.
The Bluejays hit .185 with four doubles and 13 runs scored, while posting a 2.12 ERA with 30 strikeouts and holding opponents to .164 hitting over the course of five games.
Fifth-year senior Madeline Vevjoda paced the team offensively with a .429 batting average on six hits, three RBI and three runs scored.
Redshirt freshman transfer Kaelan Schultz shined in her first weekend as a Bluejays, earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors. The Hastings, Neb. native recorded five hits, including a double, three walks, two RBI and two runs scored during opening weekend.
In the circle, Jena Lawrence and Natalia Puchino combined to throw the 27th no-hitter in since 1994 in a win over Northwestern State. Overall, Puchino posted a 0.78 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work, while Lawrence allowed just two hits and recorded a 2.47 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched.
Junior transfer Kenzie Schopfer also owns a 3.50 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 14.0 innings of action. Junior Alexis Wiggins also posted a 1-0 record in circle while allowing just one hit and striking out four in 4.1 innings of relief.
Head coach Krista Wood is in her second season with the Bluejays and holds a 533-351 career record, including a 25-33 mark at Creighton.
Scouting Bethune-Cookman (1-4)
The Wildcats opened 2024 with a 1-4 record at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa.
Bethune-Cookman posted a 3-2 extra-inning season opening win over Illinois State, before falling to South Florida, Oregon State, Michigan and #17 Florida. The Wildcats were also on the wrong end of a no-hitter twice in the opening weekend.
Preseason SWAC Pitcher of the Year, Halyne Gonzalez posted a 4.90 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 20 innings of work in the circle last weekend, while five other pitchers combined for two strikeouts in 9.2 innings of work.
Offensively, Bethune-Cookman managed just 12 hits and six runs over five games. Freshman Jessica Alaan led the way with three hits, while Thais Uyema, Angelina Badalament and Elise Gibbs each recorded two base knocks.
Head coach Laura Watten is in her 17th season at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman program. The Wildcats were picked second in the East Division of the SWAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Series History Against Wildcats
Creighton leads the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman, 3-0.
The Bluejays and Wildcats first met in 2006 at the UCF Tournament, where Creighton claimed a 4-3 victory. Last year Creighton secured an 11-2 win over the Wildcats to open their stay at THE Spring Games.
Head coach Krista Wood is 1-1 against Bethune-Cookman as a head coach.
Scouting Stetson (0-5)
The Hatters opened the new season with a 0-5 record at their own Frank Griffin Classic in DeLand, Fla.
Stetson dropped a pair of contests to Binghamton and Boston, while suffering another loss to SIUE. The Hatters were outscored 37-16 over the five contests.
Junior Kami Eppley led the Hatters' offensively with a .429 batting average on six hits, including a double and two triples.
Stetson hit .210 with 26 hits and 16 runs scored, while the pitching staff posted a 4.88 ERA with 17 strikeouts over five contests.
Freshman Caitlin Mullen allowed just three earned runs and owned a 3.32 ERA in 6.1 innings of relief, while senior Lauren Hobbs and sophomore Hannah Marien posted 5.83 and 6.36 ERAs with 13 strikeouts in 23 innings of work last weekend.
Stetson was picked to finish seventh in the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll as Head coach Shellie Cousins is in her fourth season at the helm of Hatters.
Series History Against the Hatters
Creighton and Stetson will meet for the first time in program history on Friday in DeLand, Fla.
Head Coach Krista Wood has never coached against Stetson in her coaching career.
Scouting Colgate (1-4)
The Raiders opened 2024 with a 1-4 showing at the Houston Invitational in Texas, securing a 9-1 victory over Indiana State for its lone win of the weekend.
Offensively, Colgate managed only 15 hits and 14 runs during their first five games with senior Elizabeth Nitka and freshman Kiley Shelton leading the way with four hits apiece.
Junior Quinn Livesay added three additional hits, including a team-best two home runs and four RBI last weekend.
In the circle, the Raiders lean on fifth-year senior Bailey Misken and sophomore Maya Seredio for the majority of their innings. Misken owns a 5.91 ERA with five strikeouts in 10.2 innings of work, while Seredio holds a 9.75 ERA with four strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched.
As a team, Colgate is hitting .143 with four home runs and 14 runs scored while holding an 8.81 ERA with 12 strikeouts over five games.
The Raiders were picked fifth in the Patriot League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Head coach Marissa Lamison-Myers is in her seventh year at the helm of Colgate.
Series History Against the Raiders
Saturday will mark the first meetings between Creighton and Colgate in program history.
Head Coach Krista Wood is 3-0 against the Raiders in her coaching career, with all three victories coming during the 2019 season at South Dakota State.
