Softball opens 2007 season at Greensboro Tournament
2/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team opens the 2007 season with a quartet of games this weekend at the Spartan Classic at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Golden Flashes open with a single game against Mid-American Conference rival Ohio University at 10 a.m. on Friday (2/16). Following that game KSU will battle Campbell University at noon. Kent State is scheduled to square off against the host, UNC-Greensboro Spartans, at noon on Saturday (2/17). The Flashes complete the tournament schedule with an 11 a.m. contest versus Morehead State on Sunday (2/18).
The Golden Flashes, who won the first MAC Tournament Championship in school history in 2006, appear armed and ready to defend that title and make a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
Senior pitcher Brittney Robinson (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) returns after setting a total if 15 MAC and KSU records as a junior en route to being selected as the conference's Pitcher of the Year and Mac Tournament MVP. She will be joined in the circle by junior Gabrielle Burns (Wellsville,Ohio/Wellsville) and freshman Kylie Reynolds (Greensboro, Ga./Morgan County). Burns, who won a pair of games as a sophomore, was impressive during the fall exhibition schedule showing increased velocity and control. Reynolds showed that her impressive high school statistics were no mirage as she made the adjustment to Division I Collegiate competition during the fall schedule. As a senior at Morgan County, Reynolds allowed no earned runs and struck out 371 batters in 170 innings in leading the Lady Dogs to its second Georgia State Championship in three seasons. “Our pitching staff is going to be very strong this year,” said head coach Karen Linder. “Last season, we totally relied on Brittney (Robinson) to carry us. This year, Gabe (Gabrielle) Burns had a tremendous fall, and actually probably pitched better than Brittney. Kylie Reynolds did extremely well. As a result, our pitching staff is stronger now than it ever was last year. The teams we expect to compete against Brittney. But, Brittney is not our pitching staff. I think we have more flexibility with what we can do with that staff. That is making us a stronger team.”
Kent State also returns a record-breaking offense from a year ago. In 2006, the Flashes shattered the MAC (40) and school (33) records for home runs in a season when they blasted 56 round trippers in 57 games. Juniors Jamie Fitzpatrick (Cartersville, Georgia/Woodland), Kim Hamilton (Cave Junction, Oregon/Illinois Valley), and Jessica Toocheck (Medina, Ohio/Medina) return after combining for 31 home runs in 2006. Fitzpatrick broke the school record for home runs in a single season when she belted 12 circuit clouts as a sophomore. In addition to her power numbers, Hamilton led the Flashes in stolen bases (16) and hit by pitches (10). Toocheck led the squad in batting average (.316), hits (55), walks (22), plate appearances (202), and assists (72) as a sophomore. “Offensively, we return the nucleus of the 2006 team,” Linder said. “I look for these upperclassmen to be leaders for us again this season.”
While there is an abundance of veterans returning, Kent State also has some newcomers to call upon to contribute to a successful 2007 season. In addition to Reynolds, the Golden Flashes also added nine other first-year players who will be at Linder's disposal this season. “I think we're going to be a much stronger team defensively with the depth that we have,” said Linder. “The freshmen have worked extremely hard, they are eager to learn, and the have the right perspective about how we are building a program to be successful not only for this year, but for the future. This freshman class is very unselfish. They are excited to be a part of a successful program and they are preparing to be ready to contribute in whatever way they can to our success. The intangibles that they bring may help us more this year than any thing they do on the field.”
Linder knows that, as a team, the 2007 Golden Flashes are a talented and experienced group that who have raised their own expectations as well as that or their fans. “We are setting our goals higher this season, which means we have to work harder to achieve those goals. We realize that we are going to have a target on our back and we welcome that challenge. I look forward to that challenge and our team is looking forward to that challenge, because I think we're ready to take the next step towards being one of the top teams in the country.”
That journey begins this weekend in North Carolina.
Link to Live Stats for all games at the Spartan Classic
