University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Enjoy Record-Setting Campaign
June 1, 2000 | Softball
June 1, 2000
PDF Formatted Notes
Season-at-a-glance
The 2000 North Carolina Tar Heels enjoyed the finest season in the
history of the program, finishing with a record of 47-17. They won more
games than any Carolina team has since the school switched to fastpitch
play in 1984.
The Tar Heels broke school single-season records for hits (531), runs (297), RBI (252), doubles (86), home runs (35) and total bases (746). The Tar Heels also saw new marks established for career stolen bases (senior Crystal Henderson: 76), career doubles (junior Michelle Semmes: 36) and career home runs (sophomore Natalie Anter, Henderson: 17), as well as RBI in a season (sophomore Kelly Ramsey, 48).
Throughout the season, the Tar Heels led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked among the nation's leaders in batting average. At the end of the season, UNC was hitting .317, fifth in the NCAA. Carolina also ranked 17th in the NCAA in winning percentage.
Quick Facts on the 2000 Tar Heels
| Overall record: | 47-17 |
| ACC record: | 6-2 |
| Head coach: | Donna Papa |
| Alma mater: | Connecticut, 1979 |
| Career record: | 551-325-2 (17th year) |
| Record at UNC: | 522-310-2 (15th year) |
| Assistant coaches: | Beverly Smith, Patti Raduenz |
| Head trainer: | Scott Oliaro |
| UNC website: | www.TarHeelBlue.com |
| Sports information contact: | Dana Gelin |
Quick Facts on UNC
| Location: | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| Founded: | 1789 |
| Enrollment: | 24,189 |
| Conference: | Atlantic Coast |
| Affiliation: | NCAA Division I |
| Chancellor-elect: | James Moeser |
| Director of Athletics: | Dick Baddour |
| School colors: | Carolina blue and white |
| Nickname: | Tar Heels |
2000 Honors and Awards
All-America
Third team: Kelly Ramsey
All-Southeast Region
First team: Natalie Anter, Jen Klesaris, Kelly Ramsey, Michelle Semmes
Second team: Crystal Henderson, Radara McHugh
ACC Player of the Year: Michelle Semmes
ACC Coach of the year: Donna Papa
All-ACC: Natalie Anter, Crystal Henderson, Radara McHugh, Michelle Semmes
All-ACC Tournament: Crystal Henderson
ACC Players of the Week
Feb. 14: Kelly Ramsey, Feb. 21: Natalie Anter, April 10: Quinn Porter
ACC Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 28: Erin Joseph, April 10: Radara McHugh
All-Tournament Teams
Triangle Classic: Natalie Anter, Carrie Bates
uzz Classic: Radara McHugh
Ringor Winthrop Invitational: Natalie Anter, Jen Klesaris, Michelle Semmes
Tar Heel Invitational: Radara McHugh (MVP),
Jen Klesaris, Beth Olen, Quinn Porter
Tar Heels in the 2000 ACC Tournament
UNC went into the conference tournament as the top seed, but was
eliminated in two games. The Tar Heels lost their opening game 3-1 to
Virginia on April 29, then fell to Maryland 4-3 on April 30. Senior
Crystal Henderson hit two doubles and a home run in the two tournament
games and was named to the All-ACC Tournament team.
Round-trippers, with regularity
For the second year in a row, the Tar Heels established a team
single-season record for home runs. Heading into 2000, the mark to beat
was 27 by the 1999 team. The 2000 team hit its 27th in the 40th game of
the season, against Virginia Tech on March 25, and kept right on going.
Carolina finished with a total of 35 home runs in 64 games.
The Tar Heels hit a season-high five against St. Peter"s on March 18 at the Ringor Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C., to set a school single-game record.
Henderson swipes record base
On April 12, in a doubleheader against UNC-Wilmington, senior Crystal
Henderson stole the 73rd and 74th bases of her career to set a UNC
record. Number 74, which broke the record set by Sonya Bright from
1990-93, came in the sixth inning of the second game. After Henderson
stole second, the game was halted briefly while UNC coach Donna Papa
presented her with a commemorative base, which Henderson has said will
go in a trophy case at her home in Severn, Md.
Henderson finished her UNC career with stolen 76 bases (in 86 attempts). She was 17-for-21 during her senior season.
Anter rewriting home run mark
Although just a sophomore, Natalie Anter already shares UNC"s career
home runs record with a total of 17. (The old record was 14, held by
everly Smith, who is now a tar Heel assistant coach.) Anter finished
the season with nine home runs, just one short of the single-season mark
of 10.
Crystal Henderson finished her UNC career with a total of 17 home runs and currently tied with Anter.
Semmes owns doubles record
With another full season to play, junior Michelle Semmes is on her way
to shattering the UNC career doubles mark. Semmes, a shortstop who led
the 2000 team in batting average, finished the season with a career
total of 36. The old record was 33, set by Christine Kubin from 1993-96.
Semmes tied and broke Kubin"s record with two doubles in the first game of a doubleheader at UNC-Charlotte on April 5. She had 17 in the 2000 season, the best on the team and in the ACC.
