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Softball Adds Kristina Rendle to Roster
Thursday, July 24 2008

Youngstown -- Youngstown State softball Head Coach Brian Campbell announced Wednesday infielder Kristina Rendle (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) will join the Penguins softball program for the 2009 season.

Rendle, a transfer from Tiffin, has three years of immediate eligibility remaining.

"Kristina is a hard-working ball player with a lot of tools," Campbell said. "She has a tremendous bat with a lot of speed and can really apply pressure on defenses.

"We feel fortunate to have her join our program."

In her lone season at Tiffin, was named the Division II ICAA Freshman of the Year after batting .439 with 32 runs scored, five doubles and 23 runs batted in.

Rendle also stole 10 bases and owned an on-base percentage of .500.

At Oregon Clay High School, Rendle was a first-team all-district selection and a two-time all-conference choice.

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Tiffany Patteson Returns to YSU as Assistant Softball Coach
Tuesday, June 24 2008

Youngstown -- Tiffany Patteson, the most-decorated softball player in Youngstown State history, has returned to her alma mater to serve as an assistant softball coach, Head Softball Coach Brian Campbell announced on Monday. Patteson will begin her duties on July 1.

"Having Tiffany join me at Youngstown State is a natural fit," Campbell said. "She is a bright, young and hard-working coach who has a passion for the game of softball and a love for Youngstown State University."

Patteson, the 2006 YSU-Vindicator Female Athlete of the Year, spent the 2008 season as a graduate assistant coach at Tiffin, where she helped guide the Dragons to a 27-14-1 record in their inaugural season as an NCAA Division II squad.

A four-year letterwinner at Youngstown State from 2003-06, Patteson served as a student assistant coach during the 2007 while completing her degree.

Patteson said she is honored to return to her alma mater and join the coaching staff.

"It is a real privilege for me to return to the Youngstown State softball program as an assistant coach," Patteson said. "My experience as a student-athlete at Youngstown State was incredible, and I want to help our current and future student-athletes to share in the same type success that I enjoyed."

Patteson, a four-time All-Horizon League selection, owns several Youngstown State all-time records, including games played (205), games started (205), hits (231), at-bats (664), doubles (56), triples (18), walks (84) and runs scored (121). Patteson also ranks second all-time in batting average (.347) and fourth all-time with 93 runs batted in. She is the only player in school history to play in more than 200 games.

In 2006, Patteson led the team with a .361 batting average, three triples and 14 doubles and blasted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning against UIC to give YSU a 2-1 win and its first Horizon League Tournament Championship and NCAA Regional Tournament berth.

Patteson earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Youngstown State in 2007 and is working on her master's degree at Tiffin.

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Penguins Tab Tiffin's Brian Campbell New Softball Head Coach
Tuesday, June 17 2008

Youngstown -- Brian Campbell, the winningest softball coach in Tiffin University history, has been named the ninth Head Coach of the Youngstown State University softball program, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo announced on Tuesday.

Campbell, who just completed his eighth year as head coach and his 12th year overall working with the Lady Dragons' softball program, posted an impressive 285-129-1 overall record and a .688 winning percentage during his tenure.

"We are delighted to have Brian Campbell join our Penguin family as the new Head Softball Coach," Strollo said. "He brings with him not only a proven track record as a successful head coach, but also a commitment to providing a positive collegiate experience for his student-athletes."

"This is a great opportunity for my family and me," Campbell said. "Youngstown State has all of the tools in place to return to the top of the Horizon League, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead its softball program."

Campbell transitioned Tiffin into an NCAA Division II program from the NAIA, and in its first season as an NCAA Division II, Independent the Dragons finished with a 27-14-1 record. Tiffin was ranked as high as 32nd in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) national polls in 2008 while moving as high as 13th in the NAIA national rankings in 2007.

Campbell, who has averaged 36 wins per season, was named American Midwest Conference (AMC) North Coach of the Year in 2007 for the third consecutive season after leading the Dragons to a 37-11 mark, a Region IX Championship and their second straight appearance in the NAIA National Softball Tournament.

In 2006, Campbell guided Tiffin to an impressive 57-11 overall record and the program's first Region IX title and first NAIA National Tournament appearance.

