Season
Outlook Many new faces will wear the Royal Blue and White in 2012. Coach Jeff Dabney brings eight newcomers, to go along with seven returners, into his second season at Tennessee State. The Tigers finished 11-43 overall and 5-24 in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2011 season. TSU batted .232 as a team and recorded the second highest home run total (23) and RBI total (130) in school history. They also set school records with 142 walks, 42 hit-by-pitch, and a .330 on base percentage. Tedra Alford enters her junior season after leading the 2011 squad with a .319 batting average to go along with team highs in hits (46), runs (23), doubles (8) and home runs (4). Alford looks to handle third base along side of Ashley Haynes, who looks to return to the short stop in her sophomore season.
Haynes registered a .921 fielding percentage while splitting time at short and third as a freshman. Haynes was second on the team with 104 assists. Coach Dabney will look to a couple of newcomers to occupy the left side of the infield. Jordan Rehl will see a majority of her time at first base , while Tayler Shimizu will look to fill the hole at second base. Both freshman could see time in the outfield in 2012. Catcher Jalisa Bradley completed her career as the all-time leader at TSU in putouts with 714. Two more newcomers will look to fill the spot Bradley manned for four years. Devin Amar transfers in as a sophomore from St. John’s University and will battle out with freshman Kate Morris for the everyday duties. Brittany Davis and sophomore Aisha Walker are the lone returnees in the outfield. Davis will look to have more of an impact after minimal time in the field. The senior will be called upon to provide some power in her final campaign. Walker played in 42 games, starting 38, in her first year with the Tigers. She finished with 36 putouts and a .973 fielding percentage. The speedster can be an intrical part to the Tiger offense.
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Jennifer Givens and Savannah Gutierrez also look to roam the spacious outfield of Tiger Field. Givens is a junior college all-american transfer from Vol State, where she stole over 100 bases in her two-year career. As a freshman, Gutierrez will be used heavily as an outfielder, but will also be used in the pitching circle.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY