Softball Opens Season at Florida State Seminole Challenge
February 05, 2004 | Softball
Feb. 5, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville softball team opens its 2004 season this weekend when it travels to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Florida State Seminole Challenge. The Cardinals play Illinois State at 10 a.m. Friday before facing Minnesota at noon.
Live updates and tournament information will be available for all games this weekend and can be found by visiting the Seminole Classic News Center.
The Cardinal softball team enters the 2004 season with lofty expectations. Lofty, considering the loss of five seniors and coming off of a 24-26 campaign. But they do return a very talent group of players, led by two veteran seniors three experienced juniors as well as a solid group of sophomore and a talented incoming freshman class.
Head coach Sandy Pearsall expects great things from her Cardinals. "We have a great mix of players who bring a little of everything to the plate, offensively, defensively and on the pitcher's mound. We may be young, and that can be an obstacle to overcome, but we also have some outstanding veterans to help guide the underclassmen."
The Returning Players
Seniors
This year's senior class may be small in size, but both players bring valuable leadership and experience to the team. Leftfielder Shannon Nord joined the Cards as a sophomore transfer from Morehead State. She is coming off of a stellar junior campaign during which she led the team with a .340 batting average, was 12 of 14 in stolen bases and did not commit an error. She was also U of L's only All-C-USA first team selection in 2003.
Utility player Kristi Rozelle has filled a vital role throughout her career by playing every field position except pitcher. The 2004 co-captain has performed well in high-pressure situations and is a leader on and off the field.
Juniors
Centerfielder Sara Bausher is known for making spectacular defensive plays. She is also making a name for herself in the Cardinal record book. The 2004 co-captain is currently second on the list for career home runs and fifth in doubles and RBI. She also has a place in the Conference USA record book by blasting the first grand slam in league tournament history in U of L's 8-1 win over Southern Miss last year. Bausher earned all-C-USA first team honors her freshman year and was named to the all-tournament team in 2003.
Lisa Estes played catcher and outfield in her first two years as a Cardinal and has excelled at both positions. She can be counted on for steady defensive play and has also put up solid offensive numbers as well. After being named to the all-C-USA All-Freshman team, Estes had two home runs, seven doubles, 10 RBI and scored 12 runs as a sophomore.
Aja Sherman was the Cardinals' full-time first baseman her freshman year. As a sophomore, she made the move to part-time pitcher, a position she hadn't played since club ball. Sherman made the transition easily, tossing the school's first no-hitter in over a year en route to earning C-USA Co-Pitcher of the Week honors. When it was all said and done, Sherman posted a 4-2 record in seven starts. She kept her original job at first base and continued to perform offensively as well, with a .260 batting average, seven double and 15 RBI. The 2004 co-captain will resume double duty this year.
Sophomores
Outfielder/first baseman Alma Navarrete made the adjustment to college softball by playing in 20 games with 16 starts as a freshman. She hit her first collegiate home run against Oklahoma State.
Second baseman Amy Summers also spent her freshman season making the adjustment to college softball and playing behind then-senior Nicole Sparks. Summers saw time in 12 games with two starts and hit her first double against Morehead State.
Michelle Vasquez immediately jumped into the mix as the Cardinals' shortstop. Vasquez played in 40 games with 39 starts and had seven doubles and one home run. She was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team and earned league Hitter of the Week honors.
Lacy Wood also hit the ground running her freshman year, starting 43 games mostly at third base. In her first season, Wood had five doubles, one home run and scored 12 runs. This year, she will be splitting time between catcher and third base.
Freshmen
The Cardinals welcome a talented group of freshman to the team this year. Each of them brings a different aspect of the game including power, speed, defensive skill and aggressiveness as well as pitching toughness and savvy.
"We have a lot of talent in this freshman class," said Pearsall. "They love the game and hate losing. This is an exciting roup to watch. Each and every one of them is capable of making the play that nobody expects them to make."
Pitcher Catherine Bishop joins U of L from Sydney, Australia, where she was a member of the Junior National Team. Bishop also has international experience, serving as the captain and MVP of the South Australia U18 softball team in 2003. She was also named the South Australian Softball Association Junior Softball Player of the Year in 2003.
Kady Garrick joins the Cardinal pitching staff from Tucson, Ariz., where her high school team was the state champion in 2001. A three-time team MVP on her high school team, Garrick also brings an impressive resume, including second-team high school All-American honors in 2002 and Tucson Player of the Year in 2001 and 2003.
Candi Hicks comes to Louisville from Gainesville, Fla., where her high school team was the state runner-up in 2002 and reached the final four in 2003. Hicks earned all-state honors in 2001 and 2003 and was named the Gainesville Sun Athlete of the Year in 2003. She brings added speed to the Cards, after receiving the Stolen Base Award in 2002 and 2003
Infielder Courtney Moore joins the Cardinals from Visalia, Calif., where she was named All-Area Player of the Year in 2002 and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2003. Moore, a three- time All-Valley team selection, was also named team Defensive Player of the year in 2000 and 2001. She brings a mix of defense and offensive power to the team.
Audrey Rendon, a Pueblo, Colo. native is listed as an infielder, but has the ability to play many different positions, giving the Cards valuable depth. Rendon was named team MVP in 2001 and earned MVP honors in the Colorado All-State game. She was named her team's Most Outstanding Player in 2000 and 2002 and was a first-team all-conference selection in 2000 and 2002.
Jenn Skaggs, a Louisville native from Holy Cross High School, brings a great deal of offensive power to the mix. She holds the Kentucky High School home run record and is a four-time all-district, and three-time all-region selection. Skaggs will see time as catcher and designated player.
Coach P's Outlook
The 2004 season looks to be a challenge, but one U of L eagerly awaits. The Cardinals will face six opponents which finished last season ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association's top 25 including: fifth-ranked and 2003 Women's College World Series participant Oklahoma, No. 12 Michigan, No. 17 Iowa, No. 19 Florida State as well as Conference USA opponents No. 9 DePaul and No. 25 South Florida. The Cards will also host the 2004 Conference USA Softball Championship May 13-15 at Ulmer Stadium.
"We have our work cut out for us, which is always the case in the early part of the season," said Pearsall. "It will definitely be a test for our young team. We will play a potential top ten team almost every weekend leading up to conference play. Hopefully this will prepare us for a very tough conference schedule. We are also excited to be hosting the C-USA tournament here at Ulmer Stadium. We just hosted it here in 2001, our staff did a wonderful job of hosting and the community came out and supported C-USA softball. I'm excited about being able to showcase our facility and community to our conference and, at the same time, I think the fans will be able to appreciate the high level of softball being played in Conference USA."