Shining Bright In The Sunshine State
Heading to the Hatter Classic in DeLand, Fla., has Creighton looking to have some fun in the sun. Over the years has played some of its best softball of the season while in the state of Florida.
This will be the 13th time Creighton has played in a tournament in Florida. In the previous 12 trips to the Sunshine State, the Bluejays are a combined 91-28 overall and have outscored their opponents 617-200.
Below is a breakdown of the Creighton's year by year trip to Florida.
Year W-L R RA
1991 11-6 71 28
1995 8-2 42 13
1996 7-3 44 28
2004 14-0 78 8
2005 8-0 56 2
2006 8-5 71 29
2013 6-2 29 10
2014 11-1 47 12
2015 9-1 63 11
2016 9-1 45 13
2020 5-4 34 31
2023 5-3 37 15
Totals 91-28 617 200
Kaelan Schultz Named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Redshirt Freshman Kaelan Schultz was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after leading the Bluejays to a 3-2 record last weekend at the Texas State Tournament.
Schultz, a Hastings, Neb. native started all five games for the Bluejays and hit 5-of-13 (.385) with three walks, two runs scored, two RBI and a double to help Creighton secure a trio of victories over Northwestern State, UTSA and Kennesaw State.
The redshirt freshman transfer from South Dakota State, opened her Bluejays career by recording the first hit of her career and the Bluejays first hit of the season in Creighton's 2-1 win over Northwestern State.
Schultz then posted her first multi-hit game of her career, while driving in the go-ahead run on a double to left center in the fifth inning of a 5-2 win over UTSA on Saturday. After going hitless with two walks against Kennesaw State, Schultz finished the weekend with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate with a run scored against Texas State on Sunday to secure her first BIG EAST Weekly honor of her career.
Vejvoda and Puchino Nab Spot BIG EAST Honor Roll
Senior Madeline Vejvoda and sophomore Natalia Puchino were also named to this week's BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
Vejvoda, a La Vista native, earned the recognition after recording a team-best .429 batting average on six hits while driving in three runs and scoring three runs of her own in the Bluejays five games at the Texas State Tournament.
Vejvoda opened her senior year by driving in both runs, including the game-winning run with an RBI single in the fifth inning of the Bluejays' 2-1 win over Northwestern State. She then went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the win over Kennesaw State before finishing the week with another two hits, an RBI and a run scored against Texas State.
In addition to Vejvoda earning a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll, Puchino garnered recognition as well. Puchino posted a 2-0 record in two appearances in the circle, while combining for a 0.78 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work.
The Milliken, Colo., native opened the season by combining with Jena Lawrence to throw the 27th no-hitter in program history since 1994 and the first combined no-hitter since 2018, while striking out seven batters in just four innings pitched. Puchino then followed it up by striking out six and allowing just one run on three hits in five innings of work in a 5-2 win over UTSA on Saturday.
Lawrence and Puchino Combine For No-Hitter
Senior Jena Lawrence and sophomore Natalia Puchino combined for a seven-inning no-hitter on opening day during Creighton's 2-1 victory against Northwestern State.
Lawrence tossed 3.0 innings of work, allowing one run on two walks, while Puchino recorded seven strikeouts in 4.0 shutout innings of relief.
Friday's combined no-hitter marked the 27th no-hitter in program history since 1994 and the first since Puchino tossed a complete-game no-hitter against Kansas City on March 15 of last year.
The combined no-hitter was also just the fourth combined no-hitter since 1994 and the first since Bryana Clark and Logan Black fired a five-inning no-hitter against Grambling State on Feb. 25, 2018.
Making an Entrance
Creighton had seven newcomers make their Bluejay debuts during opening weekend at the Texas State Tournament.
Of the seven that saw action in the first five games of the season, four recorded their first starts as Bluejays.
Aiyanna Curry and Kenzie Nakasawa could make their regular-season Bluejay debuts this weekend at the Hatter Classis.
Below is a look at how Creighton's Current players have done in their Creighton debuts.
Name AB H R 2B HR RBI
Beeson 0 0 1 0 0 0
Seville 1 0 0 0 0 0
Gappa 1 0 0 0 0 0
Rosonke 1 0 0 0 0 0
Vejvoda* 4 1 1 0 0 0
Nielsen* 3 1 2 0 0 0
Chairez* 3 1 1 0 0 0
Dalton 0 0 1 0 0 0
Frame** 2 0 0 0 0 0
Perez* 3 1 0 0 0 1
West** 3 1 0 0 0 0
Smith 0 0 0 0 0 0
Potter** 2 0 0 0 0 0
Pierson** 2 0 0 0 0 0
Schultz** 2 0 0 0 0 0
Davis 0 0 1 0 0 0
Patchen 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name IP H R ER K BB
Wiggins 3.2 3 0 0 8 1
Lawrence 1.0 4 3 3 1 0
Puchino** 7.0 7 3 3 4 1
Schopfer** 6.0 4 3 3 5 2
Shifflet 0.0 1 0 0 0 0
* - Started Bluejay Debut
**-Started Bluejay Debut in Season-Opener
Magic Number 5
Since the turn of the century, Creighton has had tremendous success when scoring five or more runs. The Bluejays have continued that success this season, improving to 1-0 when scoring at least five runs after the first weekend of play.
