UAB
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2014 Season Preview
Back Row (L-R) - Athletic Trainer Jennifer Wallace, Head Coach Marla Townsend, Manager Evan Koch, Assistant Coach Lucy Bass, Mary Warren, Anna Theriot, Megan McGrath, Lannah Campbell, Kristen McGrath, Madison Hir, Ashley Johnson, Manager Caleb Hancock, Volunteer Assistant Coach Amanda Ellis, Strength and Conditioning Coach Blake Klotz, Assistant Coach Nick Crawford. Middle Row (L-R) - Olivia Black, Heather Pearson, Leigh Streetman, JoJo Fallen, Lauren Beshel, Cara Goodwin, Caitlin Attfield Front Row (L-R) - Amy Dennis, Hayley Davis, Kelly Britt, Danii Fernandez, Amy Waters
Following the most historic and record-breaking season in the program’s history, the UAB softball team will look to make five straight appearances in the NCAA tournament in the 2014 campaign.
senior on the infield. At the plate we really expect her to come through with some key hits. She has totally bought in and understands it, and I think she’s going to be one of our driving forces this year.”
Head coach Marla Townsend, entering her 15th season at the helm of the Blazers and the 2013 Conference USA Coach of the Year, returns four prolific seniors including twins Kristen and Megan McGrath, as well as the pitching tandem of Lannah Campbell and Leigh Streetman.
“We’ve got two pitchers in Lannah Campbell and Leigh Streetman. Lannah has had an amazing career, and we look for both of them to cap off their senior year by really complementing each other. They’ve worked hard in the offseason, and we expect them to get the most amount of innings. We’ve got two freshmen that are going to see pitching time as well so we really like the way that they complement each other. We’ve got Lannah that’s a drop ball pitcher and creates a lot of ground balls, then we’ve got Leigh who can move it all around the plate and change it up. Both of them have had outstanding careers, and we’re really expecting them to come through and not only provide leadership whether they’re on the field or in the dugout, but we really expect big things from them this year, and to date they’ve met our expectations.”
The Blazers also return Conference USA Freshman of the Year Caitlin Attfield, as well as Heather Pearson, Amy Dennis, Hayley Davis, Kelly Britt, Ashley Johnson and Anna Theriot. The Seniors: UAB’s 2014 senior class has accounted for 116 wins in three seasons, and has guided the program to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. They also helped UAB to their first NCAA Regional Title, and were a part of the 2013 squad that captured the program’s first Conference USA regular season championship. “We’ve got a senior class that we’re expecting great things from this year,” Townsend said. “They’re extremely hard workers and they’ve had the NCAA experience, conference champion experience, and we’re really calling on them to help with our success.” “We’ve got the McGrath twins. Kristen, we expect her to perform at the plate. She had some huge hits in critical situations last year. She’s worked extremely hard, is in the best shape of her life, and is very, very powerful. If we need her defensively she can play first or third for us, and might even see her in the outfield. We’re just relying on her as a designated hitter to fill those roles. “Her sister, Megan, will be be our starting first baseman. She has worked extremely hard in the offseason and we’re very impressed with her work ethic and determination this year. She had an amazing fall and she is really on pace to have an outstanding senior season. We expect her to provide leadership on the infield, being the only
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The Juniors: UAB’s junior class is made up of Anna Theriot, Amy Dennis, Heather Pearson and Hayley Davis. “Anna Theriot who is competing for a starting role in the outfield. Anna is someone who has the most powerful arm on the team. If she’s not in a starting role, she can come in and play in defensive situations. She’s really worked hard on her hitting, and we definitely expect to see time from her in the outfield.” “Amy Dennis will be our starting third baseman. She’s a type player that can play infield or outfield, but she’s best utilized right now at third base, and has had an outstanding fall. She performs well at the plate, is a spray hitter and understands the game. We’re really, really excited about the two years she has left, and expect her to be a huge contributor. “Heather Pearson, who is a redshirt junior, she’ll be our starting second baseman. She had some huge hits last year, was a key role in our cham-
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