PULASKI, Tenn. - The 2008 TranSouth Athletic Conference Pre-Season Softball Coaches Poll has been released. Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.), the defending TranSouth regular season and tournament champions, has been selected to repeat in 2008 by gaining nine of the ten first place votes.
Rounding out the ten-team league is Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) in second place, Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) in third place, Union University (Tenn.) in fourth place, Bethel College (Tenn.) in fifth place, Lambuth University (Tenn.) in sixth place, Cumberland University (Tenn.) in seventh place, Mid-Continent University (Ky.) in eighth place, Crichton College (Tenn.) in ninth place and Lyon College (Ark.) in tenth place.
Trevecca Nazarene represented the TranSouth last season in the NAIA Softball National Championship finishing as one of the top five teams in the tournament.
Trevecca Nazarene, Martin Methodist. Freed-Hardeman and Union all represented the TranSouth in the 2007 NAIA Region XI Tournament. The Trojans took home the region title as well.
Lyon College out of Batesville, Ark. is the new comer to the TranSouth softball league for the 2008 season. There are now a total of ten softball teams competing for the conference title.
The NAIA pre-season poll will be released on January 31st and can be found on the NAIA website
http://www.naia.org/ .
The 2008 softball season for the TranSouth teams will begin around the middle of February. Fans can find more information about TranSouth Softball, including rosters and a composite schedule, online at
http://www.transouth.org/ .
2008 TranSouth Pre-Season Coaches Poll
Rank Team Votes (1st place votes)
1. Trevecca Nazarene University – 99 (9)
2. Martin Methodist College – 87 (1)
3. Freed-Hardeman University – 75
4. Union University – 74
5. Bethel College – 56
6. Lambuth University – 45
7. Cumberland University – 41
8. Mid-Continent University – 29
9. Crichton College – 28
10. Lyon College – 16
Votes were given with a value of 1=10 points and 10=1 point
Below are the 2008 Softball season outlooks submitted by each respective school
BETHEL COLLEGE
We are very optimistic about this season. The girls have worked together very well and we are trying to form a very cohesive unit. We are counting on great defense, aggressive base running, and timely hitting. We played in three fall play days and showed improvement each and every time out. We lost all of our starting pitchers and catchers from last season but we have some excellent prospects that are ready to step up and take their game to the next level.
Returning Seniors – Theresa Crawley – left fielder (coming off of ankle surgery), Paige Cooper – centerfield and pitcher, Brandi Funburg – third baseman, Hannah Kee – first baseman and DH
Juniors -Blaire Johnson – pitcher & utility transferred from Jackson State CC and, Whitney Taylor – second baseman transferred from Jackson State CC.
Sophomores -Gabby Hubble – utility & catcher (returning player) and Samantha Mullins – outfielder (returning player).
Freshman - Laurie Anna Cooley – catcher & outfield from Covington High School TN, Lindsey Davis – pitcher & utility from Lexington High School TN, Brittany Edmonds – catcher & infielder from Marshall Co. High School in Benton, KY, Jessica Ford – pitcher & outfielder from Ezell-Harding Christian School TN, Emily Thompson – infielder & outfielder from Lexington High School TN, Jennifer Townson – infielder & outfielder from Dyersburg High School TN, Jessica Underwood – pitcher & third baseman from Coalfield High School TN, Kasey Winsett – catcher & utility from Henry County High School TN
This is head coach Larry Geraldi’s first year at Bethel, he is joined on his coaching staff by Leslie Geraldi, Leah Ford, and Ashton McFarland. All three young are former Wildcats.
CRICHTON COLLEGE
The Crichton College Lady Comets softball program eagerly awaits the start of their second season.
The Lady Comets return a majority of their starters, including Trans South 2nd Team All Conference senior third baseman, Erica Valentine. Senior shortstop, Aimee Grissom, spent her summer coaching in Demark and will bring a wealth of experience and leadership ability to the program. Also returning are sophomore’s Cassie White and Brittney Davis, and senior’s Ashley Smith and Courtnee Steen. These players will split time in the infield.