Rewriting the book
The Tar Heels made major renovations to the UNC record book during the
2000 season. Following are records that were tied or broken:
Team single-season
| At bats: | 1676 (old record: 1638) |
| Runs scored: | 297 (old record: 294) |
| Hits: | 531 (old record: 488) |
| Doubles: | 86 (old record: 84) |
| Home runs: | 35 (old record: 27) |
| RBI: | 252 (old record: 244) |
| Total bases: | 746 (old record: 667) |
| Runners left on base: | 391 (old record: 362) |
Individual single-season
RBI: 48, Kelly Ramsey (old record: 45, Beverly Smith, 1992)
Individual career
| Doubles: | 36, Michelle Semmes (old record: 33, Christine Kubin) |
| Home runs: | 17, Natalie Anter and Crystal Henderson (old record: 14, Beverly Smith) |
| Stolen bases: | 76, Crystal Henderson (old record: 73, Sonya Bright) |
Papa passes another milestone
Coach Donna Papa, in her 15th year in Chapel Hill, earned the 500th win
of her UNC career on March 19, when the Tar Heels beat East Carolina 5-2
in the semifinals of the Ringor Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.
Papa earned her 500th career win last season, also in a game against
ECU. She reached that milestone on April 21, 1999, with a 2-0 win over
the Pirates in Greenville, N.C.
Papa has completed 17 seasons as a head coach. She spent two seasons at Susquehanna University before coming to UNC prior to the 1986 season. In 2000, she was named ACC Coach of the Year, earning the honor for the third time in the past five seasons.
Hits hard to come by against the Tar Heels
The Tar Heel pitching staff held opponents to an impressive .198 batting
average during the 2000 season. In just eight games during the season
did an opponent hit better than .300 against Carolina and only one team
surpassed .400 (Florida State with .448 in the first game of the
doubleheader on April 16).
UNC also was stingy when it came to extra-base hits. In 64 games, the Tar Heel pitchers gave up just 53 hits besides singles. Of those, 36 were doubles, eight were triples and just nine were home runs. The Tar Heels, in comparison, hit 35 homers.
UNC in the NCAA standings
Team:
| Batting average: | .317, fifth |
| Won-loss: | 47-17, .734, 17th |
Individual:
ERA: Radara McHugh, 1.07, 36th
UNC in the ACC standings
Team
| Batting: | .317, first |
| Pitching: | 1.54 ERA, first |
| Fielding: | .964, tied for second |
Individual
| Batting average: | Michelle Semmes (.394), second, Kelly Ramsey (.361), fifth, Natalie Anter (.354), sixth, Crystal Henderson (.351), seventh, Jen Klesaris (.344), ninth |
| Home runs: | Natalie Anter (9), second, Kelly Ramsey (7), fourth |
| Runs batted in: | Kelly Ramsey (48), second, Natalie Anter (46), third |
| Doubles: | Michelle Semmes (17), first, Beth Olen (16), tied for second |
| Triples: | Kelly Ramsey (4), fifth |
| Stolen bases: | Crystal Henderson (17), fourth |
| Earned run average: | Radara McHugh (1.07), first, Michael Parrott (1.45), third, Erin Joseph (2.12), sixth |
| Strikeouts per game: | Michael Parrott (7.32), first, Radara McHugh (6.55), third |
| Saves: | Radara McHugh (2), tied for first, Michael Parrott (2), tied for first |
| Victories: | Radara McHugh (23-6, .793), first, Michael Parrott (14-4, .778), second, Erin Joseph (10-6, .625), fourth |
Slams are grand
Tar Heel batters hit three grand slams during the 2000 season, compared
with none by opponents. Sophomore Natalie Anter"s was first, against
Akron on Feb. 19. Senior Jen Klesaris" grand slam against St. Peter"s on
March 18 was one of two home runs she hit in that game. Freshman Quinn
Porter hit a grand slam on April 9 against Radford. It was the first
home run of her collegiate career.
California connection
The 2000 Carolina roster boasted more players from the state of
California"five"than any other state, including North Carolina. Tar
Heels who hail from the West Coast are Natalie Anter (Upland), Carrie
ates (Santa Ana), Rosie Gustavson (Santa Ana), Erin Joseph (Upland),
and Kelly Ramsey (Del Mar).
New additions
Seven high school seniors have signed letters of intent with UNC and
will join the Tar Heel roster in the fall.
- Jennifer "Jenna" Bischoff, P/1B, Tallahassee, Fla. (Leon)
- Heather Hughes, OF/P, Hope Mills, N.C. (Southview)
- Lauren Looper, SS/IF, Charlotte, N.C. (North Mecklenburg)
- Emily Price, SS/2B, Decatur, Ill. (Eisenhower High)
- Jessica Robinson, IF, Asheboro, N.C. (Asheboro High)
- Natashalyn Snipes, SS/OF, Durham, N.C. (Northern High)
- Dionne Streete, SS/3B, Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan)
