Jan. 16, 2002
WACO, Texas - Hopes are high for Baylor softball in 2002, and for good reason. After enjoying arguably the most successful season in the program's history in which they tied the school record for wins in a season and spent much of the season ranked in the NFCA Top 25, the Bears boast a tantalizing blend of experienced returning players and talented newcomers for the upcoming season.
Baylor returns only seven letterwinners, and only four starters, from last season's 38-22 squad that claimed three regular-season tournament titles and finished sixth in the Big 12 with a 7-9 conference record. However, the players that do return should give the Bears a stable base of leadership.
Included in that group are a pair of 2001 all-Big 12 Conference selections - junior 2B Stacey Hundley, a first-team pick, and junior RHP Joni Miller, a second-team honoree. Also returning will be junior Sarah Caudle, one of the top hitters in the program's history, Caudle will move from right field to center field this season. Senior 3B Kristen Lancaster, who was a regular in the Bears' lineup before a season-ending arm injury in late March, senior IF Holly Fields, junior 1B Kourtny Westerfeld and junior OF Nan Wilkins also return for Baylor.
Combine that septet with two sophomore transfers from the University of Nebraska, a sophomore transfer from Louisiana State and a seven-member freshman class, and the Baylor roster looks to be young. However, that does not concern second-year head coach Glenn Moore.
"We're very young, but we're also very talented," Moore said. "The fall allowed us to gather a tremendous amount of information about this team, especially who we expected to show leadership. I expect our upperclassmen to carry a lot of the load for us this season."
Moore said he feels the diversity of his 2002 roster to be a plus.
"With this roster, we have a lot of versatility and depth," he said. "We will feel confident putting a lot of different players in the lineup early on."
Moore and his staff focused on three areas in their first recruiting season at Baylor: depth in the circle, middle-infield depth and team speed. According to Moore, the program has taken a step in the right direction with the players the staff brought in for the 2002 season.
"Overall, according to the lineup we put out there, we can be faster at all positions this season," he said. "We could have four or five new kids out there that run really well. We should get to more balls in the infield just because of our speed, we will be able to play deeper in the infield, allowing us to get to more balls up the middle, and still come in on the short balls.
"We will have a line up with which we should be able to apply pressure with our short game, but also have enough power to drive in runs from second and hit the long ball on occasion," Moore said. "But ultimately, our success depends on how fast we mature."
Pitcher
With out a doubt, Miller will be the ace of the Bears' staff this season as she has been for the past two years. The Edmond, Okla., native posted school records with 27 wins and a 1.40 ERA last season, through two years, she stands second on Baylor's career wins list with 41.
However, Miller will not be the be-all, end-all of Baylor's staff in 2002. Joining the fray will be sophomore RHP Katie Decker and freshman LHP Cristin Vitek.
"We definitely have more depth this year," Moore said. "And that should be very beneficial."
Decker transferred to Baylor from Nebraska, where she was 8-1 as a freshman with a 1.90 ERA. She tossed five complete games with two shutouts for the Cornhuskers, making 18 appearances and 12 starts. Decker held opponents to a .193 batting average in 2001, allowing just 58 hits in 81.0 innings of work. However, she missed the entire fall season due to an injury.
Vitek comes to Baylor after an outstanding prep career at Taylor High School in Katy, Texas. As a senior, she was 27-4 with a 0.10 ERA, 293 strikeouts, 20 shutouts and four no-hitters.
"Katie and Cristin will see a lot of time in the circle," Moore said. "Katie was injured during the fall, but we know she will contribute. Cristin had a tremendous fall. Coming from the left side, she really compliments the rest of our staff."
Despite the arrival of Decker and Vitek, there is little doubt as to the leader of the staff.
"Joni returned to school this fall in the best condition of her life," Moore said. "She is a solid No. 1."
Catcher
Baylor will display three new faces behind the dish in 2002, one sophomore and a pair of freshmen. Sophomore Danelle Arnold joined Decker in making the trek from Lincoln, Neb., to Baylor during the summer. She will likely be the starter at catcher with freshman Stephanie Pomes and freshman Carrie Leerberg also likely to see some time.
Arnold appeared in 66 games for the Huskers last season, starting all but three. She finished the year with a .246 batting average, eight doubles, 26 RBI and was third on the squad with seven home runs. Even with Arnold's propensity for powerful numbers at the plate, Moore is most impressed with her leadership qualities.
"Danelle is a great leader," Moore said. "She just needs more time behind the plate. Eventually, I will feel very confident in allowing her to call her own game. She is a solid defensive player with a better than average arm."
Pomes comes to Baylor from Northshore High School in Slidell, La., where she led the Panthers to the state tournament in each of her final two seasons.
"Stephanie is definitely talented," Moore said. "She has a cannon for an arm. She just needs experience catching at the collegiate level."
Leerberg will likely start in right field, however, a gifted athlete, she will also see time behind the plate and in the middle infield.
"Carrie does not have the strongest arm of the three, but she has the fastest pop time and the quickest feet," Moore said. "She is a good athlete, and she picks up on things really well."
First Base
If the Bears are blessed with depth at any position, it is definitely first base, where four players enter the season vying for the starting job.
Westerfeld would appear to be the front-runner after emerging as the starter late in the season last year, however, Moore said the Crawford, Texas, product has still not fully recovered from a broken hand that forced her to miss the final three weeks of the season a year ago.
Decker is expected to see some time at first when not in the circle, she had four hits in 17 at bats with three RBI last season at Nebraska. Freshman April Luce and Fields will also battle for time at first. Luce prepped at Brazoswood High School in Lake Jackson, Texas, where she led the Lady Bucs to a 34-0 record and state and national titles as a junior.
