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Salukis set to face Team USA

By Pete Spitler, The Southern

Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:42 PM CDT

As it turns out, the May 8 loss to Missouri State in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament won't be the last hurrah for four members of the Southern Illinois University softball team.

Four Salukis - Becky Wegmann, Lauren Haas, Krystal Stein and Tiffanie Dismore - will be a part of a Midwest All-Star team that will take on the U.S. Olympic team at 7:30 p.m. today at Meador Park in Springfield, Mo.

"This will probably be the last game they ever play for all four of them," SIU coach Kerri Blaylock said. "It's great for them to have an opportunity to play against the best in the country and I'm happy for them."

The contest, hosted by the Springfield Park Board, is part of a 64-team exhibition schedule for Team USA as it prepares for Olympic competition, which begins Aug. 12. Team USA beat the Black Hills Gold All-Star team in Rapid City, S.D., 7-0 on Tuesday and Springfield is another stop on the "Bound 4 Beijing" tour that concludes July 26 in Irving, Calif.

"Team USA is the best in the world," said MSU coach Holly Hesse, who is serving as organizer for the event. "Our goal is to give as many players as possible a chance to play against Team USA and give them some good competition in preparation for Beijing."

The Midwest All-Stars, consisting almost entirely of MVC veterans, boasts the trio of Arkansas' Katy Henry, MSU's Melissa Porche and Wichita State's Ashley Bright in the circle. Both Porche and Bright are All-MVC selections, while Henry led the Lady Razorbacks to a 37-29 finish and an NCAA Regional berth.

Their counterparts are Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman and Olympic rookie Monica Abbott. Finch and Osterman already have gold medals from the team's dominating performance in Athens four years ago.

"We've brought together some of the best the MVC has to offer," Hesse said. "I feel like we have three quality pitchers and I've jokingly told them they have to get six outs before they give up six runs."

Haas, the MVC Player of the Year following a season in which she batted .388 with 13 doubles and 39 RBIs, is another key component of a 24-player roster that will be split up into two halves against Team USA, with each half playing part of the game.

"I played on another team in Indiana that played them in June," Dismore said. "It's a whole different level of competition. I think you've got to go out there, have fun and give them some practice, I guess."

Dismore, coming off a year that saw her play only 31 games because of a broken jaw suffered against Northwestern, is one of seven outfielders on the Midwest team. She finished with a .273 average, five doubles and one triple. Stein wrapped up an SIU career where she hit .243 in her final season. Wegmann served as the Salukis' shortstop, racking up 84 assists and tying for second on the team with seven doubles.

And all four Salukis will be driving to Springfield together, the last road trip as teammates.

"It makes the experience that much more memorable," Haas said of playing with her SIU teammates. "This will be fun. There's no pressure and the fact that I'm going to be on the same field with the girls I've been following for so long is awesome."

And Midwest may need all the offense it can get against a team that is 54-1this summer and averaging 12 runs per game. Team USA has outscored its opponents 653-26 during the tour and its lone loss came at the hands of Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher, one of the last players cut from the Olympic squad.

"You hope that you can hold offensive Team USA down and try to get a run or two," Blaylock said. "You rely a lot on your pitching."

Not only did Tincher shut Team USA out in March's 1-0 victory, she put up a no-hitter and ended the Americans' 185-game winning streak in pre-Olympic competition.

China might be the last go-around for awhile for Olympic softball. Along with baseball, the International Olympic Committee dropped softball from the program for the 2012 Olympics in London. The sport can be reinstated for the 2016 games as early as next year, but Beijing remains the last official at-bat for now.

"You don't really have a strong professional league," said Hesse, a 26-year coaching veteran. "Olympic is still the highest level a girl can dream. I'm optimistic we'll get it back as other countries get better.

"Some people have asked if this is a farewell tour. I said this is a going for the gold tour."

pete.spitler@thesouthern.com / 351-5073