Swing Into Spring With Aggie Softball By Justine Gaskamp Goodwell, Okla.—February brings the opening of a new season for OPSU softball, and Aggie fans will have thirteen home dates to mark on their calendars this year; the first being a double-header against Colorado Christian on Monday, Feb. 3 starting at Noon. The season actually begins for the Aggies on Feb. 1 when they travel to Hobbs, N.M. to compete in a two-day, four-game series hosted by the University of the Southwest. They return for their first home game on the third, and remain in Goodwell the following week to host Southern Nazarene and Lincoln University (Missouri) in the Aggie Round Robin tournament on Feb. 8—9; three games each day starting at 11 a.m. Remaining home games are set as follows: (* denotes Heartland Conference games): March 5 vs. Eastern New Mexico, March 14-15 vs. *St. Edwards, March 18 vs. Cameron, March 21-22 vs. *Oklahoma Christian, April 4-5 vs. *University of Texas-Permian Basin, and April 17-18 vs. *Lubbock Christian. OPSU head softball coach Meghan Mulcahy is pleased to have a more balanced schedule this year, compared to spending the entire month of February on the road last season. Coach Mulcahy is looking forward to her second season at the helm. Weve got a good group this year; they work well together which makes it much easier on the coaches. Also returning for a second season with the Aggies is assistant coach Jason Miner. Five players return from last year: -Lilli Ward a senior outfielder from Houston, Texas; Ward started 37 games for the Aggies in 2013 and finished with a .976 fielding percentage. - Senior Emily Vasquez started at catcher last year and led the Aggies with a .378 batting average. The El Paso native started 48 games in 2013 and topped the team in RBIs with 27, crushing two home runs. Look for Vasquez to contribute as a utility player this year. -Ashly Duin of Calgary, AB, Canada assisted at third base last year starting 16 games; Duin totaled 18 putouts and is expected to make an impact her senior year. -Pitcher Samantha Arledge from Travelers Rest, S.C. started on the mound as a freshman last year and looks to be a strong returner for the Aggies; Arledge started 15 games in 2012 and totaled 77 stikeouts. -Michaela MacGillivray is another sophomore with a bright future ahead of her; from Albuquerque, N.M. MacGillivray played in 11 games last year and will serve as a utility player this season. Newcomers to watch for: - Kolbi Graves will play her first season for the Aggies as a senior; Graves is from Amarillo, Texas and came to OPSU by way of Clarendon College where she played outfield. She is also a member of the OPSU womens golf team. -Freshman Anyssa Barbosa from El Paso, Texas is expected to play a big role for the Aggies as a utility player and will add depth as a hitter. -Short stop Salina Galindo is also a true freshman who is looked to make a big impression at the plate; Galindo comes to OPSU from Chino, Calif. -Madison Heathington will take a place behind the plate as catcher this year; she is a freshman from Highland Village, Texas. -From Pratt, Kan. Kinzie Spurgin will begin her freshman season with the Aggies as an infielder. -Rachel Thompson of Peioria, Ariz. is a junior transfer from Odessa College; Thompson will be a strong addition to the pitching crew. -A local from Guymon, Okla., sophomore Taylor Richardson will help out on the mound and will also serve as a utility player. -Another area native, Shelby Perry from Beaver, Okla. will join the Aggies at utility as a true freshman. -Adding to the outfield is junior transfer Laura Trehal from Larkspur, Colo.; Trehal came to OPSU via Trinidad State. The newcomers are expected to help build on the foundation that the returning players have set, giving the opportunity for a very exciting season. Coach Mulcahy feels that the new additions will contribute greatly to the success of this years team. For the full roster and schedule visit the softball page at opsuaggies. Aggie fans can also keep up with OPSU softball through Facebook and Twitter.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 16:29:16 +0000
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