SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA softball team will open the 2010 season at the Hotel Encanto Invitational hosted by New Mexico State this Friday-Sunday, Feb. 12-14, in Las Cruces, N.M.
The Roadrunners will play five games in the three-day tournament, opening with a pair of games on Friday against UTEP at 11 a.m. (CT) and Nebraska at 3 p.m. UTSA then faces Penn State and New Mexico State at 5:30 and 8 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, before concluding the event with a noon contest against Colorado State on Sunday.
UTSA is 3-4 all-time against UTEP, 0-4 against Nebraska, 2-0 versus Penn State, 5-5 against Colorado State and 9-7 in the all-time series with New Mexico State. The Roadrunners participated in the same tournament two seasons ago and posted a 2-2 record with victories against Illinois-Chicago (11-3) and New Mexico State (5-4) and losses to Colorado State (0-6) and North Dakota State (1-6).
Live stats for all tournament games can be found here.
2010 UTSA Softball Outlook
| Lori Cook begins her fifth season in charge of the UTSA softball program this spring. |
Experience is the common theme surrounding the 2010 UTSA softball team, as fifth-year head coach Lori Cook welcomes back 12 letter winners, including seven position starters and three pitchers, from last year’s squad that finished 29-29 overall and in third place in the Southland Conference with an 18-11 mark.
Three preseason all-conference performers highlight the list of returnees.
Senior Rudi Cantu is a first-team pick after earning her third All-Southland nod last spring, while senior Krista Sitka — a second-team first baseman last season — and sophomore Ashley Kappler — an honorable mention second baseman — are second team selections.
The experienced group of returning players boasts a combined 24 letters earned and represents 73 percent of the total hits and 68 percent of the total runs registered last season.
Joining forces with that dozen will be a trio of new faces, two transfers from traditional softball powers in junior Emily Blackburn (Oklahoma State) and sophomore Nikki Goff (Louisiana-Lafayette) and freshman Samantha Beeson.
“We have a lot of experienced players back and some new faces on the team this year,” Cook said. “It’s a good mix of veterans and young players that has meshed really well together during preseason workouts. I really like our team makeup and chemistry heading into the season.”
(L-R) Juniors Danyé Holmes and Emily Humpal and sophomore Morgan Luksa accounted for 93 percent of the Roadrunners' innings pitched last season.
Pitchers
UTSA touts a trio of arms that will share the workload in the circle this season.
Juniors Danyé Holmes and Emily Humpal and sophomore Morgan Luksa return after accounting for 93 percent of the innings in 2009.
Holmes, a left-hander from Sugar Land, led the staff with a 2.44 ERA and posted a 13-10 record and 121 strikeouts in 146 &frac13 frames. Two years ago as a freshman, she picked up second-team all-conference accolades after going 9-6 (8-1 in league play) with a 2.23 ERA and 78 Ks in 101 &frac13 panels.
Humpal, a right-handed transfer from Creighton, carried the bulk of the pitching load in her first season with the Roadrunners. The Corpus Christi native recorded a team-high 126 punchouts in 174 &frac23 innings and turned in a 12-12 record and 3.09 ERA.
Luksa, a righty from Clear Creek High, tossed 46 &frac13 frames and posted a 3.32 ERA and 21 strikeouts in her inaugural campaign.
“Our pitching staff is solid, even though Danyé and Morgan were slowed a bit by injuries in the fall,” Cook said. “They worked most of our innings last year, so we expect them to use that experience to their advantage this season. I look at us as having three aces. I’m comfortable going with any of them in almost any situation, and there are not a lot of teams that can say they have that.”
Senior Cassie Miller will handle the bulk of the catching duties in 2010.
Catchers
Senior Cassie Miller returns after splitting duties behind the plate a year ago. The Mesquite native has four home runs and 14 RBIs and a .986 fielding percentage in 79 career games as a reliable backstop for Cook.
“Cassie will be our starting catcher and our pitchers are comfortable with her back there,” Cook said. “She handles the staff very well, does a good job of blocking balls in the dirt and runs the defense in an experienced way.”
Ashley Kappler, a middle infielder by trade, will fill in as the backup.
Infielders
UTSA’s entire starting infield from 2009 is back, but a different look may take the field this season.
Sitka returns for her fourth season as the incumbent at first base. The Houston native, a two-time all-conference honoree, has started 156 games and posted 15 home runs and 72 RBIs to go along with a .986 fielding percentage.
| Senior Krista Sitka is a two-time All-Southland Conference honoree. |
“Krista has been a rock for us at first base the last three years,” Cook said. “She battled through a bad back last year and still was all-conference. Defensively, she has one of the best gloves I’ve seen at that position, and she can hit for power at the plate.”
Beeson will the primary backup this season, as she is being groomed to replace Sitka. The Austin native earned all-state, All-Centex and all-district honors for Bowie High School.
