Golden Eagle Softball Team Begins Fall Exhibition Season
9/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 14, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball team began preparations for the 2011 season under fourth-year coach Howard Dobson as the Golden Eagles open their fall exhibition season Saturday at home.
Southern Miss plays host to Nicholls State at 2 p.m. and Jackson State at 4 p.m., at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. Nicholls State and Jackson State will square off at 12 p.m. Admission is free.
After going through a rigorous preseason conditioning program, the Eagles began fall practice last week, concentrating on basic fundamentals and hitting.
"Practice has been good," Dobson said. "We did two weeks of individual work and now we've come together for the first time as a team and we are excited. We are trying to get their legs back under them, getting them back into shape and putting them through little test here and there. We are seeing where we are."
Southern Miss returns 12 letterwinners from last year's team, including four seniors, five juniors and four sophomores. Seven newcomers step on the diamond this weekend including Taylor Brown (Cypress, Texas), Kacie Eich (Overland Park, Kan.), Brittany Lilly (Houston, Texas), Mackenzie Sher (Bellaire, Texas), Kelly Smith (Friendswood, Texas), Kayla Stanley (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and Michelle Takeda (Placentia, Calif.).
"We are working hard because we only have two weeks before we play our first fall games," Dobson said. "We have 20 kids on our roster and it's the largest roster we've had since I've been here. We have seven newcomers, including six freshmen. Now, we are trying to figure out where kids are going to go position wise. We have more depth and we can move people around in different positions. What's nice is that we have enough for an intrasquad scrimmage and not have to worry about filling in holes."
The Golden Eagles continue their fall schedule on Sept. 25, with another doubleheader that include Southeastern Louisiana and William Carey before concluding the fall season at the College Classic in Spring, Texas, Oct. 2-3.