Softball begins road trip...We look at Christina Roesel...Asst. WBB Coach Norman...KENTUCKY OAKS Picks

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

Freshmen right fielder Hannah
Kiyohara is batting .384

-Softball heads to Georgetown

-Spotlight on senior Christina Roesel

-Lady Cardinal WBB Assistant Coach Norman

-KENTUCKY OAKS Picks

Wow, a busy day here at C.C. Let's get to it...

The University of Louisville women's softball team heads out during Derby week in a race of their own...to secure and clinch a top four finish in the BIG EAST regular season standings. They'll play two today against the Georgetown Hoyas in Washington, D.C. Georgetown, in eighth place with a 6-11 conference record, is battling also...to maintain or improve on their eight place standing...since only the top eight teams get invited to the BIG EAST Tournament that will be held in Louisville May 12-14.

For Louisville, it's been a long break between games...the Cards winning a 4-0 rain-delayed victory over Providence on April 21st....at the beginning of the Louisville monsoon season that has lasted about two weeks. Hannah Kiyohara leads the Cards with a .384 average...followed closely by seniors Chelsea Bemis at .379 and Colby Wherry at .373.

The Cards have a lifetime 2-0 record over the Hoyas in softball...sweeping a doubleheader against them in Ulmer Stadium back in 2009...7-0 and 4-2.

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Christina Roesel has
played infield and
outfield for the Cards.

Sandy Pearsall has three seniors on her young squad this year and yesterday we recapped super shortstop Colby Wherry. Today we'll look at infielder Christina Roesel. The infielder/outfielder hails from Morris, Illinois and was a four time all-conference shortstop at Morris Community High School. "Rosey" also was a four year letter winner in hoops and volleyball.

She arrived at Louisville in 2008 and became the Cards starting second baseman her first year...one of three freshmen infielders on that Cardinal squad. Her sophomore year found her back at the "2" bag again and she started 55 games at second.

Her junior year saw her providing an important backup role to the Cards in fielding and pinch running...participating in 20 games and she continues that role as a senior. She's been on the Athletic Director's honor roll and the Dean's List and is majoring in sports administration.

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We all recognize and know a little about Lady Cards head basketball coach Jeff Walz. Today we'll introduce you to one of his assistant coaches....Stephanie Norman. She arrived at Louisville during Walz's first year in 2007 and was one of his first hires. She came from Vanderbilt University...where she had spent five years as the recruiting coordinator for the Commodores. Her invaluable efforts and assistance in recruiting at Louisville over the last four years has helped the Cards bring in arguably the best four freshmen classes in school history. This continued a trend she started at Vanderbilt...helping bring in the top class in women's college basketball in 2003and subsequent top 20 classes in 2005 and 2006.



UofL WBB Assistant coach Stephanie
Norman teaching skills.

Norman has also served as an assistant at Oregon, Oregon State, Hawaii and the University of British Columbia. She actually got her college degree in wildlife biology from Arizona State, which no doubt helps her understand the crazy UK basketball fans in this area.

The speculation, from our point of view is that Norman is ready to...and would prove to be...a very good head coach for some program out there...if that is the next step she wants to take. With Louisville, the experience that she and Michelle Clark-Heard add to the Louisville brain trust has proven to be invaluable...and with the departure of Bethann Ord to assume the head coaching job at Weber State...they'll be counted on to also help acclimate whoever Walz's hires for the open assistant coaching position.

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We're not ready to release the official CARDINAL COUPLE Derby Picks just yet, gotta see how the post position draw goes...but here's how we're seeing the Friday Kentucky Oaks shaping up. The post positions,jockeys and odds for the 13 runners:

1. JOYFUL VICTORY. Mike Smith  5-2

The best filly of all time, ZENYATTA...did not run in the
Kentucky Oaks.

2. LILACS AND LACE. Javier Castellano 12-1

3. SUMMER SOIREE. Gabriel Saez  5-1
4. KATHMANBLU. Julian Leparoux  4-1
5. SUAVE VOIR FAIRE. Miguel Mena  50-1
6. ZAZU. Joel Rosario  4-1
7. HER SMILE. Garrett Gomez  20-1
8. BOUQUET BOOTH. Robby Alberado  20-1
9. DAISY DEVINE. James Graham  20-1
10. STREET STORM. Shaun Bridgmohan  50-1
11. HOLY HEAVENS. Kent Desormeaux  50-1
12. PLUM PRETTY. Martin Garcia  5-1
13. ST. JOHN'S RIVER. Rosie Napravnik  30-1

WE love where ZAZU and KATHMANBLU ended up with post positions and will take these two as our choices to win (Paul with ZAZU and Sonja with KATHMANBLU). Hate the fact that JOYFUL VICTORY drew the rail, or #1 post and cannot see her winning from there. We'll still use her, though...in any exactas or trifectas we attempt, along with ZAZU, KATHMANBLU. LILACS AND LACE and DAISY DEVINE. You might want to include SUMMER SOIREE and PLUM PRETTY if you play superfectas.... on the bottom levels.

Wise guy pick....STREET STORM, trained by Steve Margolis and getting top rider Shaun Bridgmohan comes highly recomended by ace handicapper Alan Patterson. Won the Mardi Gras at Fairgrounds...driving at the end. Distance won't be a problem. The price will be nice...opening odds are 50-1.  

Good luck and we're happy to provide these "entertainment only" selections to you...if you wager, wager responsibly...