Week 1 Notes
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team heads south on Friday to open the 2014 season against stiff competition at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic, hosted by Mississippi State University.
The Norse will take on a trio of teams that all qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, opening against Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State (Ala.) and the host Bulldogs on Friday. NKU will then take on Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, followed by another matchup against Mississippi State. The tournament wraps up on Sunday for NKU with another game against Mississippi Valley State. A full schedule, as well as a link to live stats for each game, can be found on nkunorse.com.
The Norse are looking to improve on the 11-41 record they posted last year in their inaugural season of NCAA Division I play. After graduating one of the best all-around players in program history in
Emily Schwaeble, NKU hopes to reload on the strength of incoming freshmen
Dani Devlin,
Alyssa Enrique and
Paige McQueen.
Second baseman
Dee Dee Davis is the team's top returning hitter, having led the team in batting, hits, doubles, triples and RBI. She's one of seven seniors gracing the Norse lineup, including infielders
Michelle Carson and
Natalie Papi, catcher
Kari Lang and outfielders
Dana Jarboe,
Mandi McQueen and
Rachel Kohlman.
The junior tandem of
Kelley Benhase and
Alex Caudill will anchor the pitching staff, while freshman
Alyssa Enrique will look to make a difference in the circle as well.
A WORD ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE: The Gamecocks are picked as the favorites of the Ohio Valley Conference after taking the league championship last season. All-OVC honoree Sara Borders will key the offense after posting a .354 batting average last season, including 11 home runs and 17 doubles. JSU graduated a pair of solid pitchers, and Savannah Hennings will look to pick up the slack there after going 6-2 last season in 20 appearances, including six starts.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE GAMECOCKS: NKU and Jacksonville State saw their only meetings come in the 1994 season in a tournament at Owensboro, Ky. NKU took the first meeting, 5-3, before JSU came back to claim an 8-3 decision the next day.
A WORD ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs open the 2014 campaign at home after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, picking up their first tournament victory since 2008 in the process. MSU welcomes back three all-region honorees in infielders Logan Foulks and Sam Lenahan and pitcher Alison Owen. Last year, the Bulldogs posted a 3-1 record in their season-opening invitational, besting Troy, Tennessee State and Georgia State. Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Norse and the Bulldogs, and the first game for NKU against any Southeastern Conference team.
A WORD ABOUT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE: The champions of the SWAC last season, the Devilettes return for 2014 as the favorites to claim the league's East Division again this year. Their efforts will be bolstered by Preseason All-SWAC selections Yasmine Battle and Cassandra Rivera. Battle posted a .239 batting average last year and led the Devilettes with 10 stolen bases while Rivera posted a 2-4 record with a 4.50 ERA in the circle. NKU has never faced MVSU.
LOOKING UP: NKU was picked to finish ninth in the 2014 Atlantic Sun preseason poll. The Norse took 18 points in the balloting which placed South Carolina Upstate as the favorite to win the league. The defending Atlantic Sun Conference champions claimed 97 points and seven of the 10 first-place votes. Florida Gulf Coast, with two first-place votes, finished second in the voting, while Lipscomb took the final first-place pick, taking third in the poll.
STRALEY SPEED:
KC Straley was the team's top base stealer (8) and run scorer (17) in 2013. The Louisville transfer will play a major role in NKU's success again in 2014 after posting a .312 on-base percentage last year. Straley was also solid in the field, picking up two outfield assists on plays at the plate in 2013.
Dana Jarboe was the team's leader in outfield assists with three.
