| The 2008 Roadrunners |
The race for the 2007 Southland Conference Championship came down to the wire and, once again, UTSA was right in the middle of it. However, for the first time since 2003, the Roadrunners did not claim a regular season or tournament trophy.
Not being at the top of the conference standings at the end of the season did not sit well with third-year head coach Lori Cook or the players.
“We have several players who know what it takes and how good it feels to win a conference championship,” Cook said. “Last year, we did not do what was necessary to be on top at the end of the season. The entire team has taken the first steps in getting back where we want to be. They’ve worked in the offseason and fall and have come back in great shape this semester.”
Armed with arguably the most versatile team in her tenure, Cook will look to a strong senior class for leadership and a talented group of underclassmen to help right the ship back on course to compete for a conference championship.
“Our goals every season include winning conference and getting to the NCAA Tournament,” Cook said. “It’s not easy to do year in and year out, but we feel like we have a group that can accomplish those goals this season.
“We’ve added power to the lineup to where we are not depending on one or two players for that. We have all our speed back, so when our power and speed work together, we’re going to produce runs.”
| Amanda Nikolenko | Janeille Nickels |
Pitching
With the senior duo of Amanda Nikolenko and Janeille Nickels, UTSA is set on experience in the circle. Throw freshman Dany? Holmes in the mix and Cook is confident she has three pitchers she can turn to in any situation.
“I truly believe we have three aces on our staff,” Cook said. “That’s a little unusual to see in softball, but I feel comfortable running any of them out there.”
Nikolenko, who two seasons ago earned first-team all-conference accolades, is on pace to set UTSA career records for wins, starts, complete games, innings and strikeouts. The Ashland, Mo., native has accumulated a 54-34 record, 55 complete games, 557 innings, 449 strikeouts and 10 shutouts in 83 career starts and 116 total appearances.
“Nik has worked extremely hard to get back to where she was two seasons ago,” Cook said. “She knows she wasn’t where she would like to be last year and she has committed to doing whatever it takes to accomplish that. She’s aware of the records, but she’ll tell you what’s more important is to help lead this team back to a conference championship and the NCAA Tournament.”
Nickels transferred to UTSA from Palomar College prior to last season and posted 13-13 record, 3.49 ERA and 90 strikeouts in sharing all of the pitching duties with Nikolenko. In SLC play, the Palo Cedro, Calif., native was even better with a 9-5 mark, 2.87 ERA and 52 punchouts in 18 appearances.
“Janeille has a year under her belt in our system and in our league,” Cook said. “She’s in great shape and her arm is strong, so I look for good things out of her this season.”
Holmes, an imposing left-hander, was an all-state and all-district pitcher for Kempner High School in Sugar Land.
“Dany? has come a long way in her short time here,” Cook said. “She’ll be a factor in the circle and at the plate.”
| Kelly Cato | Rudi Cantu |
| Kristin Sitka | |
Infield
The left side of the UTSA infield will have a different look this season, as Cook will have to fill large voids left by the graduation of Jessica Rogers and Aimee Murray, who were four-year all-conference performers at third base and shortstop, respectively. Sophomore Kelly Cato is expected to slide over from second base, where she made 50 starts last year, to shortstop, while freshman Kristin Kappler, an all-stater out of Brazoswood High School, has won the starting job at the hot corner after a solid fall season.
“Kelly works as hard as anyone day in and day out,” Cook said. “She played shortstop in high school, so we’re not concerned with the transition from second base. Where she has taken the biggest steps are with her bat.
“Kristin swings a big bat and will be a solid player for us throughout her career. With Rachel Rackley out for the year, we don’t have the depth we would like at third base, but Kappler proved in the fall that she is more than capable of being an everyday player.”
Another transition will be made by sophomore Rudi Cantu, who batted .325 and stole eight bases in her debut season. The third-team all-conference selection will trade in her outfield glove and move to second base, a position at which she earned all-state honors at Alvin High School.
