Jan. 21, 2012
Roster
Schedule
After three straight winning seasons which included a 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament title and appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Louisiana Tech found itself in an unusual place heading into the final weekend of the 2011 regular season - on the brink of not qualifying for the league postseason tournament for the first time ever.
However, despite the struggles of an up-and-down season, Dawson and Co. won two out of three on the road against Utah State during the final weekend to secure the sixth and final spot in the 2011 WAC Tournament in Fresno, Calif.
With senior pitcher Meghan Krieg winding down her record-setting career, the Lady Techsters rode the arm of the Sonora, Texas native upsetting host and eventual NCAA Tournament participant Fresno State in the first day of the event. Tech played its best ball of the year in the tournament posting two wins before falling 3-2 in 13 innings to No. 2 seed Boise State and 1-0 to Fresno State in the third day of the tournament.
"The 2011 season was a real challenge for our program," said Tech head coach Sarah Dawson. "We had a tough schedule and had lost a number of key players from the previous year. Going into the season we knew it was going to be a rebuilding year but even with that expectation it was still difficult.
"There were times when our defense wouldn't hold up, others when our bats went silent. But with our back against the wall going into the final week of conference play, the girls gutted out two wins on the road to qualify for the sixth straight conference tournament.
"Behind the strong arm of Meghan in the circle, our seniors' never-die mentality and a selfless attitude on the part of the rest of the team, we marched into the conference tournament and put together four of the best games we had played all season."
Despite a final 17-39 record, it was a late-season run and never-give-up attitude that Dawson was most proud of.
"The lessons we learned last season are still fresh in the returners' minds," Dawson said. "They have a clear picture of what a team working together can accomplish. The challenge for this year's squad is to recapture that spirit. This season we have another difficult schedule along with different personnel who will play different roles. We will need to learn to cooperate in a way that will see our team goals realized."
Tech's non-conference schedule will be one of the toughest it has ever faced as the Lady Techsters will play 20 games against NCAA Tournament teams and will play 27 of their first 29 games away from Ruston.
Dawson and Co. open the season Feb. 10 when they travel to Baton Rouge to face NCAA Tournament teams LSU, Michigan and Penn State in a three-day tournament.
The Lady Techsters 57-game slate also consists of tournaments at UL-Lafayette, Auburn, Mississippi State and Southern Miss as well as a home game against Ole Miss and a road doubleheader at WCWS participant Baylor.
LA Tech's WAC schedule might be tougher than the non-conference slate with three games each against NCAA Tournament teams BYU, Fresno State and New Mexico State and three more against Hawaii, which advanced to the WCWS in 2010.
PITCHERS
Without a doubt the biggest challenge that the Lady Techsters face this season is replacing the right arm of Krieg, who ended her career ranked No. 2 in Tech history and No. 3 in WAC history with 859 strikeouts.
Krieg was the workhorse last season, logging 247 of Tech's 378.1 innings of work in the circle, including throwing every pitch (527) during the Lady Techsters Western Athletic Conference Tournament run.
"Meghan's graduation will have a huge effect on both our pitching staff and how we approach pitching this season," Dawson said. "When we set our team goals, creating a pitching staff was at the top of the list. It was great to see our returning pitchers recognize their need to step forward and contribute in a big way this season."
Dawson will have depth in the circle in 2012 with five arms to choose from this season; however, the key will be the emergence of a solid No. 1 and No. 2 and the acceptance of everyone's role on the staff.
Michelle Jones and Janna Frandrup are the most experienced pitchers on the roster as the juniors have both logged starts and relief appearances during their first two seasons in Lady Techster uniforms.
Frandrup, who earned second team all-WAC honors as a utility last year, registered a 1-3 mark in the circle with a 4.72 earned run average in 12 appearances. Her victory came in impressive fashion, tossing a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 win over defending College World Series appearance participant Hawaii.
"Janna will continue to work out of the bullpen," Dawson said. "She has a lot of other responsibilities on this team on offense and at first base, but she adds a different look for the opponents' batters."
Due to a couple of rough outings against top 25 teams LSU and Texas A&M, Jones' numbers weren't what she would have liked for them to be last year, registering a 3-5 record with a 7.34 ERA in 12 appearances. However, in her other 10 outings (minus LSU and A&M), she registered a 4.65 ERA, including wins over Ole Miss, Butler and Texas-Arlington.
"Most people know her to be our starting shortstop from last season, but she had a great fall for us and continues to give consistent performances," Dawson said. "Michelle has worked hard in the weight room and has improved her strength. You really see it show when she is on the mound."
Sophomore Erin Kipp returns for her second season after a rookie campaign that saw her post a 1-7 mark with a 5.72 earned run average. In 15 appearances in the circle, Kipp made nine starts. Her most impressive start came in her college debut when she picked up the complete-game win, allowing only five hits and one run while striking out four against Bowling Green.
"Erin really came in this fall on a mission," Dawson said. "Her freshman season was a tough adjustment for her, but she has found her confidence and continues to work on both the physical and mental aspects of pitching. Ask any of the girls on the team and they will say Erin is one of the most competitive, driven and strongest players on the team. When she is focused she is successful in most everything she does. Erin will see some time in the outfield as well."
A couple of newcomers will also see action in the circle for Tech in junior Melanie Goff and freshman Savannah Dollar.
Goff played two years at Grossmont College where she helped lead the program to the Pacific Coast Conference championship both years. During her two seasons, she was 43-13 in the circle with a sub-2.00 ERA while earning the PCC Pitcher of the Year accolades and first team all-state honors both years.
"Mel is new to us this season as a transfer," Dawson said. "Her strength is that she already has two years of college experience under her belt. She wasn't able to play this fall so I am excited to see her in that situation this spring. Mel is a great competitor and wants to make an impact on this team."
Dollar is a freshman out of West Monroe High School who played both first base and pitched for the Lady Rebels while leading the program to the District 2-5A title three straight years. As a senior, she was 25-6 in the circle with a 2.15 earned run average with 162 strikeouts in 182 innings of work. She earned the district MVP honor as both a sophomore and a senior.
"Savannah has come such a long way in a short amount of time," Dawson said. "There were some mechanics that needed changing when she got to Tech, but she has been open to these adjustments and has made them in such a short time. I feel she will be able to contribute to our pitching staff this spring. She is a very bright girl that will do anything to improve. As a coach you can't ask for more than that."
