Softball Begins Fall Practice
9/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 18, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team began fall practice today, spending most of it in the indoor hitting facility, due to inclement weather. The Golden Eagles will continue to practice at 3:30 p.m., each day this week.
Southern Miss, led by seventh year Head Coach Gay McNutt, returns four position starters and three pitchers from last year's team that finished 29-38.
Highlighting the returnees is junior left fielder Jennifer Fox, a first-team All-Conference USA selection last season. Fox returns a team-best .319 average, 61 hits, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 46 RBIs, along with 16 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games.
Also returning is junior centerfielder Allison Bullard, who returns the second-most RBIs, 19, with sophomore catcher Kristin Pilgrim. Bullard hit .234 last season, with 41 hits, 21 runs, eight doubles and 21 RBIs, while Pilgrim hit .194, with 34 hits. Rounding out the returnees is senior rightfielder Melissa Prouty, who hit .169 last season, with 27 hits.
Returning to the pitching staff is junior Krystal Crooks, who is back fully healthy after being bothered by her elbow last season. Crooks, who finished with a 2-4 record and 5.89 ERA last season, returns the only complete game to the staff, along with a save and 11 strikeouts. As a freshman in 2005, Crooks logged 182 innings, finishing with a 14-12 record and 2.92 ERA. She also threw 19 complete games, and struck out 70 on the year.
Sophomore Samantha Davis also returns, posting a 3-5 record and 3.05 ERA in 2006. She returns a staff best three saves and 37 strikeouts. Also returning to the staff is junior Shea Naramore, who posted a 5.89 ERA in 14 appearances last season, striking out 10 in 27.1 innings of work.
Joining the team are 11 newcomers, including nine freshmen and two transfers. The newcomers include a trio from Oak Grove HS in Hattiesburg, Megan Hill, Holly Milner and Logan James, Brittany Wright (Madison Central, Madison, Miss), Brandi Alonzo (Franklinton HS, Franklinton, La.), Karissa Jones (Pearland HS, Pearland, Texas), Lauren Castellvi (Tampa, Fla., H.B. Plant HS), Krystle Dawson (Arlington, Texas, James Bowie HS), Artesian Boyd (Meridian, Miss., Meridian HS), along with transfers Ashlyn Harmon (Holden La., Louisiana College) and Brittney Pigott (Poplarville, Miss, Pearl River CC).
Southern Miss begins fall tournament play at the Spring Klein Classic in Spring, Texas on Oct. 14-15. Southern Miss will meet Texas Tech at 9:00 a.m., Baylor at 11 a.m., and North Texas at 5 p.m., on Oct. 14, before concluding the tournament with a 9 a.m. game against Oklahoma State and 11 a.m., contest against Mississippi Valley State on Oct. 15.
The Golden Eagles host the Southern Miss Fall Tournament on Oct. 28-29. Competing teams will include Jackson State, Alcorn State, Southeastern La., Belhaven, Jones JC, Pearl River CC and William Carey.
Southern Miss opens the 2007 season on Feb. 9 against Stephen F. Austin in the Compass Bank Invitational hosted by Baylor University in Waco, Texas.