Over the last 24 seasons, Creighton is 353-54 when scoring five or more runs. In the same time span Creighton is 231-391-3 when scoring four runs or fever.
Creighton is also 140-36 when scoring five or more runs in a game since joining the BIG EAST in 2014.
During that same time frame the Bluejays are 78-4 when scoring eight or more runs, which included a perfect 9-0 record last season.
Last season Creighton was 18-8 when scoring five runs or more, outscoring their opponents 195-102 during those 26 games.
Freshmen Contribution
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton has only had 14 true freshmen start the season opener. This season, Ashten Pierson got the starting job at shortstop while Sydney Potter served as the starting designated player.
Last season, Ensley Frame and Lily West got the starting nod at shortstop and catcher, while Natalia Puchino became the first true freshman to earn the start in the circle for the Bluejays since Becca Changstrom started the season-opener as a freshman in 2011.
Below is a list of Bluejay freshmen to earn a season-opening start since 2013.
Year Name Position
*2024 Ashten Pierson Shortstop
*2024 Sydney Potter DP
*2023 Natalia Puchino Pitcher
*2023 Ensley Frame Shortstop
*2023 Lily West Catcher
2019 Kailey Wilson DP
2019 Sam Alm First Base
2017 Ashley Cantu Right Field
2017 Sam Dellinger Left Field
2015 Tash Coffiel Third Base
2014 Jen Daro First Base
2014 Jessica Lewis Second Base
2013 Kelsey Allender Left Field
Current Player in Bold
Season Opener History
After suffering a 3-0 loss to Southern Illinois in the season opener, Creighton fell to 22-26 all-time in lid-lifters.
Since joining the BIG EAST, Creighton is just 3-8 in season-openers.
Despite the losing record, the Bluejays have outscored foes by an average of 4.19 (201) to 3.94 (189) runs per game in the 48 season-openers.
Head coach Krista Wood is 13-5 all-time in lid-lifters, including a 6-4 mark at the Division I level. Wood also sported a 7-1 record in season-openers at Wayne State.
Date School Opponent Result
3/4/07 Wayne St. Dominican College W, 6-1
3/3/08 Wayne St. St. Anselm (N.Y.) W, 2-0
2/20/09 Wayne St. Colorado Mines W, 3-2
2/26/10 Wayne St. Washburn L, 2-3 (8)
2/18/11 Wayne St. Regis W, 8-0
3/3/12 Wayne St. Gannon W, 6-4
3/3/13 Wayne St. W. Virgina Wesleyan W, 5-4
2/21/14 Wayne St. Nebraska-Kearney W, 11-2
2/7/15 SDSU Utah State W, 6-4
2/12/16 SDSU Green Bay L, 7-10
2/10/17 SDSU Montana L, 5-6
2/9/18 SDSU Kansas City W, 5-3
2/8/19 SDSU Saint Louis W, 6-0
2/7/20 SDSU DePaul W, 4-1
2/12/21 SDSU Iowa State L, 2-4
2/11/22 SDSU Northern Iowa W, 2-1 (9)
2/11/23 Creighton Detroit Mercy W, 4-3
2/9/24 Creighton Southern Illinois L, 0-3
Durable Vejvoda
After starting all five games last weekend at the Texas State Tournament, senior infielder Madeline Vejvoda is reaching uncharted territory as she has now started in each of Creighton's last 120 consecutive games dating back to March 7, 2021.
Her 120 straight starts are the longest streak since Jen Daro started 129 consecutive games from 2015-2017.
Over the course of her Bluejay career, Vejvoda has started 131 of the 144 games she has played in.
Starting On The Right Foot
Creighton opened the 2024 season with a 3-2 showing at the Texas State Tournament last weekend. It is the sixth time since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, that Creighton has finished the first weekend of the season with exactly three wins.
2024: 3-2 in San Marcos, Texas
2023: 2-2 in Rosemont, Ill.
2022: 3-2 in El Paso, Texas
2021: 0-3 at Wichita State
2020: 3-2 in San Antonio, Texas
2019: 1-4 in Las Cruces, N.M.