“Rudi played second base in high school, so we feel like it will be a smooth transition for her,” Cook said. “We don’t think we utilized her speed enough at the plate and on the bases last year, so expect to see her creating more things with her legs this season.”
Sophomore Mercedes Hessel, who played in 28 games last year, can play both middle infield spots, while freshman Whitney Balch is a versatile newcomer who can play anywhere on the infield.
Sophomore Krista Sitka started 56 games at first base last year and provided a solid glove (.989 fielding percentage) and powerful bat (seven home runs, .371 slugging percentage). Holmes also could see time at first base when not pitching or serving as the designated player.
“Krista has set herself up to have a big year for us,” Cook said. “She did some great things last year as a freshman, but I feel like she will do that on a more consistent basis this season.”
Behind the plate, Cook will have to replace Catherine Garza, but sophomores Brittany Bell and Cassie Miller both saw quality playing time last season. Balch turned in a good fall season and will compete for time at catcher, as well. Miller also can play on the corners, which will help with the lack of depth due to the loss of Rackley for the season.
| Leanne Risberg |
Outfield
Cook returns one of the top outfielders in the league in junior Leanne Risberg. The New Orleans, La., native turned in a career season in 2007 en route to earning first-team all-conference accolades. Risberg hit .317 with 11 doubles, 15 home runs, 42 RBIs, a .653 slugging percentage and a .415 on-base percentage. She will roam center field this season and provide a lethal bat at or near the top of the order.
“Leanne really had a great season at the plate,” Cook said. “She’s taken over in center field, so we’re looking to her to lead the outfielders. She made drastic improvements from her freshman to sophomore seasons, so hopefully she will continue down that path this year.”
Seniors Kim Chavez, Kourtney Jones and Lindsay Perry and sophomore Chelsey Chapman are the likely candidates in left or right field. Chavez garnered third-team All-SLC honors in 2006 and totes a career .271 batting average and .959 fielding percentage. Jones picked up honorable mention all-conference accolades at designated player in 2007 after hitting .270 in league play, but she is expected to see more defensive time this season. Perry was flawless in 42 games in the outfield last season and also provides a speedy threat on the base paths. Chapman was the team’s top pinch-runner and gained experience in the outfield last year as a freshman.
“We have developed good depth in the outfield,” Cook said. “We’ll look at situations and who has the hot bat as the season goes along as far as who will be in the corners.”
Schedule
UTSA traditionally plays a tough non-conference schedule and 2008 is no different. The Roadrunners open with a three-game series at traditional power Texas on Feb. 9-10, before traveling to Las Cruces, N.M., to compete against Colorado State, Illinois-Chicago, North Dakota State, New Mexico State and UT Arlington in the Hotel Encanto Invitational from Feb. 15-17. One week later, UTSA heads to far West Texas for a three-game set against UTEP on Feb. 23-24.
The Roadrunners open Southland Conference play with home series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Feb. 26-27) and McNeese State (March 1-2). UTSA then steps out of league play for a big non-conference home game against 2007 Women’s College World Series participant Baylor on March 4.
UTSA also has home SLC series scheduled against Southeastern Louisiana (March 15-16), Texas State (April 4-5) and Stephen F. Austin (April 26-27) and will face UT Arlington (March 8-9), Central Arkansas (March 21-22), Nicholls (March 29-30), Northwestern State (April 19-20) and Sam Houston State (May 3-4) on the road. The SLC Tournament is slated for May 8-10 in San Marcos.
In other non-conference action, UTSA hosts Missouri (March 25-26) and New Mexico (March 27) and faces North Texas (March 19), Houston (April 9), and Texas Tech (April 15) in road twinbills.
“We like to play a tough non-conference schedule so we’ll be ready for conference play,” Cook said. “Last season, we probably had the hardest schedule I can remember us playing, so it has been toned down slightly. Still, playing good teams gets you ready for conference play and the league has gotten so much better from top to bottom. It’s going to be a fight each series and you have to be ready to play or you’ll get beat.”