2006 Season Outlook
Renewed expectation for victory

The University of Southern Indiana softball team enters the 2006 season with a renewed expectation for victory.

After a tough start to the 2005 season—USI was 0-8 to start the year—the Screaming Eagles bounced back to win a school-record 18 straight games. The Eagles finished 2005 with a 30-20 record (10-8 GLVC) and a third-place showing in the GLVC Tournament for the second straight season. The 30 victories were the most since USI won 31 games in 2002.

When fifth-year Head Coach Sue Kunkle leads her Eagles onto the field in 2006, she will have her entire starting infield as well as her top two pitchers back from last season’s squad. Kunkle (114-80 in four seasons), who needs four victories to move into second on USI’s all-time wins list, needs to mix 11 returnees—six position starters—with three newcomers.

Kunkle is looking to four talented seniors to lead the Eagles this season.

Senior pitcher Missy Grover earned All-GLVC honors as a junior when she recorded a career-best 15 victories and 2.08 earned run average. Grover, who was 11-0 with an 0.95 ERA during USI’s 18-game winning streak, was third in the GLVC with a career-high 18 complete games. She was fifth in the league with a career-high six shutouts.

Complementing Grover in the pitching circle is fellow classmate Lindsey McNaughton. McNaughton was 13-7 with a 2.34 ERA during her first season as an Eagle. She also did damage at the plate, batting .257 with a homerun and 18 RBIs. McNaughton hit .462 in the GLVC Tournament with three of her six multi-hit games coming in post-season play.

The Eagles also are looking for leadership from senior first baseman Angie Davis and senior shortstop Krista Nugent. Davis, who will see time at catcher this season, had a breakout weekend during the 2005 GLVC Tournament when she hit .462 with two homeruns and nine RBIs in just five games. She hit .272 with 19 RBIs during her first season with the Eagles in 2005.

Nugent played and started in all 50 of USI’s games last season and hit .214 with 10 RBIs. She went 2-for-4 against Lewis University in the third-place game of the GLVC Tournament a year ago.

The Eagles also are relying on a strong junior class that includes three infielders, a catcher, and an outfielder/pitcher.

Junior catcher Lisa Anderson earned All-GLVC honors for the second straight season after hitting .329 with a team-high four homeruns and 30 RBIs. Anderson threw out eight base runners during her sophomore campaign and committed just one error behind the plate.

Kunkle is excited about her combination at second base with juniors Audra Lindenschmidt and Kerrie Burton. Lindenschmidt, who hit .255 with 13 RBIs and 14 runs scored in 2005, had a season-high seven-game hitting streak in which she hit .520 with nine RBIs in 25 at-bats.

Burton played in 33 games, making 23 starts at second base, as a sophomore for the Eagles. She hit .197 with a homerun, eight RBIs, and 11 runs scored.

The Eagles are looking for depth in junior third baseman Jennifer Mullikin and junior outfielder/pitcher Nikki Nichols. Mullikin hit .105 in 19 at-bats during her sophomore season, while Nichols, who adds depth to the pitching staff, is a strong contender for a starting position in the outfield.

Another player that provided solid play in leftfield is sophomore Kathy Wood. Wood played in 34 games as a freshman, including six appearances inside the pitching circle where she recorded a 2-1 record with a 1.88 ERA in 26 innings of action.

Third baseman/pitcher Kristin Eickholt was USI's top freshman a year ago. Now a sophomore, Eickholt hit .292 with two homeruns, 15 RBIs, and a team-best nine doubles. Eickholt was named the GLVC Player of the Week at the end of the 2005 regular season after hitting .600 with five RBIs in a pair of two-game sets against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis University.

Kunkle will enjoy flexibility with her incoming freshmen class this season. Utility player Lacey Ligmanowski can play any position on the field and is a strong candidate to replace Nicole Henson in right field. Ligmanowski, who also will see time at first base, hit .288 during her senior season at Lockport Township High School.

Ligmanowski helped lead LTHS to the 2005 Illinois Class AA quarterfinals after helping the Porters to the 2004 IHSA Class AA state championship. She also went a combined 27-3 during her junior and senior seasons from the pitching circle.

Outfielder/infielder Ally McKinley is another versatile freshman in 2006. McKinley, who led Sullivan High School in batting average three of her four seasons, is the frontrunner to replace former USI standout Sunny Oelling in centerfield. McKinley also may get some experience in the infield.

The addition of freshman Jami Martin, who also plays soccer at USI, will provide depth in the outfield and speed on the base paths for the Eagles. She helped lead Jennings County High School to a sectional championship during her senior year in 2005.

USI’s season starts February 17 when the Eagles travel to Conway, Arkansas, to compete in the 10th Annual UCA Spring Clash. GLVC play starts March 18 when the Eagles play at the University of Indianapolis.

USI welcomes league newcomers, Rockhurst University and the University of Missouri-Rolla, to the USI Softball Field when the Eagles open their home schedule March 25 and 26.

USI’s run for a conference title and a berth in the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional Tournament will have to go through East Peoria, Illinois, the host city for the GLVC Tournament for the third straight year. The league tournament is played at the EastSide Centre Sports Complex May 5-7.

The NCAA II Great Lakes Tournament is May 11-14 at a site to be determined, while the NCAA II World Series is May 18-22 in Salem, Virginia.