2018: 3-2 in Las Vegas, Nev.
2017: 1-4 in Tempe, Ariz.
2016: 1-4 in Tempe, Ariz.
2015: 3-2 in Tempe, Ariz.
2014: 3-2 in Tempe, Ariz.
The last time Creighton opened the year with a perfect showing at a tournament was in 2007 when Creighton went 5-0 at the UCA Spring Clash in Conway, Arkansas.
In addition, the last time Creighton finished with fewer than two losses in the opening weekend of the season was in 2012 when the Bluejays swept a four-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Arkansas. That year, Creighton started the season with seven consecutive victories.
Mix of Old and New
Creighton returns 15 letterwinners from last season's squad, but also welcomes in 10 new players to the Bluejay program.
Of this season's 10 new faces, eight are freshmen and two are incoming transfers from Wichita State and South Dakota State.
By comparison, the Bluejays have had 10 newcomers in each of the last two seasons, the most since Creighton had 11 newcomers join the program in 2018.
See You On The Bases
Cayla Nielsen reached base in 44-of-53 games played last season and lead Creighton with a .489 on-base percentage, a figure that ranked sixth-best in Creighton history for one season.
Three of the four marks above her were accomplished by former Bluejay players and assistant coaches Alexis Cantu and Renae Sinkler, while Kailey Wilson holds two of the top-10 marks in program history.
We have already seen her on the basepaths for the Bluejays this season as she has reached base safely in three out of the first five games.
Best On-Base Percentage, CU History, Season
Rk. OBP% Name Year
1. .547 Alexis Cantu 2012
2. .541 Kailey Wilson 2022
3. .514 Renae Sinkler 2010
4. .492 Renae Sinkler 2009
5. .490 Christy Lunceford 1996
6. .486 Cayla Nielsen 2023
7. .482 Tash Coffiel 2016
8. .479 Kailey Wilson 2021
.479 Ashley Cantu 2018
10. .477 Liz Dike 2015
Nielsen On Quest To Top-10
Entering her final season with Creighton, senior Cayla Nielsen looks to climb the Bluejay ranks in several career stat categories.
After the first weekend of play, Nielsen currently ranks 10th all-time with a .324 career batting average. She is also on the verge of entering the Top-10 list for runs scored (five shy) and doubles (nine shy).
BATTING AVERAGE (minimum 250 at-bats)
No. Avg. Name H-AB Years
1. .404 Anne Timmermann 116-287 1977-79
2. .382 Ashley Cantu 218-570 2017-21
3. .379 Christy Lunceford 245-646 1994-97
4. .358 Heidi Geier 243-678 1996-99
5. .353 Kailey Wilson 168-476 2019-23
6. .336 Renae Sinkler 201-599 2007-10
7. .331 Kiara Mills 123-372 2019-22
8. .328 Melanie Dorsey 198-604 2002-05
9. .326 Christine Fukumoto 110-337 2004-05
10. .324 Cayla Nielsen 145-448 2020-pr.
RUNS SCORED
No. Name R Years
1. Stacey Rybar 132 2001-04
2. Jean Tierney 130 1980-83
3. Heidi Geier 129 1996-99
Ashley Cantu 129 2017-21
5. Sue Frederick 128 1986-89
6. Christy Lunceford 122 1994-97
7. Renae Sinkler 120 2007-10
8. Bailey Dawson 119 2006-09
9. Liz Dike 118 2012-15
10. Lauren Cisneros 113 2003-06
Production Returns
Creighton returns seven players who started at least half of the games from last spring's team that finished 22-31 and 6-18 in the BIG EAST Conference.
All told, CU returns 79.7 percent of its starts, 78.8 percent of its hits, 83 percent of its runs, 81.8 percent of its doubles, 68.2 percent of its home runs, 74.2 percent of its RBI and 71.2 percent of its walks off last year's squad.
The Bluejays also return 74.4 percent of its innings pitched, 71.5 percent of its strikeouts, 77.3 percent of its pitching wins and 75.3 percent of its putouts from last year's squad.
Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat Returners Departures
Starts 380 (79.7%) 97 (20.3%)
Hits 323 (78.8%) 87 (21.2%)
Runs 205 (83.0%) 42 (17.0%)
Doubles 63 (81.8%) 14 (18.9%)
Home Runs 30 (68.2%) 14 (31.8%)
RBI 173 (74.2%) 60 (25.8%)
Walks 116 (71.2%) 47 (28.8%)
IP 252.2 (74.4%) 86.1 (25.6%)
K's 188 (71.5%) 75 (28.5%)
Wins 17 (77.3%) 5 (22.7%)
PO 766 (75.3%) 251 (24.7%)