The coaching staff is looking for great things from Northeast Mississippi Community College transfer Sierra Coltharp, who not only will join the starting pitching rotation, but also be a power hitter in the Lady Comet’s lineup. Coltharp will split time with senior Erica Brich and Cassie White. There partners behind the plate will be Ashley Smith and sophomore Jasmine Scudder.
The lone freshman joining the Lady Comets, Ashley Coffman, is expected to contribute in the outfield and at the plate. She is a graduate from LaVergne High School where she led her team in RBI’s and homeruns. Also returning to the outfield are sophomore’s Jessica Divittorio and Jasmine Scudder, and senior’s Brittany Enochs and Allison Mullins.
The Comets schedule is highlighted by series with local rivals Rhodes College and Christian Brothers University. The regular-season ending Trans South Tournament will be held in Jackson, TN. The home season opener is scheduled for February 19 as the Comets take on Williams Baptist.
New additions to the Comets staff are Assistant Coaches Lara Vetoyanis and Christy Bingham. After a successful fall season, the coaches feel the 2008 season will be very promising. Head coach Michelle Wilkes said, “This team has done a 180! We are learning everyday and taking the necessary steps to make Crichton a top program in our conference.”
FREED-HARDEMAN
The Lady Lions enter 2008 coming off one of the best seasons in school history where they won 36 games, finished as runner-up in the conference tournament, and advanced to the Region XI tournament. However, four key seniors are gone from that squad leaving Freed-Hardeman with what head coach Todd Humphry calls a “young but talented team.”
Junior Tarrah Tucker and Brittney Bradford and sophomore Brittany Caldwell give the Lady Lions a strong nucleus. All three were named first team all-conference and all-region, and Caldwell was honored as the TSAC Freshman of the Year. Tucker led the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (13.3) while posting a 1.18 ERA. Bradford was third in the conference in batting average (.433) and seventh in slugging percentage (.606). The team’s lone senior, Brittany Johnson, was a first team all-conference and second team all-region performer in 2007.
Incoming freshmen Jill Brock and Brittany Steverson have the chance to make an immediate impact. Brock is expected to take over at shortstop while Steverson will likely play third base and hit leadoff.
Humphry believes this year’s team is more talented than last year’s, but with one senior is concerned about lack of experience and hopes his team can learn quickly during the regular season in order to make another deep run in the postseason.
LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY
Lambuth graduated five seniors from last season’s squad, including 2nd Team All-Conference outfielder, Kylene Etzel. New faces will dot the roster on this year’s team. Coach Tanner has high expectations for the senior class as well. Some of the newcomers are expected to be impact players and help the Lady Eagles improve on last year’s record.
Lambuth has four returning seniors who were starters last season. Shortstop, Megan Young, along with pitchers, Julie Ledford, Anne Leslie Wakefield and Wendi Makus are expected to have big years for the Lady Eagles. Makus was 2nd Team All-Conference in 2007. Sophomores, Paige Pyburn and Molly Wright are also returning starters.
Four transfers are expected to be key members of the squad. Alyson Taylor, Jessica Brown, Lindsey Akin and Kim Byrne. Taylor and Brown are transfers from Bevill State. Akin comes to Lambuth from Yuba College while Byrne played at Butte College.
Last season the pitching staff was one of the strengths of the squad. The defense and hitting should be much improved. Combine those factors along with the veteran pitching staff and the 2008 year promises to be a good one for the Lady Eagles.
LYON COLLEGE
Head coach Jack Peel pops the top on the inaugural Lyon College Piper softball squad with a solid group of well-balanced group of recruits who are eager to begin the 2008 slate of games.
Defense, speed and pitching are expected to be the key fuels to power the first-year machine.
Sophomore transfer Tenequa Martin (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and three-time Arkansas prep all-state freshman Taylor Morgan (Little Rock, Ark.) are the Pipers’ starting pitching rotation. Morgan, the team’s best power threat at the plate, is also expected to start at first base when she is not taking the mound.
Transfers stitch the defense up the middle, led by sophomore catcher Kim Overbey (Brevard Community College), junior second baseman April Wright (Bossier Parrish Community College) and shortstop Abbey Cannon. (Odessa College).
