Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

LA Tech Athletics

LA Tech Athletics

Events

Softball

Dawson Pleased with Offensive Progress

Updated Jan 20, 2005 11:22:14 Dawson Pleased with Offensive Progress

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech made huge offensive strides in 2004 during head coach Sarah Dawson's second year with the Lady Techster softball team.

And if early signs are any indicator, Dawson thinks this year's squad could be even more dangerous when the season opens Feb. 4 at the Mississippi State Tournament in Starkville.

Dawson and Co. opened practice one week ago minus 11 letter winners from last year's squad that posted a 27-33 mark and finished in fourth in the Western Athletic Conference. And although that group included first team All-WAC performers Bridget Broadnax and Mary Cohn, Dawson said she thinks her team won't miss a beat as they continue to climb the WAC ladder.

"We saw steady improvement offensively all fall in terms of both consistency and power," Dawson said. "Not only have the players picked up where they left off (this fall), but they've shown an improvement. I think that shows how hard they worked on an individual basis during the off-season."

After hitting only .225 as a team and averaging only 2.3 runs per game in 2003 during Dawson's first year, Tech improved those numbers to .254 and 3.1 last season. The 400 hits ranked No. 2 in the Techster program history as did the 16 home runs.

As the offensive numbers increased so did Tech's win total, jumping from 16 to 27. Dawson expects for the numbers, both wins and offensive production, to jump again this year.

Although Tech's offense will be triggered for the fourth straight year by the one-two punch of All-WAC outfielders Amber Miles and Brittany Stanley, who both batted well over .300 and ranked No. 1 and 2 in the league in stolen bases in 2004, Dawson feels her entire lineup will have more balance.

"Amber and Brittany will still play a valuable role in our offense," Dawson said. "But we don't feel like they are the limit to our offensive production. I believe we will have the ability to string hits together, including extra base hits that will score runs."

In Tech's first intra-squad scrimmage of the winter practice Monday, Dawson's saw signs of a more balanced offense as four different Techster players hit home runs as sophomore Ashley Cameron, sophomore Carly White, freshman Rochelle Sandberg and freshman Regan Clark all went yard.

Dawson singled out Sandberg and senior Leah Beasley as the two most impressive offensive threats in the scrimmage.

"I thought Rochelle and Leah were by far our two standouts in the scrimmage," Dawson said. "They both showed great consistency in their at bats. Leah hit line drives all three times, while Rochelle showed both power and patience at the plate."

Dawson said Tech would conduct intra-squad scrimmages Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.



Print Friendly Version