Southern Miss Softball Adds Eight to Next Year' Squad
7/9/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Southern Miss Softball Adds Eight to Next Year?s Squad
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? Southern Miss softball coach Gay McNutt announced the addition of eight signees who will be members of the 2002 Lady Eagles? team. Four freshmen, three sophomores and one junior join the squad that won its second-consecutive Conference USA title last season.
?I?m really excited about the quality of players we have coming in,? says McNutt who will be starting her second season leading the Lady Eagles. ?I think it?s going to make our team that much better. We?re going to be stronger and deeper. We are going to have a lot more options with these incoming players.?
Laura Davis (Jr., SS, Denham Springs, La.), Diane Hammes (Fr., P/SS/OF, Humble, Texas), Jessica Holaway (So., P, Baker, La.), Auriel Jenkins (So., OF, Pearl, Miss.), Chrissy King (Fr., SS/2B, Purvis, Miss.), Erinne Milligan (So., Utility, Denham Springs, La.), Denise Newman (Fr., OF, Hurley, Miss.) and Laura Smith (Fr., C, Alvin, Texas) comprise the list of newcomers who McNutt believes will help her team in the upcoming season.
Last season?s Lady Eagles finished the year 46-21, claiming their second-straight C-USA title and third-straight appearance in the NCAA Regionals. Southern Miss has made some impressive accomplishments since the reinstatement of the softball program in 1999, including two trips to the Women?s College World Series in 1999 and 2000.
The following are comments McNutt makes on each newcomer:
Laura Davis, Jr., Shortstop, Denham Springs, La.
?Laura is a transfer from Northwestern State (La.), who will give Channika Gant a run for her money at shortstop. She is a hard worker with a very strong arm. She can play shortstop, third base and first base and can be very productive at the plate.?
Diane Hammes, Fr., Pitcher/Shortstop/Outfield, Humble, Texas
?Diane is a very versatile player who can play shortstop or in the outfield or can pitch. She will get every opportunity to prove herself in each of these positions. She has above average speed and hits the ball well. As a pitcher, she throws the ball around 58 mph with a good mix of pitches.?
Jessica Holaway, So., Pitcher, Baker, La.
?Jessica will add much needed depth to our pitching staff. She will complement Felicia?s and Melissa?s styles very well. We are expecting big things from Jessica. She had to sit out the past year (after transferring from Northwestern State), so she is very excited about the upcoming season.?
Auriel Jenkins, So., Outfield, Pearl, Miss.
?Auriel is a transfer from Meridian Community College. She has a great deal of raw talent and also will add much needed speed to the line-up. She will be working out in the outfield.?
Chrissy King, Fr., Shortstop/Second Base, Purvis, Miss.
?Chrissy is a great kid with a lot of untapped talent. She is very fast and has good hands. She will be pushing for a spot either at shortstop or second base. May also be used in the outfield.?
Erinne Milligan, So., Utility, Denham Springs, La.
?Erinne transferred from the University of Tulsa. She also had to sit out last year. She is a very versatile player who can play anywhere. We will look for her to play either in the outfield or third base or maybe at second. She has great hands and will add speed to our lineup.?
Denise Newman, Fr., Outfield, Hurley, Miss.
?Denise is a great outfielder with excellent speed. She will add much-needed depth to our outfield. She is a gutsy player who doesn?t think twice about laying out for a ball. She has a strong arm and is very knowledgeable about the game.?
Laura Smith, Fr., Catcher, Alvin, Texas
?Laura is a catcher who is from my hometown. We look for her to push for a starting role behind the plate. She is a big, strong kid with an excellent arm. She will give Kenya Peters a strong fight for the starting spot. Either way, we will not be hurting in the catching position.?