Georgia State Kick-Off Notes
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Feb. 13, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - It didn't take long for the Western Kentucky University softball team to find out what it's like to ride on the proverbial roller coaster. After debuting with 32 wins in 2000 -second among NCAA Division I first-year programs - the team finished 23-37 in its second season of existence, sixth in the Sun Belt Conference.
But the final numbers don't show how close the Hilltoppers were to being at the peak of the ride instead of the valley. Included in that record was an 11-23 mark in one- and two-run decisions, in contrast to finishing 17-10 in such games in the first year. In fact, 13 of WKU's last 17 losses were by two runs or less.
Still, the team displayed its ability down the stretch by reaching the final day of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second consecutive year, finishing third in the event despite entering the sixth seed. After a season in which Topper head coach Leslie Phelan expected the squad to show signs of growth, where do the expectations for Western Kentucky softball stand now?
"Our goals haven't changed," said Phelan, entering her third year on the Hill. "We want to compete for the Sun Belt Conference championship. We can't get recognized on the national scene without performing in the Sun Belt.
"We should be much-improved from last year, when we lost a lot of close games. We're more mature both physically and mentally, so I would hope that those games go the other way this spring."
Western returns nine letterwinners from a year ago and adds seven newcomers to the mix in an effort to reach those goals in 2002.
Phelan hopes that the Hilltoppers' climb in the victory column is led by this season's tri-captains - Melissa Gomes, Jessie Richardson and Amy Tudor. "All three should contribute to our success, displaying leadership in different ways," Phelan said. "Amy and Jessie are in their third year on the Hill, they've been with the program since the beginning and are in-tune with how I want things to be run. Melissa is used to leading by example, so this season her challenge is to be more vocal.
"This is the first year that my captains will have a significant role in accountability for the team's actions - this was something we discussed and they accepted in the fall. I'm confident that these three are all of the right mindset on and off the field, that they're the right people to lead us to where we want to be."
Tudor and Gomes are the lone seniors on the 16-player roster. Tudor split time at catcher and third base last year, missing the first 10 games with an illness after sitting out the 2000 season due to transfer regulations, but is expected to move behind the plate full-time for her final season. Gomes batted .265 with 15 extra-base hits and 26 runs a year ago, her first at the Division I level.
"Our pitching staff is in fine hands with Amy," said Phelan. " She's a true leader and a competitor, traits which I like in a catcher. Amy's honest and will tell it like it is, which is beneficial for both the pitchers and the coaches. She's still chomping at the bit for playing time after the odd occurrences of the last two years, so I expect her to have the desire to go out with a bang.
"Melissa's performance last season sets the stage for a successful senior year," she continued. "I'm anticipating that she'll have a strong year with the full-time move to shortstop, which should solidify the consistency of the infield."
The 2000 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, Richardson's average fell while her power numbers improved in 2001 - she led the team with four triples and six home runs, and was second on the squad with a career-best 26 RBI. She heads an experienced outfield, which will be bolstered by the full-time move of Riley Garcia to left and the return of two-year starter Kristalyn Smith in right. Garcia batted .295 with 13 RBI and 21 runs to earn second-team all-conference honors at catcher in 2001, while Smith finished the season by batting .360 over the last 10 games, leading the team with six hits at the league tournament.
Angie Head returns for her third season, and newcomers Beth Enk, Renita Pennington and Rebecca Minnis help add depth in the outfield.
"We have a lot of options defensively, I anticipate it should be a strength for us with the expected starters and additional candidates for playing time," Phelan said. "For the first time we have depth - if someone is not performing, another player will be right there to take her place. This is a group I'm looking for a great deal of offensive production from."
In addition to Tudor, Gomes and Richardson, junior second baseman Sara Alan's gives the Hilltoppers another key experienced player in the middle of the team's defensive lineup. Alan's, who played predominantly at shortstop her first two years, has been Western's most productive player at the plate. She was the only player to bat .300 last season, leading the squad in hits (57), runs (29), doubles (15) and RBI (29). A 2000 second-team all-Sun Belt selection, Alan's holds or is tied for 10 career records.
"The fact that Sara and Melissa are playing their second year together is a plus," Phelan said. "Though they've flip-flopped positions, they are very familiar with one another, which helps solidify the double-play combination."
The infield corners are where Phelan expects to have newcomers make their biggest contribution. Dana Rey is slated to begin the season at third base, coming off a high-school career in which she was selected all-conference the last three seasons. "I expect Dana to emerge as one of the top third basemen in the region," Phelan said. "We've never had a player with her range and arm at the 'hot corner.' And, she made some changes to her swing in the fall, which made a significant difference - we should see the improvement by the end of the season."
Nowhere on the field is the competition for playing time as intense as at first base, where four candidates can be expected to see action in the spring. Two-year letterwinner Brandy Hawkins returns for her junior season after playing mostly third base a year ago, while Enk, Raquel Castillo and Shelly Floyd are also possibilities for the job.
Allison Silver is the top returning pitcher this season after picking up nine wins and two saves in 145.1 innings as a freshman. The staff will be bolstered by the return to the circle of Smith - who was 6-2 in 2000 - and the addition of transfer Castillo. The sophomore right-hander won 10 games and earned four saves in 147.1 innings as a freshman at Georgia, then sat out last year before coming to the Hill.
"This year we expect Allison to fill a different role," said Phelan. "As one of three pitchers last year, she was forced into competition. This year, I think she can be our go-to pitcher - she's mentally tough and is willing to accept any challenge thrown in front of her.
"Kristalyn's role is being refocused to where we will emphasize pitching moreso than playing in the outfield," she continued. "She worked on her mental game as well as her mechanics and had a solid fall season. Raquel comes in with the experience of having thrown in the SEC as a freshman, which should certainly be to her benefit. This fall, we concentrated on getting her back into pitching shape after the year off, and by the end of the semester she was throwing quite well."
Also expected to work with the pitchers this season is freshman catcher Nicole Marshall, a two-time all-metro selection.
As Phelan sees it, the Hilltoppers have the pieces in place and the momentum of the fall season to begin the climb towards the peak of the roller coaster's tracks. "Without a doubt, this will be the strongest defensive team we've had," she said. "We're solid and experienced up the middle, and the outfield is full of veterans. And, we should be much-improved at the plate and in the circle, where our fall rotation worked better as the season went along.
"Now, we want to go out and regain the respect we earned our first year."
- WKU -
