2005 Season Outlook
New look for Eagles in 2005
A new era in University of Southern Indiana softball history is about to take
place as the Screaming Eagles open a new home in 2005. The Screaming
Eagles, who posted a 144-50 record at the old USI Softball Field, have moved
to the new USI Softball Field at the USI Intramural Fields on Broadway.
Under the direction of Head Coach Sue Kunkle,
the Eagles were 38-6 at their old field and expect to continue that success
when they open their home schedule March 23 against McKendree College.
Kunkle, who is 84-60 in three seasons at the helm of the USI softball program,
will have a big challenge in 2005 as she must replace her starting infield
from a 2004 squad that was 26-24 overall, 11-7 in the GLVC, and finished third
in the GLVC Tournament.
Leading the returnees in 2005 are All-GLVC performers
Sunny Oelling and
Lisa Anderson. Oelling,
a senior centerfielder, earned All-Conference honors for the second
consecutive season after hitting .278 with 10 RBIs.
Oelling, who hit .401 as a sophomore in 2003, will join Kunkle and assistant
coach Annie Medico on a USA
Athletes International squad in Holland this summer.
Anderson, a sophomore catcher/designated player that earned All-Region honors
last season, was one of the top freshmen in the GLVC in 2004 after hitting
.361 with 24 RBIs and a team-high five home runs. She will see more time as a
catcher in 2005 with the graduation of former All-Conference catcher Kristen
Houseworth.
Leading a new-look pitching staff into 2005 is junior hurler
Missy Grover. Grover is
23-17 during the last two seasons. She started 25 games and had four shutouts
in 2004.
Expected to make a significant impact to the squad this season is senior
outfielder Nickole Henson.
Henson played in 42 games and made 37 starts as a junior in 2004. Fellow
classmate Stephanie Brown,
who saw action primarily in pinch-hitting and pinch-running roles a year ago,
will add depth to the outfield in 2005.
Sophomore outfielder/pitcher
Nikki Nichols also is expected to make a significant impact in the
outfield and will provide depth to USI’s pitching staff this season. Nichols
hit .258 as a freshman in 2004, while making three starts from the pitcher’s
circle.
A year ago, sophomore infielders
Kerrie Burton and
Jennifer Mullikin
both saw significant time as freshmen. Burton played in 34 games, making 10
starts, while Mullikin saw action in 29 games, making 26 starts.
Burton will be counted on to shore up the void left by former All-GLVC
performer Brooke Biggs at second base, while Mullikin could see an expanded
role at third base with the graduation of former All-Conference performer
Shannon Emmons.
Giving the Eagles more depth behind the plate and an experienced bat off the
bench is sophomore catcher
Alia Whitman. Whitman hit .222 in 16 games for the Eagles in 2004.
Kunkle will have eight newcomers—five transfers and three freshman—to work
with in 2005.
Junior Lindsey
McNaughton, will give the Eagles a proven arm in the pitching staff
after posting a 16-13 record with a 1.82 ERA in two seasons at Hillsdale
College. McNaughton also hit .262 with a home run and 16 RBIs during her
two-year stint with the Chargers.
One spot the Eagles had to find help at was at shortstop after losing Nichole
Pike to graduation. Junior shortstop
Krista Nugent could be
the solution at the position after transferring to USI from Western Nebraska
Community College where she was an All-NJCAA I Region IX performer.
Junior first baseman Angie
Davis will be a strong candidate to fill the void left by four-year
starting first baseman Monica Tepe after transferring from Wabash Valley
Junior College. Davis hit .313 with 21 RBIs as a sophomore in 2004 and helped
WVJC to the 2004 XXIV Region championship and a sixth-place performance at the
NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament.
Davis will be challenged by sophomore catcher/first baseman
Kristy Groves. Groves, a
graduate of Heritage Hills High School, led NCAA Division I Norfolk State
University in 2004 with a .289 batting average and was second on the squad
with 16 RBIs. She hit at least .400 in each of her last three seasons at HHHS.
Coming across town from the University of Evansville is sophomore utility
player Audra
Lindenschmidt. The Harrison High School graduate hit .235 with three
RBIs as a freshman for the Aces in 2004 after earning first-team All-State
honors as a senior at HHS in 2003. Lindenschmidt will see significant playing
time in the middle infield.
Providing depth to the pitching staff in 2005 will be freshman lefty
Kathy Wood and freshman
right-hander Kristin
Eickholt. Wood, who also will see playing time in the outfield,
graduated from Tecumseh High School where she was a four-time All-Conference
selection as well as a second-team All-State selection as a senior in 2004.
Eickholt, who will see significant playing time at third base, comes to USI
from Crestview High School in Convoy, Ohio, where she was a three-time
All-State and four-time All-Conference and All-District performer.
Rounding out the newcomers and USI’s freshman class is catcher
Valerie Hale. Hale will
give the Eagles a good bat off the bench and depth behind the plate after
hitting .368 with a home run and 21 RBIs as a senior in 2004 for Gibson
Southern High School.
USI starts the season February 25 at
Kennesaw State University.