Arkansas’ single-season, prep stolen base queen, junior transfer Phenix Butler (Crowley’s Ridge College), and senior Angelique Armenta give the Pipers speed options on the basepaths and in the outfield. Junior transfer Kiley Parker (Odessa College) checks in at third base while Melita Farrell, Mychelle Gregg and Mikka Jagger could all see time in the outfield.
MARTIN METHODIST
Martin Methodist College RedHawks Softball will have a new team hit the field this season with All-Region player Sakiko Tamashiro being the only returning senior from last years squad. Alicia Boris and Brooke Kelly join Tamashiro as the only returning starters from the 2007 RedHawks lineup. They will provide experience and leadership in a team that has a great deal of talent.
Martin Methodist will depend strongly on the wealth of freshman and new junior college transfers that have been added to the roster. In that group is pitcher Sally Gale from Motlow State that was selected as the Tennessee Junior College Pitcher of the Year. She will be supported by RedHawk returner Nicole Curtis, and new comers Amy Novakoski, Tiffany Bard and Carrie Morris.
Katie Murphy, a returning junior, will also be a key in the success of this year’s team. She will be joined by Dennis Holloway and Nikki Osbourne as the solid foundation for the outfield. The infield will be held down by Kristen Spear, Nicole McWhorter, Marissa Thomason, and Dakota Bowman. These four freshmen along with Morris will be the new face of our program. They will be asked to step in and contribute in their first year at MMC.
The 2007 TranSouth Coach of the Year, Brandie Paul enters her 8th season at Martin Methodist and looks for it to be a great one. She will depend strongly on the discipline of her team and the desire to win as motivation for the RedHawks to make it to their 7th straight post season.
MID-CONTINENT
Looks to be an exciting 2008. We have a new look team from last season, losing several to graduation, but filling the gaps with talented transfers and freshman. We look to play a lot of young girls throughout the season, but have the abilities and skill to step up big as freshmen. We will compete well with the rest of the TranSouth and setting ourselves up for a chance at the conference. Concentrating on playing our game and giving ourselves the best opportunity to win.
TREVECCA NAZARENE
The 2007-2008 team comes off an impressive fall season that included wins over NCAA Division-I competitors Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and Tennessee State. Led by senior captains Ashley Camp, Brittiany Johnson, and Nicki Levering, the team promises to be explosive offensively and solid on defense.
Region XI Coach of the Year Ernie Reynolds heads a staff with both national-level playing and coaching experience.
The Infield
The Trojans boast a deep infield led by senior captain Ashley Camp who will see action at both corners. Third baseman Sammy Simon is back and joined by sophomore classmates Cassady Critchfield and Megan Suggs in the middle infield. University of Georgia transfer Kacey Coonce will lend experience and athleticism to the middle infield mix. Dynamic freshman Melinda Patterson from Camden (Tenn.) High School will see work at first base.
The Outfield
The Trojan outfield will be anchored by Adidas Golden Shoe recipient and All-American Chelsea Bailey. Joining her will be a group of fleet newcomers, including transfer Britney Covarrubias (Chandler Gilbert Community College, Ariz.), Sara Nicholson (Hendersonville High School, Tenn.) and Karli Rush (Mt. Juliet High School, Tenn.). Combined with Melinda Patterson, this dynamic group will give Coach Reynolds great line-up options.
The Battery
All-American and captain Brittiany Johnson returns for her senior campaign after a 42-7 season that included 339 strikeouts in 267 innings. Johnson will be accompanied by juniors Stephanie Fisher, Beth Castner, and sophomore Shelby Mashburn who are expected to add depth and diversity to the staff. Fisher comes off a 14-4 season, including the win to clinch the 2007 TranSouth Conference Tournament championship. The deep catching staff is led by senior captain Nicki Levering. Joining Levering are utility players Cassady Critchfield and Karli Rush.
UNION UNIVERSITY
The Union University softball team will experience changes in the 2008 season. Heather Hall takes over as the new head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, after playing and serving as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Union returns four starters from last year's team, including the TranSouth and Region XI Player of the Year, Ashley Walters. Union also returns two of the three pitchers from last season's rotation. Six new players will step on Union's Fesmire Field for the first time this season. This group of newcomers enters Union with great resumes and will be expected to contribute immediately for this new era of Union softball.
TranSouth News
