Jan. 17, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Each week heading into the 2007 Samford softball season, a different player will be highlighted in an edition of "Bulldog Talk", a question-and-answer session with one of this year's players. This week's featured player is sophomore pitcher Stephanie Royall.

The Samford softball team will begin play in its 2007 season Feb. 9-11 at the prestigious Florida State Early Bird Tournament. The opening date is less than a month away and each of Samford's 15 softball players will have their turn to be featured in the inaugural edition of "Bulldog Talk".

Royall, a native of Mill Valley, Calif., is the 11th Samford softball player to be featured this season. She heads into the 2007 campaign as one of the Bulldogs' top pitchers and will be expected to help lead the team from the circle again this year.

As a true freshman in 2006, Royall led Samford's pitching staff in wins (13), earned run average (2.77), shutouts (6), complete games (18), strikeouts (145) and innings pitched (192). She was also one of 13 players to be named to the Ohio Valley Conference's prestigious All-Newcomer Team.

The following is a transcript from Royall's edition of "Bulldog Talk".

How is the team looking now?
"I think our team is showing great potential for our upcoming season. We have just started practicing again and things are going very smoothly. There is a lot of drive, motivation and hard work coming from each player on the field right now. It's exciting to think about the great things that are going to come from this team once our season begins."

Are you ready for the season?
"By the time our first game hits, we are going to be ready, not just to play solidly but to play offensively and back teams into corners. We have the talent and are learning how to apply the other aspects of the game, such as mental toughness and perfecting the details into our performance. Head coach Beanie Ketcham and the rest of the coaching staff is demanding precision and excellence out of each one of us and we are learning how to give it as the season approaches."

How well do you and the other members of the battery (pitchers and catchers) work together?
"This year's battery of pitchers and catchers is a unique one, in that we have someone from each class. Susanna Meyer and I are coming back from carrying most of the pitching innings last year and are motivated to carry this team to the OVC championship. Whitney Terry is joining veteran Tracey Deaux behind the plate. Together they have been working very hard to encourage each other and to demand the best out of each other on the field.

"As of right now we are mostly working separately in our own positions, but as the season gets a little closer I am excited to work with our catchers again. Once we have worked together a few times, we become like-minded and it is hard to beat a battery like that!"

How would it feel to pitch in front of a packed stadium every time you played at home?
"Support from the fans is a huge motivation for any team. By having a packed stadium it helps reassure us that our hard work and dedication to this game is being recognized and appreciated. As a pitcher, it gives me an extra boost of adrenaline behind each pitch I throw. There is just something so magical about having the support of not only families but also students and the community."

How confident are you with your defense playing great behind you?
"Strong defenses are what keep most teams in games. When the defense behind me is working as strongly as it usually does, it takes a lot of the pressure off me and lets me deliver my best, knowing that my team will do the same. I don't have to carry the weight of each pitch any longer because I know that my teammates have my back. If I do my job, I know that my team will do the rest and I am so fortunate to have a team like that behind me."

What does it mean to wear a Samford jersey?
"It wasn't long ago that I was the little girl carrying big dreams on my shoulders. My heart beat with every pitch being thrown in the women's college world series and I wanted nothing more than to be the next pitcher standing on that orange clay in Oklahoma City. Now that my dreams have a chance to become reality, it is a huge blessing and honor for me to wear this Samford jersey.

"Not only do I get to wear my heart on my sleeve, but I get the chance to represent something much bigger than myself. As one student athlete once wrote about college athletics, `It's about pride -- in ourselves and in our school. It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's over, when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can claim . . . college athletes."

Check out next week's edition of "Bulldog Talk", as Samford softball's featured player will be junior catcher Tracey Deaux.

Deaux is one of the most experienced players returning for the Bulldogs this season and is expected to start at catcher. Last year, she started in 28 games and finished with an impressive .986 fielding percentage. Deaux also played in 37 contests and concluded the season with the team's third-highest total in putouts (131).