Expectations run high for ASU softball

By Michael Tannebaum

Watauga Democrat Correspondent

Appalachian State’s softball team season begins its 2006 season Thursday against Marshall at the Georgia Softball Classic in Athens, Ga.

The Mountaineers are picked to finish sixth in the Southern Conference preseason polls. They had five players picked to the preseason All-Southern Conference team, the most of any team in the league.

Junior third baseman Lindsay Glover and sophomore outfielder Natalie Willis earned first-team All-Southern Conference honors. Junior second baseman Kasey Motsinger, senior outfielder Mary Lutz and sophomore utility player Tiffany Hensley were voted to the All-Southern Conference second team.

Diana Cook, a junior shortstop who started 59 of 60 games last year, is thrilled about the team having five players on the preseason All-Southern Conference team.

“It was really exciting to have five,” Cook said. “It’s kind of awkward that we were ranked sixth [in the preseason standings] with five preseason picks but it’s definitely exciting to have five.”

The team has 12 returning players, eight of which were starters from last year’s 24-36 squad.

Willie Rucker, who begins her sixth season as the Mountaineers’ coach, believes that having so many returning players will prove valuable.

“Anytime you have starters return, it makes a big difference,” Rucker said.” They step in and already know what’s going to happen and they guide the new kids that may be in those positions, too.”

Cook is excited about having the entire infield return because they are used to playing with one another.

“We have all our position players back from our infield and we’ve been working together for the last two years, so we’re really comfortable,” Cook said.

Senior outfielder Dawn Malone believes that having so many returning starters is extremely important and that the returning starters comprise the “backbone” of the team.

Rucker has very high expectations for the team this year because of the returning starters and the fact that many of the players are stepping up in practice and proving they are leaders.

“This is the best team we’ve had so far, as far as practices and how they’re being leaders with each other and the direction they want to go in,” Rucker said.

Cook expects the Mountaineers to be competitive and believes that winning the championship is the ultimate goal for the team.

“We want a conference championship and definitely a conference tournament championship,” Cook said. “We’d really like to get to regionals.”

Rucker believes that leadership is going to play a significant role in whether or not the Mountaineers are successful this season.  She is counting on Lutz as well as many of the juniors to provide leadership throughout the long season.

With such a lengthy season, the Mountaineers must remain focused to be competitive day in and day out. However, Rucker does not believe that lack of concentration will be a problem.

“They stay focused themselves,” Rucker said. “They want it.  It’s part of softball and baseball that you have so many games, so it’s routine for them.”

Malone acknowledges that the season is a long one, but by keeping their goals in mind, she is confident that and her teammates will be able to maintain focus throughout the season.

The Mountaineers will rely heavily on two freshman pitchers this year, Ashe County’s Kayla Richardson and Yancy Moose (Hamptonville, N.C.), to step in immediately and play a significant role.

Although the Mountaineers were picked to finish sixth (26 points) in the Southern Conference preseason poll behind Chattanooga (52 points), College Of Charleston (51), Georgia Southern (43), Elon (40) and UNC Greensboro (29), Rucker knows that those rankings don’t mean anything once you get out onto the field.

“The two teams that were at the top last year, Charleston and Chattanooga, both have new pitchers,” Rucker said. “Charleston, who won the conference last year, has a new coach so I think we all see that and know that it’s anybody’s game. It just depends on who has a good run in the tournament.”

Western Carolina (20) and Furman (19) round out the Southern Conference preseason poll.