Feb. 6, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - This weekend, the Samford University softball team will begin play in its highly-anticipated 2008 schedule. The Bulldogs will travel to Montgomery, Ala., for the season-opening Alabama State Hornet Tournament and are scheduled to play four games in the three-day event. The following is a preview of the 2008 Bulldogs.

This season's Samford softball team will feature a speedy, dynamic offense, an experienced defensive lineup as well as one of the best pitchers in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bulldogs' combination of talent, desire and youthful exuberance is a welcome fit at the Birmingham campus and Samford's expectations are sky-high as the team enters the 2008 campaign.

Samford, under the leadership of sixth-year head coach Beanie Ketcham, is coming off its best season in school history in 2007. Last year, despite boasting a young roster and many inexperienced players, Ketcham's Bulldogs rattled off a school-record 31 victories and finished the season with a 31-23 overall record. In OVC play, Samford concluded its campaign as one of the hottest teams in the conference and rallied to win 11 of its final 17 games.

"Last year was a nice surprise in how our team played down the stretch," said Ketcham. "I think that the new coaching staff really had an impact on how our players did. We changed a lot of things that the players really responded. I think that had a lot to do with the success that we had last season."

In the last two seasons, Samford has added a pair of new assistant coaches in Erin Gallagher and John Garris. The new blood on the staff along with Ketcham's veteran prowess seemed to reenergize the Bulldogs as they sped their way to an unforgettable season in 2007. Samford concluded OVC play as the third-place team in the conference standings. The Bulldogs earned their eighth-straight 20-win season and defeated UT Martin 4-1 in the OVC Tournament.

In 2008, Samford's goal will not be to merely win one game in the six-team conference championship, but to win the OVC Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs have the roster to do it. Not only does Samford's 2008 squad feature three seniors and five juniors, but it is comprised of three talented sophomores and seven returning starters. The Bulldogs will also boast the excitement and youthfulness of five highly-touted freshmen. In the preseason OVC poll which is voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, Samford was picked to finish fourth in the conference standings.

"I wasn't too surprised about where we were picked," Ketcham said. "Most people only look at what happened last season when they vote and hopefully we'll be able to use this to have our team motivated to prove them wrong. We have a lot of room to grow as a team and I believe that we have the talent to finish first and to win the conference."

Amanda Barrs

A trio of important players for the Bulldogs this season will be juniors Stephanie Royall and Jessica Owens, as well as sophomore power hitter Amanda Barrs. Royall, Samford's dominating pitcher from Mill Valley, Calif., earned First-Team All-OVC honors in 2007, while Barrs was named to the conference's all-newcomer team. Barrs, a true freshman last season, powered a team-high seven home runs and finished the year with 31 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Owens, who is one of the fastest players in the OVC, ended the 2007 campaign on a tear and was named to the OVC Tournament team. In three games in the OVC Tournament last season, she went 5-for-11 at the plate and was 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts. Owens swiped 19 bases during the 2007 campaign and tied Samford's school record in the category.

The future looks bright for the Samford softball program, but for Ketcham and her talented players, they want the future to be now.

PITCHERS
As a surprise to no one, Samford's pitching staff will be anchored by Royall in 2008. The Bulldogs' junior hurler picked up a school-record 19 victories in the circle last season and will look to reach even further heights this year. After only two years at Samford, the Bulldogs' 5-foot-10 right-hander is already ranked fourth on school's all-time strikeout list with a total of 339 in her young career.

Stephanie Royall

Ketcham expects big things from Royall this season and earlier named her as one of Samford's two Team Captains.

"I think that Stephanie has the potential to be the best pitcher in the conference," said Ketcham. "Two things really helped her last season. One was her mental game and the other was her toughness. I think that she was tough when she got here, but she's really matured from a mental standpoint and that has helped her. She has such a strong desire to improve and get better, and she's also a fierce competitor."

Behind Royall on the depth chart is a pair of talented freshmen in Kayla Burris and Margaret Carter. Burris, a 5-foot-5 hurler from Cordova, Tenn., was able to compete for the Bulldogs during the fall season and really gained some key experience and maturity.

"Kayla demonstrated a lot of growth throughout the fall season. She finished the year throwing really well against UAB, so I think she learned a lot in the few games that she pitched. She's learned how to hit her spots with consistency and we're really excited about seeing her contribute this season."

