The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
2010 UAB Softball Preview
2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 8, 2010
With a solid mix of veterans and newcomers, and a new on-campus facility, the UAB softball team is ready to kick off its 2010 campaign.
"We plan on this season being the most successful in UAB softball history," UAB head coach Marla Townsend said. "We have our new facility, a great group of dedicated athletes, an outstanding group of coaches and support staff and a university full of administrators that fully supports us."
UAB's 2010 squad returns 13 letterwinners and eight starting position players, including NFCA All-Region Squad member and 2009 C-USA Co-Newcomer of the Year, Martina Landrum. Also returning for the Green and Gold is 2009 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, Catherine Douglass. Joining the Blazers are six newcomers, including two transfers.
"This group of young ladies is very focused and committed to success," Townsend said. "The returners and newcomers have done an outstanding job of forming a tight bond, which I feel will be noticeable on the field."
Pitching Staff
The Blazers return sophomore Amber Torres, who will be joined by newcomers Alisha Smith and Lauren Webster. All three pitchers will be called upon during preseason tournament play.
"Their performance and mental toughness during the tournaments will naturally give us a better idea as to who we will call upon in conference play," Townsend said.
Last season Torres compiled a 9-7 record from the pitcher's circle with three shutouts. Torres recorded a 4.00 ERA in 12 starts and 25 appearances and threw 50 strikeouts.
Catcher
Sophomore Mandy Lowman will appear behind the plate for the Blazers in 2010. Last season Lowman started 53 games at catcher for the Green and Gold and recorded 229 putouts on 264 chances. Fellow sophomore Erica Sisson will also aid in the duties.
"Both ladies are outstanding catchers with solid fundamentals and will be expected to lead our young pitching staff to success," Townsend said.
Infield
UAB's infield returns its 2009 starters at three positions, with several players competing for the second base starting job.
"Our infielders have worked hard in the off-season and we are looking for consistent play from each infielder," Townsend said. "We have depth at each position and as always, their performance at the plate will also dictate their defensive innings."
Junior Laura Callaway, who had 272 putouts and a .965 fielding percentage last season, will resume her starting position at first base in 2010. Senior Cameron Skates will return at third base, recording 42 starts at the position last season. C-USA All-Freshman Team selection Catherine Douglass will start at shortstop, sharing playing time with Kayla Orr.
Three players, Natalie Mitchell, Kate Armstrong and Maegan Hornsby, will be battling it out for the starting role at second base. All three players bring something different to the table and will see playing time throughout the season.
Outfield
The UAB outfield will be lead by fifth-year senior Martina Landrum. Landrum, who started all 55 games in centerfield for the Blazers in 2009, recorded a .980 fielding percentage and 98 catches on the season.
"Martina is in the best shape of her life and ready to play ball," Townsend said. "She is a very mature young adult and I am looking forward to seeing her all over the field, tracking down fly balls."
Junior Caley Walden will start in left field for the Blazers after starting 49 games for UAB last season. Walden led the team with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 58 chances.
Junior Amanda Allen and newcomer Sallie Van Kirk will be vying for the starting position in right field, which might see several players depending on the situation. Allen, who started 30 games in right field for the Blazers in 2009, posted a fielding percentage of .884 on 43 chances on the season.
Lineup
The batting order for UAB will be a strong mix of veterans from top to bottom in 2010. Martina Landrum, who posted a batting average of .358 and a .461 on-base percentage in 2009, will resume her leadoff position for the Blazers.
"We are calling on Martina to fill the leadoff hitting spot and make things happen when she is on base," Townsend said. "She brings a lot of options to the plate and is going to surprise some teams with her power."
Following Landrum will be Douglass in the two-hole. Douglass was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team after posting a .311 batting average with 31 RBI last season.
Cameron Skates will fill the No. 3 spot in the lineup followed by Mandy Lowman. Skates recorded 35 hits for the Blazers last season, while Lowman posted a .428 slugging percentage.
Batting fourth in the Blazer lineup will be Amanda Allen who slugged 10 home runs last season for UAB and 37 RBI. Laura Callaway will bat fifth after hitting her way to a .292 batting average in 2009.
Finishing out the Blazer batting order will be Mandy Lowman, Kate Armstrong, Natalie Mitchell and Caley Walden.
Schedule
The Blazers will face six teams this season that earned NCAA Tournament berths in 2009, including two teams that advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals and one team that played in the 2009 Women's College World Series.
The Blazers will hit the road to open the 2010 campaign on Feb. 12 at the Mississippi State Bulldog Classic for the first of four non-conference tournaments. In Starkville, UAB will face Mississippi State, North Texas and Stephen F. Austin.
The Green and Gold will travel to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Lipscomb in a doubleheader on Feb. 16 before heading to Mobile, Ala. for the South Alabama Invitational Feb. 19-21.
"As we look forward to the 2010 season there are many games that stand out, but the most exciting and anticipated game is when we open our new on-campus softball facility against Alabama," Townsend said.
UAB's 2010 home opener against in-state foe Alabama will take place on Feb. 23 at the new softball facility, located next to Young Memorial Field. The Crimson Tide played in the 2009 College World Series and spent most of their 2009 campaign ranked in the top 25.
UAB will remain in Birmingham to play in the annual Magic City Classic from Feb. 26-28 at Samford, which features Troy, Alabama State, Samford and Nicholls State. The 2010 tournament will mark the 10th time the Blazers have participated in the Magic City Classic, winning it seven times.
Townsend's squad wraps up the non-conference tournaments at the USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. from March 5-7. UAB's tournament-play will be highlighted by matchups with 2009 NCAA Regional qualifiers, Boston University and Radford.
"This group of young ladies is special and I look forward to seeing them face the challenges of our 2010 schedule," Townsend said.
After a contest with 2009 Super Regional participant Jacksonville State, UAB will open its Conference USA schedule with a three-game series against Tulsa starting March 13. UAB will also host C-USA opponents Houston (April 2-3), UCF (April 17-18) and Memphis (May 1-2) during 2010 league play.
UAB will hit the road in 2010 for C-USA series against Marshall (March 19-20), East Carolina (April 10-11) and UTEP (April 24- 25), and will close out its schedule with a series at Southern Miss (May 8-9). The 2010 C-USA Championships will be held May 13- 15 in Houston, Texas.
The Blazers also play midweek non-conference doubleheaders against 2009 NCAA Regional qualifier Chattanooga (April 14), Kennesaw State (March 2) and Troy (April 27).