Campbell led Tiffin to four-consecutive AMC North Championships from 2004 to 2007 and the AMC Championship in 2002 with a 25-3 conference record and a 31-17 overall mark.

During the 2005 campaign, the Dragons compiled a 34-22 overall mark and an 11-1 conference record on the way to their third conference title in four years.

Campbell led Tiffin to a perfect 14-0 conference record and a 39-15 overall mark during the 2004 AMC North Championship season.

The Dragons earned conference runner-up honors in 2003 with a 33-20 overall mark and a 16-4 league record. They won their first league title in 2002 after posting a 25-3 conference record and a 31-17 overall mark.

After four seasons as an assistant coach, Campbell took over the Tiffin program in 2001 and posted a 27-19 overall record.

Campbell has coached 39 All-Conference selections, including 2007 Region and Conference Pitcher of the Year Krista Sowers, 2006 AMC North Player of the Year Kristina Schweikert, 2005 AMC North Player of the Year Denita Robinson, 2005 AMC North Pitcher of the Year and 2004 AMC North Player of the Year Rachel Richardson and 2002 AMC Player of the Year Kate Siroky.

He also serves as a national rater for softball for the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll and is a member of the NFCA Division II Head Coaches Committee.

Campbell, who also served as Assistant Athletic Director, is a 1994 graduate of Tiffin University with a degree in criminal justice. He also has a master's degree in criminal justice from Tiffin.

Campbell played for the Tiffin football team from 1990-94 on the offensive line, helping to lead the Dragons to their first-ever National Tournament appearance.

He also served as an assistant football coach from 1997-2000 and was an assistant coach at Newark High School.

He and his wife, Kristi, have a daughter, Courtney.



Brian Campbell Year-By-Year
Year Record Pct. Notes
2008 27-14-1 .659 NCAA Division II Independent
2007 37-11 .771 Region IX, AMC North Champs, NAIA Qualifier
2006 59-11 .838 Region IX, AMC North Champs, NAIA Qualifier
2005 34-22 .607 AMC North Champs
2004 39-15 .722 AMC North Champs
2003 33-20 .622 AMC Central Runners-Up
2002 25-3 .646 AMC Champions
2001 27-19 .587
Total 285-129-1 .688

Softball

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Softball Falls to UIC, 7-0, in Horizon League First Round
Friday, May 9 2008

Chicago, Ill. -- The Youngstown State softball team was limited to just two hits and made two late-inning errors en route to a 7-0 loss to UIC in the first round of the Horizon League Softball Championship on Thursday morning at the Loyola Softball Field.

UIC's Sarah Clynes fired the two-hit shutout with four strikeouts. Clynes took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning before Kristin Bair's one-out single up the middle broke up the no-hit bid.

Senior Becky Hibner held the Flames in check through four innings before UIC's Alicia Abbott belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.

The Flames capitalized on two Penguin errors for a four-run sixth inning.

The Guins face seventh-seeded Butler in an elimination game, Friday, at 10 a.m.

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Bedra Named to ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Third-Team
Friday, May 9 2008

Youngstown -- Just one day after being named First-Team All-Horizon League for the second straight year, Youngstown State senior McKenzie Bedra was named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Third-Team, the College Sports Information Directors announced on Thursday.

Bedra, who is Youngstown State's all-time home run and RBI leader, carries a 3.36 cumulative grade-point average in exercise science.

The Bowling Green, Ohio, native owns a team-best .331 batting average and twice tied the YSU single-season home run record in 2008.

Bedra also leads the Penguins with 32 runs batted in and is tied for the team-lead with 11 home runs.

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McKenzie Bedra Tabbed First-Team All-League; Rochelle Vanyi Named to All-Newcomer Team
Thursday, May 8 2008

Indianapolis, Ind. -- For the second straight season, Youngstown State senior McKenzie Bedra was named to the All-Horizon League First-Team, the league announced on Wednesday. Youngstown State freshman Rochelle Vanyi was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.

Bedra, YSU career leader with 34 home runs and 119 RBIs, is batting a team-best .338 with seven doubles and a school-record 11 home runs. The Bowling Green, Ohio, native has also driven 32 runs, scored 24 runs and owns a .646 slugging percentage.

