Feb. 4, 2009
Southwestern University is preparing to embark on their first ever season of softball in the school's 150+ years of athletic competition. Coach Angela Froboese began her quest to field a team when she was hired in the fall of 2007 and brought in 13 players in the fall of 2008 for the inaugural season. After a year of preparation, the time is here.
Despite having a team comprised largely of freshman, Coach Froboese feels confident about her team's talent. "I feel like we have a shot at four to five all conference kids. I think once we understand what college ball is all about...we are going to be a lineup that will be hard to stop."
A recent addition to the Pirate squad is junior transfer, Katelyn Gola. Katelyn played one season at Howard Payne University under Coach Froboese and was named ASC West Freshman of the Year as well as being an All-ASC First Team All-Conference selection in 2007. "Having someone come in that has already played and been successful like Katelyn has is a nice addition", says Coach Froboese. "Our girls saw (her experience) right away and they have really responded well to her."
The Pirates are shaping up to be tough at the plate this season. "Hitting should be a really good strength of ours", states Coach Froboese, "and once we really get it I think we are going to be one of the tops in hitting. I feel this is one of the strongest hitting teams I have coached."
Defensively, a trio of pitchers will be relied on to lead the way for the Pirates. Lyndsy Maus (Cypress, TX), Blair Wallace (Abilene, TX) and Kaitlyn Pavlicek (Spring, TX) are "three really good pitchers that can carry us a long way." The strong pitching will be complimented by two solid catchers, Bre Lewis (Danbury, TX) and Erin Fonseca (San Benito, TX). "We have a strong arm in Bre and Erin has really learned how to be a great catcher back there." Rounding out the rest of the defense, the infield in continuing to improve and get stronger while impressive speed in the outfield will make all the difference for the Pirates.
What might make the biggest impact this season is Coach Froboese's knowledge of the conference. She has extensive experience against opposing SCAC conference opponents and this knowledge has led her believe the Pirates should finish in the top three of the conference. "Our goal is to at least place in the top three (in the conference). We really have a lot of talent. Even though we are young and the excuse is out there for us, we expect to be a contender in our conference in our first year", remarks Coach Froboese.
The Pirates will kick off their inaugural season at home on February 14, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. against the University of Dallas. The importance of the first game and excitement surrounding it has not been lost on the Pirates. "We stress the importance of appreciating the opportunity," says Coach Froboese. "I know the amount of effort that went into starting the program and I am making sure that we are putting the same amount of effort into our practice on the field and into our work." However, just being the first team to compete is not enough for this squad. "(The players) do know the history of the program and they are excited to be the first, that is a big reason why they came here, but they don't just want to be the first team to play, they want to be the first team to win."