"It probably depends on who hits the best," Moore said of the battle at first. "Early on, we will probably play everybody. We're very deep at first. I'd like to say that Kourtny is the strongest candidate, but it all depends on how well her bat comes around.
"I'm definitely very confident in all four defensively. It just comes down to offensive production.'
Second Base
Hundley, a two-time all-conference selection, will get the nod at second base, despite missing the entire fall season with a broken finger. Last year, she hit .326 with six doubles and 17 RBI. Hundley also posted a school-record 24 sacrifice bunts and swiped a team-high 17 bases.
"Stacey has a great eye at the plate and a really smart bat," Moore said. "She will definitely hold down the No. 2 spot in the lineup."
Behind Hundley will be Luce, freshman Kim Wilmoth and Leerberg.
Wilmoth prepped at Garland High School in Garland, Texas, where she led the Owls to district and area titles as a senior.
"Having Stacey in the middle of our infield is a very big plus," Moore said. "But there is still a lot of potential backing her up, and that is equally important."
Third Base
Lancaster, Fields and Pomes will vie for the starting job at third base, according to Moore, the job is still very much up in the air.
"All three had tremendous falls offensively," Moore said. "With those three, we'll have to determine who is the quickest. I'm not as concerned offensively at third as much as I am with defensive production."
Last season, Lancaster made 22 starts and hit .268 with four doubles, a pair of home runs and 10 RBI. Fields made 37 starts last season, mostly at third, and was a regular in the Bears' line up for the second half of the season. She finished second on the team with six home runs.
Shortstop
Wilmoth came out of the fall season as the starter at shortstop, but sophomore Kelly Levesque and Pomes will press for the job, as well. According to Moore, Wilmoth and Levesque went head-to-head during most of the fall.
"Like first base, it will probably come down to offensive production," Moore said. "Kelly had a sore arm most of the fall, and Kim really took advantage of that opportunity and really made all the plays. But I feel very comfortable with either one defensively, we will be solid at shortstop with either one."
Levesque transferred to Baylor this season from Louisiana State, where she was a member of a Tiger squad that finished third at the Women's College World Series. Pomes will likely see some time at short early in the season, but most of her playing time will come behind the plate and at third.
Left Field
Five Bears will vie for time in left with Wilkins appearing to be the frontrunner. The Houston, Texas, native played in 38 games last season and made 16 starts. She finished the year with two home runs and six RBI in only 56 at bats.
"Nan had a great fall," Moore said. "She worked really hard and put in a lot of extra time. That is showing up at the plate."
Despite Wilkins' emergence during the fall season, Moore said much of the situation in left depends upon what happens on the infield. Levesque and Wilmoth could see time in left in an attempt to put more speed in the outfield. Decker, when not pitching, and Arnold, when not hitting, could also find a spot in left.
Center Field
Caudle, who hit .317 last season with six doubles, a triple and 14 RBI, will move from right field to center this season, replacing departed senior Naomi Fitzgerald. Caudle posted the third-highest batting average in school history as a freshman in 2000 when she hit .379. Last season, she tied for third on the team with 11 stolen bases and struck out only 13 times in 167 at bats.
"Sarah gets a great jump on the ball," Moore said. "She has really adjusted well to center, we are very confident having her as the cornerstone of our outfield. Plus, she had a really great fall offensively."
Behind Caudle will be freshman Maggie Sloan, a product of Lorena High School in Lorena, Texas. Sloan was a three-time all-district selection and led the Leopards to the regional finals during her junior and senior seasons.
Right Field
Leerberg, who enjoyed a highly decorated prep career at Manitou Springs High School in Manitou Springs, Colo., enters the season as the starter in right. The 2001 Colorado Springs Telegraph Gazette Player of the Year, Leerberg was chosen MVP at the Senior all-State Game last spring.
"Carrie runs well and makes smart decisions at the plate," Moore said. "The main thing is just to find a place for her. She has a strong arm and gets a good jump on the ball, so right field appears to suit her well."
Lena Keine, a freshman from Kingwood High School in Kingwood, Texas, will back up Leerberg in right. Keine guided Kingwood to three consecutive district titles and was honored as the team's best defensive player as a senior.
The Schedule
Baylor will play 15 home games before March first, a far cry from the on-the-road-again February schedule the Bears played last season. Getterman Stadium will be the sight of two February tournaments -the Getterman Classic (1-3) and the Green and Gold Challenge (22-24). The Bears will also play at the UTA College Classic and the Houston Invitational during the season's first month.
The schedule should step up a bit in March. Baylor will spend the first weekend at the Frost Invitational hosted by 2000 NCAA Regionals participant Tennessee-Chattanooga. From there, Baylor will head to California for a March 5 date at 2001 WCWS participant Stanford and a weekend tournament at perennial powerhouse Fresno State.
"Our philosophy has always been to risk losing some games early in the season in order to find our strongest nine," Moore said. "I think this schedule mirrors our team right now. We have some games against some really strong opponents, but we also have some early games at home that will allow us to grow as a team in a familiar environment.
"We want to move some people around early in the season, we needed a schedule that would allow us to do that and still challenge us. Ideally, we would like to know who our starting nine should be by the end of March. This schedule allows everyone to get an opportunity early."
In conference play, Baylor will host defending Big 12 Tournament champion Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State for two games each, while playing home-and-home with Texas and Texas A&M.
The Bears will travel to Texas Tech, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State for two games each.
