n 2003, Guilford fielded a softball team for the first time since 1990, and finished with a 12-19 record (6-9 ODAC).
This season the team has bigger plans.
“We are hoping to do well in the conference and get a higher seed in the tournament,” said junior outfielder Kendra Harvey. “We should win more games than last year.”
The Quakers are a young team comprised of mostly sophomores who played important roles last season and 13 letter-winners are back.
The Quakers will benefit from a year of experience and the fact that they now have a full-time head coach in Ty Cook. First-year assistant coach Katie Lang, who played Division II softball at South Carolina-Spartanburg, will also help out. Lang is assisting the athletic training staff as well.
Cook is looking forward to the season. “Our strengths are our bats, physical strength, and heart,” he said about his young team. Cook cited inexperience and lack of mound depth as the team’s only weaknesses.
The infield is anchored by catcher and second team All-ODAC selection Ashley Cooke. She hit .417 last season with nine doubles and three home runs. Her arm is also an asset; she threw out 13 of 34 would-be base-stealers in 2003.
Sophomores Jennifer King (.316, five doubles, three triples) and Carla Cain (.350, 27 runs, six doubles) are back in 2004. Others who will help the infield are Rhonda Rogers, Beth Savy, Hawi Hall, Lindsay Paul, and freshmen Angel Overman, Emily Dutton, and Murphie Chappell.
Second team All-ODAC selection Jennifer Franklin will lead the outfield this year. In 2003 Franklin hit .350 with three triples, and struck out only five times in 100 at-bats.
“I don’t think anything needs to be done differently. I think we’ve already worked harder this year and since we’ve played together we already have a year of experience and that in itself should help us win more games,” Franklin said.
Harvey (.307, 4 doubles) and Cara Patillo (.288, two triples) look to fill the other two outfield spots. First-year Amanda Ward may see some time as well.
All-ODAC honorable mention selection Jennifer Evans leads the thin Quaker pitching staff. Last season she ranked third in the ODAC with 111.1 innings pitched. Her record was 8-10 with a 3.77 ERA, which included 13 complete games. Lindsay Paul (4-9, 4.29 ERA) will split mound time with Evans.
The conference will be tough this season. The top teams are considered to be Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bridgewater and Emory & Henry.
“With some hard work, experience, and confidence, we can become a league contender. I just expect us to make improvements every time we take the field and consistently turn out our best. If we can do that, winning will take care of itself,” Cook said.
Guilford’s season begins this Saturday at Chowan. Guilford’s new field, located at the edge of campus on New Garden Road, hosts its first game Feb. 28 against ODAC foe Bridgewater. The new field should enable more Guilford students to attend games as opposed to last year, when home games were played at Western Guilford high school.