Feb. 8, 2010
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech head coach Sarah Dawson has the luxury of returning her ace to the circle when junior Meghan Krieg and the Lady Techsters open their season Feb. 16 at home against Southeastern Louisiana.
However, Krieg, who earned second team all-Western Athletic Conference and second team all-state honors a year ago, is the only experienced hurler back after the graduation of Krissi Oliver and the departure of sophomores Wanda Malone and Jordan Simmons.
Krieg, who now heads a Lady Techster pitching staff that now includes two true freshmen in Michelle Jones and Janna Frandrup, is relishing her new role as the workhorse and leader on the LA Tech staff.
"I think the most exciting thing to see is Meghan's attitude towards being our No. 1 this year," Dawson said. "She is a talented pitcher with good speed, good movement and good control. You can really see how excited she is about her role on this year - she knows she will have an increased workload.
"She has welcomed the additional conditioning and other things that go along with this new role. She is eager to do the extra things where a lot of players would be looking to get around them. She is definitely committed to this role."
Krieg is coming off a super sophomore campaign that saw her register a 20-7 mark with a 1.85 earned run average, allowing only 125 hits in 170.0 innings of action. During the year, she struck out 211 batters while throwing six complete-game shutouts, including a 4-0 win over 25th ranked Nevada in the WAC Tournament.
The Sonora, Texas native became the first LA Tech pitcher since 1999 to win 20 or more games in a season.
"I've really seen the biggest improvement in her confidence," Dawson said. "You can see that come across in her command of her pitches. She now knows what she wants to throw in situations and she is able to locate her pitches much better."
Krieg gained some invaluable experience last year when senior Krissi Oliver - who was the team's No. 1 pitcher - had to step back from her workload due to some shoulder issues. Enter Krieg, who stepped right into the role and flourished.
"I think last year's experience will help me a lot," Krieg said. "Even last year when I realized that I was going to have to step up, it was nerve racking especially being younger than most. I didn't feel as comfortable. So I think that will help me this season. It taught me how to deal with the pressure and get all the nerves out."
In addition to her role as being the ace, Krieg will also serve as a mentor to both Jones and Frandrup who will both being playing collegiate softball for the first time.
"I think I've become more of a leader," Krieg said. "Last year I wasn't the oldest or most experienced. I sat back and kind of followed what Krissi was doing. So now I feel it's my job to lead Michelle and Janna and show them the ropes. We've had a lot of talks about what to expect and how to handle what is coming up."
According to Dawson, Krieg will see the majority of starts while Jones will serve as the team's No. 2 starter and Frandrup will serve in a reliever's role.
Jones signed with Tech out of Scurry-Rosser High School in Texas where she was named the District 15-2A Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore, junior and senior. The multi-sport star - she was also named all-district in volleyball, basketball and track and field - will be thrown into the mix this season, something Dawson said she is confident she can handle.
"Michelle feels that things are starting to click," Dawson said. "She is starting to understand that when things go well, why they are going well. She is also starting to understand that when the results aren't good, what she needs to do to fix them. From her standpoint, that is an encouraging sign. She feels she can be out there in a competitive situation and make the adjustments on the fly.
"She does have good velocity and good movement on a number of her pitches. When she hits her spots on all of that and when throws ahead in count, she can be tough to hit. She is developing an off-speed pitch and working to get that better."
During the fall season, both Jones and Frandrup got some valuable work during LA Tech's five exhibition games against outside competition. Jones recorded a 1-0 mark with a 1.27 earned run average, allowing only five hits and two walks in 11.0 innings of work.
And although she hasn't played her first official college softball game yet, Jones feels she has come a long way thanks to both her coach and Krieg.
"I'm starting to feel when it's right just through repetition," Jones said. "I can now fix things both mentally and physically; I can make changes when I need to. Coach Dawson always says the difference in college softball is that you have to hit your spots more frequently.
"Meghan has helped (Janna) and I a lot with her experiences. When I'm struggling, she is able to help me understand why because of what she has been through. "
Frandrup signed with LA Tech out of Greenway High School in Arizona where she led the program to four straight 4A conference titles and the state championship title as a junior and the title game as a senior. She earned all-state honors and recorded impressive numbers in the circle and at the plate.
"This year Janna will work in a relief and closing situations," Dawson said. "I think her speed is going to be an adjustment for opponents after seeing Meghan and Michelle; a significant difference. Janna is really going to rely on movement and change of speeds. She is going to have to work on locating her pitches ... that is her key to being successful."
Frandrup also logged a 1-0 mark last fall with a 2.55 earned run average, allowing 12 hits and two walks in 11.0 innings of work.
