LOUISIANA TECH
Outfield
“Kendra has been a starter in our outfield for the last two years,” Dawson said. “With her experience we look for her to lead this group. Kendra will continue
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2012 LADY TECHSTER SOFTBALL
Louisiana Tech will boast the most depth in the outfield that it has seen in quite some time with nine players vying for starts this season. Included in the mix are seven returners and two newcomers as Dawson will have a plethora of options throughout the season. “Every outfielder from last year’s squad returns again for 2012, but with the addition of a transfer and a freshman we have added some much needed depth,” Dawson said. Senior Kendra Harmon, freshman Janine Godwin and sophomore Rachel Allday will handle the duties in left field this season as the two-year starter Harmon will help the rookie Godwin and the second-year Allday in their transition into the college ranks. Harmon made 52 starts in the outfield last season with 41 coming in right field, four in centerfield and seven in left field. The Holden, Louisiana native batted .275 on the season with six doubles, one triple and one memorable game-winning home run in a 1-0 victory over Hawaii.
to be our leadoff hitter this season. Her ability to get things started is a key for our offense. This is the strongest I have seen Kendra, and I look for her to have a great senior season.” The lefthanded Harmon is a tough out at the top of the lineup as she ranked in the Top 10 in the WAC last year in putting the ball in play, striking out only 17 times in 193 plate appearances. Harmon led Tech with 11 multi-hit games and her 12-game on-base streak was the longest by any Lady Techster during the season. Allday saw action in 12 games as a freshman, most of them coming in a pinch runner role. She did earn three at-bats and scored three runs during her first year in a Lady Techster uniform. “Rachel adds depth for us in outfield,” Dawson said. “Valuable pinch runner for us last year and continue to play a role as a pinch runner. She has a great team attitude.” Allday had a solid fall season for the Lady Techsters, batting .387 with five RBI and five runs scored. Godwin signed with Tech after an impressive prep career at Princeton High School in Texas where she played both second base and centerfield while leading the program to three straight district titles. “Janine is another one of our freshmen that joined us this season,” Dawson said. “She has come in ready to accept the challenge of playing at the collegiate level. Janine has great speed and a great arm especially when you consider her size. She has a number of weapons from the left side of the plate and her speed can also be utilized off the bench. With her attitude and Godgiven ability, I know she will have a great career in this program.” During her final two years in high school, Godwin batted over .400 with 43 stolen bases while earning all-district honors four straight seasons. She was also the district champion in the 100-meter hurdles and a regional finalist in 2009. Senior Charday Wilson and junior college transfer Dacia Hale will man centerfield this season. Although Wilson started 37 games in CF last season, Hale is the odds-on favorite to be the opening day centerfielder while Wilson will also be utilized off the bench as a pinch runner with her impressive speed. Hale comes to Ruston after spending the past two years playing at the College of the Siskiyous where she led the team to the league championship in both 2010 and 2011. She was named first team all-Golden Valley Conference twice while batting .375 with 18 doubles, 37 RBI and 57 runs last year. “Dacia comes to us as a transfer from a very well-coached program, and I look for her to have an immediate impact this season,” Dawson said. “She has all of the physical attributes of a centerfielder, and I am excited about her addition to our outfield.
YTLA ISR TECH EVINU
time at third base,” Dawson said. “With the graduation of Molly we will need someone to step in as the everyday starter at third. Tricia has worked hard at her range at third and continues to understand her swing better on the offensive end. She is a smart player and at a position that doesn’t offer a lot of reaction time, this can be a real asset.” Van Winkle collected seven hits in 38 at bats but showed some power with two doubles and two home runs. Winter signed with the Lady Techsters out of Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas where she played outfield and all four infield positions during her prep career. She was named the District 8-5A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior while earning all-district honors as both a junior and senior. “Hailey brings a lot of life and energy to our squad and keeps things pretty light,” Dawson said. “She has made a good transition to college softball. She is like a sponge that just soaks up as much information as possible in order to be the best she can be. I am excited about the offensive production we saw out of Hailey this fall. She seemed to really excel in pressure situations.” Kipp will also see some time at third base when she is not catching or serving as the designated player.
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