Softball Readies for New Year

February 4, 2008

WEATHERFORD, Okla. --  Southwestern Oklahoma State University will take the wraps off its 2008 softball season Friday when the Bulldogs meet Tarleton State University in a doubleheader at Stephenville, Texas.

Coach Tami Loy welcomes back a veteran squad that appears more than capable of improving on last year’s 17-26 record and sixth-place finish in the Lone Star Conference North Division. SWOSU hopes its gains will land them in the top four of the LSC’s North Division and earn them a spot in the conference tournament for the first time since 2002.

“The big difference is we will be much tougher mentally,” Loy said. “We’ve got a really good group of upper classmen. It’s their turn as leaders. I think that is where we will be improved the most.”

Headlining the list of returners for SWOSU is senior catcher Lacie Keplinger who has been a starter since her arrival three years ago. Keplinger has made 127 starts and is coming off her best season at the plate when she hit .252 for the team a year ago.

Second baseman Teryn Mazurkewich, shortstop Keri Glidewell and third baseman Stacy Creger are all back at their customary starting positions. Meghan Browning will slide over to first base after being used last year in the outfield. The group should again solidify a defense that was one of the strengths of the team.

Megan McGill is back at one outfielder spot and is likely to be joined in the starting lineup by a pair of freshman Ashley Duran and Fallon Bradshaw.

On the mound the Bulldogs will again be counting on Alex Zukerman to provide the bulk of the work. The Lawton junior has won 13 games in her career and pitched over 100 innings in each of the last two seasons.

Zukerman will not have to go it alone as Loy as has brought in Brittany Strickland, a talented transfer from Paris Junior College who will give opponents considerable problems with her aggressive style of pitching. Add Kaci Carpenter as another spot starter and the Bulldogs will enjoy one of their deepest rotations in recent years.

“There are a lot of similarities between this team and some of our best teams,” Loy said. “They’re a cohesive group that really cares about succeeding as a team and not as individuals. We feel that we'll show that over the course of the season”