2013 Preview The Warhawks have intertwined a total of four non-conference contests while in the heat of Sun Belt competition. They will visit Jackson State between the Middle Tennessee and FIU series, host Memphis prior to heading to Western Kentucky, and entertain Central Arkansas before visiting North Texas. This year, Troy hosts the Sun Belt Conference Tournament beginning May 8. THE 2013 WARHAWKS TEAM BREAKDOWN Holloway-Hill says fans can expect to see a lot of small ball and contact hitting from the Warhawks offense in 2013, and as last year’s numbers indicate, she’s agressive on the base paths as well. The Warhawks stole 105 bases and were caught just 20 times as a team. “We’re not a team that has three to five power hitters, we’re a contact hitting team. That excites me from the get-go. I expect for us to be more versatile in our hitting to where we can spray the ball around the field and score runs. We are looking to put runners in scoring position and get them in through contact hitting and ball placement.” As a team, ULM laid down a total of 105 sacrifice bunts in 2012 and the coaching staff anticipate a high number again this year, as small ball will be the key for Holloway-Hill and Vogt’s offense. However, Holloway-Hill says there is still the potential for power from the ULM lineup in 2013. “That’s not to say we can’t get the home run from Janel Salanoa, Haley McCall, or Alexis Cacioppo, I think that’s a real possibility, and that will be icing on the cake.” Since small ball is going to be key to the Warhawk offense, Holloway-Hill hopes to have high RBI totals, especially in clutch situations. “I think we’re very capable of getting runners on base and getting them into scoring position, but I’d like to see us do a better job with two outs and two strike counts,” she said. Defensively, ULM returns all three of its starting outfielders from last season and both of its corner infielders. The Warhawks’ youth will prove to be an asset on the field this season, according to Holloway-Hill. “We have a very young team coming in. We have nine newcomers and 10 returners. You’re going to see a lot of new looks, a lot of fresh energy, and a lot of talented ballplayers out there,” she said. “I like the versatility within our team and the competitiveness. “ POSITION-BY-POSITION “We seem to have some depth at all positions, but it’s not experienced depth. I don’t look as the lack of experience as a bummer, but rather I look at it as a challenge to work through with our team,” Holloway-Hill said. “This fall, we decided to focus on our team. That helped us draw chemistry as a team. Secondly, they got more reps as individuals compared to going to a tournament, so people got more experience.” The outfield is the most experienced group on the team as last year’s starters Elena DiMattia and Haley McCall all return for their senior seasons in the corner outfield spots while sophomore Mackenzie Miller will patrol center, however Holloway-Hill has hinted that no outfield job is secure. “We have depth, but we also have the luxury of having three returning outfielders who have spent the time there. They are the most experienced coming back in. They did a great job last year, they just need to keep their bats steady.” Freshmen Faith Bohack, Courtney Dutriex, Kaitlyn Dupuis, and Cayla Unverzagt can also see time in the outfield. Both starting corner infielders return from last year with senior Janel Salanoa at first and sophomore Alexis Cacioppo seeing the majority of the time at third base. Freshman Hope Mair could see time in both positions, as well. With junior Miyuki Navarette sitting out 2013 due to an injury suffered in the fall, the middle infield positions are open for competition. Sophomore Kayla Boening, freshman Summer Melancon, Bohack and Dutreix will all contend for middle infield positions and split playing time as the double play combination. Freshmen Kayla Prater and Amy Barre will split time behind the dish and follow in the steps of Roxy Cassel, who nearly broke the single-season RBI record in 2012. In the pitching circle, junior Stephanie Routzen will likely see the most innings, especially early in the season, but expect to see senior Samantha Hamby and sophomore Haylie Wilson getting starts as well. Sophomore transfer Savannah Dollar will be a key reliever and will also be called upon to start on occasion.
“I feel like this team belongs, and you’ll see new and exciting things happen from them.” - Head Coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill
WARHAWK SOFTBALL
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