Ashley Kappler started 54 games at second base in her freshman campaign and was tabbed honorable mention all-conference after hitting .241 with five doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs.
Senior Kelly Cato made 47 starts at shortstop a year ago, but the versatile Brazoswood High product will make the transition back to second base or the outfield to allow sophomore Caitlyn Ivy, a natural shortstop, to be in the lineup.
Cato batted .287 with four homers and 20 RBIs, while Ivy posted a .301 batting average, five doubles, five round-trippers and 15 RBIs in 36 games.
Sophomore Laura Little appeared in 11 games last season and will be the primary backup in the middle.
“We’re very comfortable with the talent and depth we have up the middle,” Cook said. “I feel like we can put several different combinations out on the field and be successful.”
Junior Kristin Kappler is back at the hot corner with 103 career starts under her belt. The Brazoswood High product accumulated nine doubles, nine homers and 34 RBIs in her first two seasons.
The two transfers, Blackburn and Goff, also will see action at third base.
Blackburn, a three-time all-state honoree at Kingwood High, joins the squad after sitting out the 2009 campaign due to an injury following her transfer from Oklahoma State.
Meanwhile, Goff comes to UTSA after playing for Louisiana-Lafayette last season. The Leander native was an all-district performer at Vista Ridge High.
“We are deep at third base, but we have some versatility there, too,” Cook said. “Kristin has played just about every game there the past two years, so she brings a lot of experience to the table, but Nikki and Emily will see time there, as well. All three have big bats, so the challenge is finding a way to get them all in the lineup.”
Senior Rudi Cantu returns for her final season and will be in center field for the second year in a row.
Outfield
Discussion of the outfield begins with Cantu, a three-time all-conference performer. The Alvin native is slated to patrol center field for the second consecutive season. She earned second-team All-Southland accolades last year after hitting .303 with 59 hits and 35 runs scored and was near perfect in the outfield with just one error in 89 chances (.989 fielding percentage).
“I expect another big year out of Rudi,” Cook said. “What you see is what you get from her every single day. She’s been one of the most consistent players we’ve had the last three seasons. She is the prototypical leadoff hitter with her speed and ability to put pressure on the defense, and she’s as good as it gets defensively in center field.”
In the other two outfield positions, UTSA will have to replace its only two lost starters in Leanne Risberg, who graduated after a third all-conference certificate last season, and Amber Anderson, who is sitting out the season to concentrate on academics.
Cook expects senior Chelsey Chapman, a solid defender who made 18 starts in the outfield last season, to take over in right field, while a combination of Cato, Luksa and Goff also will see action.
“Chelsey has experience playing all three spots and is very solid defensively,” Cook said. “Morgan can play outfield when she’s not pitching, and Kelly Cato and Nikki Goff can play out there, too. We don’t have as much depth as I’d like, but we have some moveable parts that will allow us to be flexible with our batting order.”
Schedule
UTSA traditionally has played a tough non-conference schedule and 2010 will be no different.
The Roadrunners will face Colorado State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Penn State and UTEP at the season-opening Hotel Encanto Invitational on Feb. 12-14 in Las Cruces, N.M., and then travel to the Marriott Houston Classic a week later to face Houston, Iowa State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Purdue and Texas.
They then head to Lubbock on Feb. 23-24 for a two-game set with Texas Tech before hosting North Texas and UC Riverside for the UTSA Invitational on Feb. 26-28.
“We play some very good and experienced teams right off the bat, so we’ll have to be ready,” Cook said. “We’re going to be challenged early, but we’re looking forward to it.”
UTSA also hosts Big 12 powers Baylor (March 9) and Texas (March 30) and plays home-and-home doubleheaders against Houston Baptist (April 14, 21).
The Southland schedule includes home series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 2-3), Stephen F. Austin (March 6-7), McNeese State (March 20-21), Southeastern Louisiana (April 2-3) and Texas State (April 23-24), while UTSA will travel for sets at Sam Houston State (March 13-14), UT Arlington (March 27-28), Central Arkansas (April 10-11), Nicholls (April 17-18) and Northwestern State (May 8-9).
The Southland Tournament will be hosted by Texas State on May 13-15.
“The conference race will be tough as usual,” Cook said. “Texas State is the defending champion. They lost a good group of players, but they have some very good ones back. SFA returns most of their core group and Sam Houston will be in the mix. It’s going to be a battle every series, but we feel like we can compete for the championship.
“Our seniors have been through the season and to the conference tournament before, so they know what it takes to be at your best when it counts. They are tired of finishing second or third, they’re hungry to win a championship this year, but they know it takes hard work to get there. We’re solid in all three phases — offense, defense and pitching — but it’s about putting it all together each time you go out there on the field. If we do that, we can be successful.”