Lady Blues to open 2005 season in Angelo, Texas

Feb. 1, 2005

2005 Washburn Softball Media Guide online

The Washburn Lady Blues softball team will open the 2005 season in the Angelo State Tournament this weekend, Feb. 4-5 in San Angelo, Texas. The Lady Blues will take on Eastern New Mexico at noon on Friday and then play University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma before entering pool play on Saturday. The Lady Blues will take part in tournaments in St. Cloud, Minn. (Feb. 18-19), at Missouri Western (March 5-6) and Missouri Southern (March 11-12) before playing host to Fort Hays State for their home-opener on March 15.

SEASON PREVIEW

There is a youth movement on the Washburn 2005 softball team
Of the 15 Lady Blues on this season’s roster, only three are upperclassmen as there will be 10 softball players lacing up their cleats for the first time in a collegiate uniform this season.

“Our youth can be an advantage to us,” third-year coach Lisa Carey said. “These new players all come from winning programs – whether it is from their high school team or their summer traveling teams. With the experience they gained this fall, and the addition of the talent we have coming back from last year, everyone has jelled together. We have worked hard together in every facet with the single goal of becoming a team.”

The Lady Blues finished the 2004 season with a 32-25 record and an 8-10 mark in the MIAA qualifying eighth for their 14th straight appearance in the MIAA postseason tournament.

“We were disappointed with last season,” Carey said. “We were not on the same page as a team. We’ve really worked on the team concept and it has paid off so far this season. You can see it in practice and the success we had in the fall.”

In their exhibition season in the fall, the Lady Blues finished with a 12-4 record with their three losses coming to Kansas, Oklahoma and Creighton.

Squad Notes

The Lady Blues will have new faces in many positions this season, but one returner who will have an impact on the season will be second team all-MIAA utility player Kala Huske. Huske will handle the catching duties this season and will look to continue the hot batting she finished the 2004 season with. Huske led the Lady Blues with a .460 batting average in conference play.
Washburn will have only one senior this season in utility player Jackie Sells.

Sells played both in the outfield and on the infield last season. Fellow outfielder Ashley Webb will return to centerfield after garnering honorable menion all-MIAA honors last season as a freshman after hitting .284 finishing second on the team with 57 base hits from mainly the leadoff position in the lineup.

The Lady Blues return only one pitcher from last year in junior Erin Pierce. Pierce was 10-12 last season and recorded a 2.82 ERA.

Returning to the infield, but moving from the middle infield to the hot corner at third base will be sophomore Mikala Mohler. Mohler recorded seven doubles and started 54 games games scoring 13 runs.

“We are going to rely a lot on our returners,” Carey said. “These women have been through the battles of a collegiate season and the MIAA grind. We’re going to look for their leadership to help bring along the newcomers and keep everyone focused for every game.”

Newcomers
Although she is new to collegiate softball, Amanda Carey is not new to the Lady Blues after redshirting last season while recovering from from a knee injury that forced her to sit out the 2004 season. Carey will hold down the shortstop position.

The Lady Blues have nine true freshman who are on the roster this season and many will start and see a lot of playing time in 2005.

Entering the season, four players are penciled in to start. In the outfield, Webb will be flanked by Mandy Tarbutton in left field and Brianne Paletta in right field.

The right side of the infield will have a new look as well. Malarie Fellers will start at second base and Brooke DeVader will be at first base. DeVader might see some time in right field as well.

In the circle, the Lady Blues have added three freshman pitchers to join Pierce. Erin Bryan, Gloria Jobe and Kelly Swygert will all see time this season. Jobe will also be used in the designated player roll as well.

Also looking for time will be Brianne Paletta who can play any of the outfield positions and could be used as a pinch runner. She is one of the fastest Lady Blues on the squad this season.

The Lady Blues will be without the services of Dani White this season, as she suffered a torn ACL and will redshirt. White was slated to play both first base as well as working as a back-up catcher.

“Our freshman are obviously in for some drastic changes from high school softball,” Carey said. “But they have played competitive softball against some of the best competition in the country and they will be ready to go when the season starts for real in February.”