Bedra is just the third YSU player to earn back-to-back first-team all-league honors and the first since Tiffany Patteson accomplished the feat in 2003 and 2004. Chris Notareschi was the first player to earn consecutive first-team all-conference honors in 1997 and 1998 when YSU was a member of the Mid-Continent Conference

Vanyi, a native of Rocklin, Calif., is batting .319 with 10 doubles and a single-season school-record 11 home runs. She has also driven in 21 runs and scored a team-high 27 runs while slugging at a .630 clip.

Vanyi is also just the second player in school history to record at least 10 doubles and 10 home runs in the same season. Kristen McDonnell was the first with 11 doubles and 10 home runs in 2006.

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Penguins Softball Gears Up for Tournament, Takes on Fifth-Seeded UIC
Wednesday, May 7 2008

To reclaim its Horizon League tournament title from the 2006 season, the Youngstown State softball team will have to win at least five games in a three-day span this weekend, May 8-10, at the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship hosted Loyola in Chicago, Ill.

The Penguins, who garnered the eighth-seed with an overall mark of 12-35 and a Horizon League record of 6-16, will take on a familiar tournament foe, the fifth-seeded UIC Flames (22-31, 12-9 Horizon League), on Thursday, May 8, at Noon (EDT)/11 a.m. (CDT).

Since the 2003 Horizon League Softball Championship, the Penguins and Flames have squared off a total of five times and have met in each of the last three tournaments. The Penguins have defeated the Flames three times, including twice in the 2006 postseason, but UIC defeated the Guins, 1-0, in the 2007 tournament.

If the Penguins fall to the Flames in the opening round, they would take on the loser of Game One, No. 6 Green Bay (10-23, 4-9) or No. 7 Butler (16-27,5-12), in an elimination game on Friday, may 9, at 10 a.m. (EDT)/ 9 a.m. (CDT).

If the Penguins defeat the Flames on Thursday morning, they would have to comeback Thursday evening to take on the No. 2-seed Valparaiso Crusaders (30-17, 12-5) at 7 p.m. (EDT)/6 p.m. (CDT). The Penguins lost two of three to the Crusaders in the regular season.
With a victory over the Crusaders on Thursday evening, the Guins would advance to the winner’s bracket semifinal on Friday, May 9, at 2 p.m. (EDT)/1 p.m. (CDT). YSU would take on either No. 3 Wright State (29-24, 13-7), No. 4 Loyola (18-23, 12-7) or No. 8 Detroit (11-26, 4-13).

The winner’s bracket final is Friday, May 9, at 9 p.m. (EDT)/8p.m. (CDT) and the Championship game is slated for Saturday, May 10, at 5 p.m. (EDT)/4 p.m. (CDT).

Regular-season champion and top-seeded Cleveland State (29-16, 14-4) has the easiest route to the championship game only having win to games to get to the championship game and win a total of three to earn a berth to the NCAA Regional Tournament.



Experience Factor

Although seeded-eighth, Youngstown State has plenty of tournament experience from which to draw. Eight players on the current Penguins roster were on the 2006 championship team and have played a total of eight tournament games since 2005 and own a Horizon League Championship record of 4-4.



Lower-Seed Success

Being a low seed in the Horizon League Softball Championship has not been the end-all. Since 2003, just one top seed has won the Horizon League Championship - UIC in 2004. Wright State won its first Horizon League crown in 2003 as the eighth seed and collected its second title in five years in 2007 as the seventh seed.

As the sixth-seed, Youngstown State won four straight games in the 2006 tournament to capture the program’s first Horizon League championship and first NCAA Regional Tournament berth. McKenzie Bedra batting an impressive .700 with five home runs and 2.200 slugging percentage

Green Bay used its home-field advantage on its way to the tournament crown as the No. 2 seed in 2005.



Bedra, Vanyi Offensive

Senior McKenzie Bedra and freshman Rochelle Vanyi have combined for a powerful duo in the Penguins lineup in 2008. Vanyi broke the single-season home run mark with her 11th blast of the season in game one against Pittsburgh on April 29. In the second game, Bedra tied Vanyi’s one-game record with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.

