SOFTBALL TEAM SEEKING RETURN TO POST-SEASON
IN 2008
When the 2008
University of North Alabama softball team
takes the field this season, the returning
players and coaches will not have to look
far to find motivation for the upcoming
year. The Lions lost five of the last six
games last season, including four straight
to close out the year and miss the Gulf
South Conference tournament by a half game
in the East Division standings.
UNA did finish
with its third consecutive winning season at
32-21, but missed the post-season for the
first time since the 2004 campaign. Head
coach Jeremy Reece said although the
late-season slump with no tournament
appearance left a bad taste in the team’s
mouth, the players still remember the
success of the previous two years and have
not changed their goals.
“We are looking
for the way last season ended to have a
positive effect on us,” said Reece. “We came
up a little short last year and the players
know it, but they still know what it takes
to be successful as they have in the past.
This team is focused on several goals this
season and will approach them one at a
time.”
The main goal,
Reece said, will be making a return trip to
the conference tournament. The season-ending
losing streak last year dropped UNA to fifth
place in the GSC East Division with an 11-12
league record. With only the top four teams
in each division qualifying for the
tournament, West Georgia was able to receive
the invitation with a 12-12 GSC record. UNA
defeated the Wolves three-of-four times by
an average score of 9-6.
Staying focused
on the goal of reaching the GSC tourney will
be one of the main responsibilities of the
four seniors on this year’s roster. Reece
said that the senior class of Lindsey Bates,
Lindsey Greene, Kim Lee and Sabrina Roberts
has provided stability to the program that
has produced three straight 30-win seasons,
including a 40-20 mark in 2006 that included
the school’s first-ever trip to the NCAA
tournament.
“Our senior
class is an unbelievable group of kids that
has done everything we have asked them to
and has been a huge part of changing this
program,” Reece said. “Three of them grew up
less than two hours from here in the Decatur
area and have stuck together for many
years.”
Bates (right
field) and Greene (center field) represent
two of the three returning starters in the
outfield.
Reece said
several players on the roster should see
playing time in that area.
“We are
very deep in the outfield this year,” said
Reece. “Bates and Greene are two very solid
returnees, plus we will move Sarah Whitlow
back to the outfield this season. She played
some right field for us in 2006.
Also, newcomers
Allie Peterson and Krystal Elliott have
shown promise and will be competing for
playing time.”
The Lions will
be looking to replace three full-time
starters in the infield. The departure of
seniors Jessica Liddy (catcher), Amy Goebel
(third base) and Emily Beckwith (short stop)
left several holes to fill. Reece said he is
hoping the fact that several of the current
players were able to see playing time last
season in the infield at times will pay off
this year.
“Kim (Lee) is a
fast and accurate senior who split time at
second base last year,” he said. “We will be
looking at her for stability up the middle.
Ally Pridmore also saw a lot of time at
second. She is very capable and will be
taking over the duties at shortstop. Maggie
Eades returns for us at first base and will
be backed up by newcomer Amberly South,
while Andrea Palmer will see action at third
base with freshman Jennifer Sharp backing
her up. Kendall Moore will also enter the
season as the starting catcher.”
The pitching
staff returns two of the three full-time
starters with Megan Niesel and Sabrina
Roberts coming back. The Lions lost
Stephanie Glienke to graduation. She ended
her career with the school record for career
wins (48) and innings pitched (526.2).
Niesel led the staff in appearances with 22
and produced a 9-6 record in 2007. Roberts
was 11-9 and gave up a team-best 38 earned
runs on the year. The two will be joined in
the circle by freshman Anna Ard.
“Our pitching
staff has the potential to be pretty good
this year,” said Reece. “Megan and Sabrina
are solid returnees and Anna should compete
for a good bit of time in the circle this
season.”
Offensively,
UNA returns three of its top four hitters
from a year ago, including the two best
batting averages on the team in Greene
(.393) and Bates (.364). Consistency will be
the key for the Lions who at times piled up
the runs last year, but also struggled to
find hits in key situations late in the
season. As a team, the Lions hit .285, down
from .319 in 2006. Reece said several
players saw action from the batter’s box a
year ago, and he is hoping that will now
begin to pay off.
“We are
returning a lot of players that got a lot of
at-bats last year,” he said. “Bates and
Greene led the way with the averages with
Whitlow (.297) right up there too. Palmer
proved she had the power to hit the ball
deep (three homeruns) and will be looking to
add consistency to her swing.
“The freshmen
all had a good fall season. They need to get
a lot of at-bats early in the year so they
will be more prepared once GSC play begins.”
Once again, the
Lions will have a difficult and impressive
schedule. Early-season tournaments hosted by
West Georgia, Alabama-Huntsville and
Arkansas-Monticello have lined up games
against some of the top teams from the
Sunshine State, Peach Belt and MIAA
conferences, as well as the GSC West
Division. UNA will also host the regional
crossover March 7-8 featuring UAH and
Sunshine State Conference foes Saint Leo and
Florida Southern.
The Lions will
open the season at home against traditional
NAIA power Trevecca Nazarene on Feb. 12.
The
double-header is set to begin at 2 p.m.
against the Trojans, who finished last year
with a No. 6 ranking in the national NAIA
poll.
“We will have a
very competitive schedule this year,” said
Reece. “There are a lot of in-region games
lined up and we start against a quality
opponent. We are looking forward to the
three very good tournaments, especially the
regional crossover. We didn’t have a good
showing at it last year and want to make a
better impression now that it’s on our home
field.”
The schedule
doesn’t get any easier once conference play
begins. Traditional East-Division powers
Alabama-Huntsville, West Florida and
Valdosta State have reloaded for another
run, while the West Division’s
Arkansas-Monticello will be looking for a
return trip to the NCAA tournament.
“The East is
loaded from top to bottom,” said Reece.
“UAH, Valdosta and West Florida are always
going to be tough. West Alabama is much
improved and West Georgia got in the GSC
tournament ahead of us last year. It is
always a dog fight and is unfortunate that
two teams get left at home.”
The 2008 GSC
tournament will again be held at the
Greenbrook Complex in Southaven, Miss., May
1-4, featuring the top four teams from each
division. The South Region tournament is
slated for the following weekend on the
campus of the host institution.
