Wednesday, April 9, 1997

RAMS RANKED 16TH IN THIS WEEK'S TOP 25 POLL-- Colorado State is ranked 16th in this week's edition of the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll. The Rams have now been ranked for four straight weeks, debuting at 19, moving to 17 two weeks ago and staying at 16 for the past two weeks.

RAMS STAY IN FIRST PLACE IN WAC-- Despite suffering its first loss in 19 games Sunday at UNLV, Colorado State remains percentage points ahead of No. 1 Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference standings. Colorado State currently stands at 34-9, 11-3 in the WAC, while Fresno State is 12-4 in the WAC, 37-6 overall.

RAMS GET FIRST-EVER SWEEP AT NEW MEXICO-- Colorado State swept New Mexico Saturday in Albuquerque for the first time in the program's history. The Rams needed 13 innings in game one to defeat the Lobos 5-3 before taking game two 4-1. Nikki Johnson's went the distance in the first game to pick up her school-record 21st win of the season. A throwing error by Lobo P Janis Robinson in the 13th inning let in two Ram runs and Colorado State held on for the victory. Erin Bennett scattered five hits in the nightcap to win her fifth straight start. Junior 2B Jennifer Buford had six hits in eight at bats in the twin bill and scored four of the Rams' nine runs. Senior CF Amber Solano was 3 for 3 in game two and Junior SS Sarah Fredstrom had two RBI.

RAMS SPLIT WITH UNLV-- Colorado State took game one of its Sunday doubleheader at UNLV to set a school record with an 18-game winning streak. The Rams jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Buford and Solano scored on an error by Rebels SS Kim Rondina. Freshman 1B Alyson Carter then followed a Fredstrom triple with an RBI single in the fifth inning to give Nikki Johnson all the cushion she would need. Johnson picked up her WAC-leading 22nd win of the season. In game two, a first-inning home run by UNLV C Julie Crandall held up for a 1-0 Rebel win. Johnson suffered her first loss in 14 starts as the road-weary Rams managed just three hits off Rebel P Brandi Isgar.

RAMS GET REBELS & LOBOS AGAIN THIS WEEKEND-- Weather permitting, Colorado State meets UNLV and New Mexico again this week, this time in the friendly confines of Ram Field. Friday the Rams and Rebels meet in a 1 p.m. doubleheader and Saturday the Rams and Lobos play a 1 p.m. twin bill.

JOHNSON SETS TWO MORE RECORDS-- Senior P Nikki Johnson has added two more season records to her collection. With her win Saturday at New Mexico, Johnson picked up her 21st win of the season to top the old school record of 20 wins set in 1989 by Kristy Wirth. She also surpassed Stacie Stafford's 1992 season record of 168 strikeouts by fanning the first batter she faced Sunday versus UNLV. The senior from Denver is now 22-4 on the season with 180 strikeouts. She already owns Colorado State career records for victories (54), strikeouts (402), complete games (69), starts (70), appearances (86), saves (3) and innings pitched (525.2) in her three seasons with the Rams. A standout at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo., Johnson played one season at Georgia Tech before transfering to Colorado State.

WIN STREAK RECORD SET-- Colorado State's 18-game winning streak was not only the longest in the 22-year history of the softball program, but it was the longest of any sport in 104 years of athletic competition at Colorado State. The 1989 softball team held the old record of 17 wins in a row, the last softball team to be ranked in the top 25 before this season. The 1989 squad also set the school softball record for wins in a season with 37. This year's team needs just three wins in its last 18 games to tie that mark. The 1989 club also holds the record for winning percentage (.725). The 1997 Rams currently have a .791 winning percentage and need 10 wins in their final 18 regular-season contests to reach that mark.

SOLANO SETTING THE PACE-- Senior CF Amber Solano continues to spark the Colorado State offense from the No. 2 spot in the batting order. The Fort Collins native (Rocky Mountain HS) is the Rams' leading hitter in WAC games, hitting at a .476 clip - third-best in the conference. Her . 394 batting average overall is second on the team and eighth in the WAC. Solano also leads the WAC with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts in conference games and is fourth in the WAC with 22 stolen bases on the season. Her 22 stolen bases is a Colorado State single-season record - one ahead of teammate Jennifer Buford. She is one behind Buford all time in career stolen bases with 41. Solano also leads the WAC in runs scored with 47 - also a Colorado State season record. Her career total of 102 is second on the school record charts.

BUFORD CONTINUES STREAK-- By hitting safely in all four games this past weekend, Junior 2B Jennifer Buford has increased her hitting streak to 11 games - longest on the team this season. Over those 11 games, Buford is hitting .556 (20 for 36) and has scored 14 runs. Her 105 career runs scored is a Colorado State record. She is fourth on the team and 12th in the WAC with a .389 batting average. Buford is also fifth in the conference in stolen bases (21), fifth in on-base percentage (.450), and is tied for second in runs scored (44).

OTHER WAC LEADERS-- Freshman 1B Alyson Carter leads the Rams and is tied for third in the WAC with a .415 batting average. Current Colorado State assistant coach Teri Klement holds the school record with a .433 average in 1989. Carter is also tied for third in the conference with 12 doubles and is fourth in hits with 59. Junior SS Sarah Fredstrom leads the WAC with 52 RBI - tying her season record set last year - is fifth in hits (57), fifth in runs (40), tied for fourth in triples (4) and fourth in slugging percentage (.630).

RAMS VS. THE TOP 25-- Colorado State is 5-4 against teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll this season. The Rams are 1-1 vs. #15 Missouri, 2-0 vs. #12 Arizona State and 2-0 vs. #25 San Diego State. Three of Colorado State's losses have come to the top two teams in the nation in #2 Fresno State (twice) and #1 Arizona.