Despite being forced to sit out the fall with an injury, Ketcham still expects Carter to pitch a lot of innings for the Bulldogs this season. Carter is a standout prep pitcher from Palatka High School in Welaka, Fla.

Tracey Deaux

CATCHERS
For the second straight season, Samford's roster will boast a pair of catchers in Tracey Deaux and Whitney Terry. Deaux, a senior, started at the position in 52 of the team's 54 games last season and will once again be penciled in as the starter, but Ketcham expects Terry to see more playing time in 2008.

Terry, a sophomore native of San Jose, Calif., is Samford's most improved player this season and is being groomed for the starting position next year. Deaux, a native of Collierville, Tenn., is one of the Bulldogs' most consistent players and will be looked on to solidify Samford's defense in 2008.

"Tracey is a senior catcher who does a great job behind the plate," Ketcham said. "She will be expected to anchor the infield and will be looked upon for leadership both on and off the field."

INFIELDERS
The biggest question mark for Samford this season will be its infield. The Bulldogs possess enormously talented and skilled players at each of the four positions, but for the most part they are young and inexperienced.

Kylie Harmon

Kylie Harmon, a junior, will mostly likely be Samford's starter at second base, while sophomore Barrs is expected to return at first base. At the third base position, the Bulldogs will welcome back Katie England to the hot corner after she took a medical redshirt season a year ago. The key spot for Samford this season will be at shortstop where true freshman Amanda Jordan will be penciled in as the starter.

Jordan, a prep standout from Apison, Tenn., is expected to bring a ton of talent to the Bulldogs in 2008, both in the field and in the batting order.

"Amanda Jordan will be our starter at shortstop and that's a very key position for us," said Ketcham. "She's a very good athlete and brings a lot of tools to the table, but she also has some huge shoes to fill. She's a great athlete, but we know that there still might be a little bit of a learning curve out there."

Juniors Rachael Reeves and Kristy Lawrence will both add depth to the infield this season. Reeves is a returning starter who is recovering from an injury that has slowed her down a bit in the off-season. A year ago, she started in 18 games at second base and was a near-perfect 9-of-10 in stolen base attempts. Lawrence, a native of Sydney, Australia, is a first-year transfer from Western Texas Community College.

Jessica Owens

OUTFIELDERS
Samford will be able to boast the fastest outfield in the OVC this season. With Jeslyn Metcalf, Owens and Aaren Fisher manning the three positions, Ketcham fully expects the Bulldogs to be able to cover a lot of ground in 2008. Not only are Metcalf and Owens great defensive players, but they are also two of the Bulldogs top offensive standouts.

Owens, a junior from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., led Samford with a .304 batting average in 2007 and finished with a team-high 49 hits. She was also a near-perfect 19-of-20 in stolen base attempts and helped the Bulldogs set an all-time season-high in the category with 87.

Metcalf, another speedster in Samford's outfield, tallied 17 stolen bases in 2007 and was only thrown out five times in 22 attempts. The Bulldogs' senior native of Dothan, Ala., started 51 games last season and helped jumpstart the team's offensive attack from top of the lineup.

"Offensively, we're going to try hitting Jessica and Jeslyn 1-2 in the batting order and we think that they will be a huge key to our offense," said Ketcham. "When they are on, we are definitely going to be tough to beat. I also think that we have some players in the middle of the order that can hit for power and drive in some runs."

Fisher, the Bulldogs' highly talented freshman from Henderson, Nev., is also expected to start in the outfield this season. In high school, she put up some staggering offensive numbers and received First-Team All-Nevada honors in 2007. As a senior, Fisher led the Las Vegas area with a .600 batting average, five home runs and 21 runs batted in.

Jeslyn Metcalf

"Aaren is also going to be a key newcomer for us," Ketcham said. "She has great talent. She's a great competitor and she's very intense. If we can get her on the right track this season, she's going to do some damage."

Two players that will also provide key depth in the outfield this season will be freshman Julie Handley and senior Emily Deaux. Handley is a native of Garden Grove, Calif., while Deaux is one of the Bulldogs' best power hitters and is expected to start at the designated player position in 2008.