Bedra, who is batting .338 with 11 home runs and 32 runs batted in, is slugging at a .646 clip, which ranks fourth on the YSU single-season list.

Vanyi is just the second player in school history to collect double digits in both home runs and doubles in the same season with 11 homers and 10 doubles. The other YSU player to do so was Kristen McDonnell with 11 doubles and 10 home runs in 2006. Vanyi is also owns a .630 slugging percentage which ranks sixth on the single-season chart.



Cale Confident in Circle

Sophomore Cheryl Cale has become the Guins top hurler in the circle this season. After losing her first four decisions year, Cale has improved as the season went on posting an 8-5 record with a 4.28 earned-run average since April 1. Over her last nine decision, Cale has posted a 5-4 mark with a 2.81 earned-run average and picked up her first career shutout with a three-hitter in a 1-0 win over Butler on April 19.



Klonowski Base-Knockin

Freshman Kim Klonowski has seen a dramatic improvement at the plate over the last 15 games. In that span, Klonowski has appeared 11 times and is batting .393 with four doubles and a .536 slugging percentage.



Potokar Keeps Pumpin

Over the last 10 games, freshman Katy Potokar has been a tough out. The Grove City, Ohio, native is batting .367 (11-for-30) with three home runs, seven runs scored and seven runs batted in during that span. She also boasts a slugging percentage of .667 in those 10 games.

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Potokar's Three Hits Leads Guins to 8-3 Victory Over Green Bay in Season Finale
Sunday, May 4 2008

Green Bay, Wis. -- Freshman Katy Potokar went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs batted in and sophomore Cheryl Cale turned in another solid performance in the circle to lead the Youngstown State softball team (12-35, 6-16 Horizon League) to an 8-3 victory over Green Bay in its regular season finale.

Potakar's run-scoring single in the top of the first gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead and her solo home run - her fifth of the year - in the top of the fourth sparked a three-run frame to give the Guins a 4-2 edge.

After the Phoenix answered with a run in the bottom half of the fourth, senior Becky and freshman Rochelle Vanyi each plated two runs with back-to-back two-out singles to boost the Guins lead to 8-3 in the top of the sixth inning.

Cale picked up her team-leading eighth win of the season firing her 11th complete game by scattering just six hits and striking out one.

The Penguins will play in the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship, May 8-10, in Chicago, Ill.

Softball

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Vanyi Breaks, Bedra Ties Single-Season Home Run Mark in Pair of Losses to Pitt
Wednesday, April 30 2008

Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Freshman Rochelle Vanyi broke the Youngstown State single-season home run record with her 11th of the season in game one and senior McKenzie Bedra tied the mark in game two but the Penguins softball team dropped a doubleheader to Pittsburgh, 11-3, 8-2, on Tuesday afternoon.

The Penguins fall to 11-33 while the Panthers improve to 29-20.

In the opener, Vanyi went 3-for-4 and hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning to bring the Guins within two, 3-1.

In the top of the fifth and trailing 4-1, a single by Kristin Bair and a sacrifice fly by Katy Potokar cut the deficit to 4-3.

Pitt, however, scored four in the bottom half of the fifth and three more in the sixth to enforce the mercy rule.

In the nightcap, Bedra's two-run blast put the Penguins up 2-0 but the Guins would not score again.

YSU closes out the regular season with a three-game series against Green Bay, May 3-4, in Green Bay, Wis.

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McKenzie Bedra Named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week
Monday, April 28 2008

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State senior McKenzie Bedra has been named the Horizon League Softball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

Bedra led the Guins to a 3-4 record last week after posting a .524 batting average with four home runs, a double and 10 RBIs. Bedra also stole her first base of the season.

She turned in a 3-for-4 performance against Saint Francis (Pa.) blasting a home run and a double with five runs batted in. She cranked two home runs and drove in four in a 3-for-4 outing in a 7-2 win over Valparaiso.

Bedra also tied the school’s single-season home run record (10) with a two-run shot in a 13-5 loss to Valparaiso.

For the week, Bedra recorded an impressive 1.143 slugging percentage and became YSU’s all-time leader in runs batted in last week. She owns the record with 117.

YSU visits Pittsburgh, Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m.