Feb. 8, 2006

""What's next?" It is not just a simple question, it is an attitude that first-year head coach John Bargfeldt is trying to instill in the 2006 edition of The University of Tulsa softball team. "The biggest thing we want the team to do is not show negative emotion," said Bargfeldt. "We want to put pressure on the opposing defense with our hitting ability, we want to put pressure on the opposing offense with our pitching and we want to put pressure on the opposing team mentally by not dwelling on the negative and ask `What's next?'."

With 158 wins over the past four seasons, the Golden Hurricane remains one of the top-30 teams, nationally, in victories over that span. So what IS next? "One of our main goals for this season," said Bargfeldt, "is to continue the recent high level of play for Tulsa softball. We want to continue to improve on the near misses of the past."

The Hurricane will also have an eye on a new prize for the 2006 campaign, a Conference USA Championship. Tulsa became a member of C-USA on July 1, 2005. TU's road to the championship also goes straight through Tulsa, as the Hurricane hosts the C-USA Tournament, May 11-13, 2006.

With a new conference, a new coaching staff and the start of a new season, there are a myriad of unanswered questions. However, with the unknown also comes a level of excitement.

"We are definitely excited for the start of this season," said Bargfeldt. "Hosting the Conference USA Tournament and having the added benefit of the home fans to provide an extra lift can mean a lot when playing for an NCAA bid."

The unknown is also not full of apprehension as the coaching staff has been able to answer a few questions, while raising a few more. Incoming talent, combined with veteran savvy has added to the overall depth and versatility of the team and created competition for positions.

"We know that this team wants to play to win, play aggressive instead of playing not to lose. It is a fine line that can make a big difference. As a staff, we have been impressed with the overall hitting of the team. This year's team may have 11 bats to get in the lineup. Another impressive quality for this squad is its knowledge of the game, defensively. Our goal as a team will be to eliminate mental mistakes that tend to lead to big innings."

Pitching
One position where experience will help lead the team is in the circle. Three pitchers will comprise this season's staff, including a pair of veterans in senior Maren Genow and junior Julie Fennell. Freshman Katie Lee will give the staff some new blood.

Genow returns for her fourth season in a Golden Hurricane uniform, needing only three victories to set the school record for career wins. Twice, Genow has earned second-team all-conference honors, while ranking among the top-three in five other statistical categories for a career. Entering this season, Genow holds the school mark for fewest walks per game with a career average of 0.79 and eight career saves.

Fennell enjoyed a breakout season in 2005. With a school record 184 strikeouts, she finished fourth in the Western Athletic Conference for total strikeouts and third in the league in strikeouts per game with a 7.71 average. Her career ERA of 1.71 also tops the school records book.

Lee was a four-year letterwinner at Edmond North (Okla.) High School, where she posted the first no-hitter in school history. The four-time all-Edmond honoree set a school record for strikeouts in a game with 17 as a sophomore. She posted 263 strikeouts in 210 innings as a junior for the Huskies.

"Having two veterans on the staff will allow us some freedom with regards to a rotation," said Bargfeldt. "We will watch Katie during the early part of the season to see how she responds to the collegiate game. The great thing about Maren and Julie is that they are field-tested. They have seen college hitters and know how to handle the pressure. I want a pitcher that can calm a storm."

Catcher
A pair of seniors will vie for the catching duties in 2006. Returning starter Kelly Miller is the incumbent at the position, with LeeAnne Pepper providing backup. Miller started all 46 games in which she played last season, in addition to 59 of 61 contests in 2004. She missed 12 games in 2005 due to a foot injury. Pepper has started 20 contests during her career.

Miller leads all TU catchers with a .994 fielding percentage, the second-best percentage in school history regardless of position. She has committed only five errors in 774 career chances. In 2005 Miller also led WAC catchers in runners thrown out with 15.

Pepper has proven to be a spark off the bench, sporting three pinch-hit home runs in 2004. She recorded a game-winning double against Tennessee Tech last season.

A third player that could see action behind the plate in 2006 is freshman Brooke Smart.

"Kelly has proven over her career that she is the starter," said Bargfeldt. "She has shown that she has the defensive skills, but now we need to get her back on track offensively. LeeAnne worked very hard in the fall as well. She is a great receiver behind the plate and worked on her throwing and timing. We are excited to see how much that work has paid off."

First Base
Senior Katie Torres has entrenched herself at first base the past three seasons, starting in 180 games over the past three seasons. She did not play in seven contests as a freshman, otherwise she would have started in every TU game during that span. A three-time all-conference honoree, Torres holds the school records for career home runs (28) and walks drawn (91). She is also the only player in TU history to post over 50 hits in three consecutive seasons. Defensively, Torres has recorded a school record 1,331 putouts as well.

A pair of players may see action at first if the need arises, freshman Jessica Barr and sophomore Sara Dyer.

"Katie will see most of the time at first base," said Bargfeldt. "Her leadership and work ethic has made the coaching transition much easier. It is nice to have a senior with her experience that is still open to coaching and willing to listen to other ideas."

Second Base
One of the more competitive positions will be second base. Junior Angela Osbon returns for her third season, after earning first-team all-conference honors in 2005. However, freshman Stephanie Chomicki made a push for the starting position in the fall.

Osbon started all 61 contests for the Hurricane in 2005, finishing the season with a nine-game hitting streak. During league play, she posted a .300 batting average with six multi-hit games. She is also one of five TU players to record over 100 putouts in consecutive seasons.

A four-year letterwinner at Blue Valley Northwest (Kan.) High School, Chomicki helped lead the Huskies to a pair of conference championships. She earned the squad's Outstanding Defensive Player Award three times. Chomicki was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, before a knee injury forced her to miss her senior season.

"Both Angela and Stephanie will see time at second base this season," said Bargfeldt. "We'll get both of them plenty of action in non-conference play. We can see who will respond to the challenge best in time for conference action to start."

Shortstop
The position with the biggest shoes to fill will be shortstop. Gone is four-year starter Stacey Walkingstick who started all 251 games for the Golden Hurricane the past four years. Transfer Kelli McGlasson has emerged as the replacement for Walkingstick.

McGlasson, a transfer from Seminole State College, earned all-region first-team honors last season and second team honors as a freshman. She helped lead the Lady Trojans to a 52-20 record in 2005, in addition to a conference championship and a No. 17 national ranking. As a sophomore, she led the team in seven offensive categories, including hits (81), RBI (64), runs (41), doubles (23), walks (15), home runs (5) and triples (3).

Third Base
A returning starter and a newcomer will push for the starting job at the hot corner this season. Junior Lindsay Galloway has started 114 games at third base during her first two seasons as a Golden Hurricane. In 2005, she led the team with six home runs, including four game-winners. Defensively, Galloway is one of five TU players to record over 100 assists in back-to-back seasons.

Smart, a versatile player who could see action at a number of places, earned first-team all-league honors as a senior for Clovis East (Calif.) High School. She batted .348 as a team captain and was the Co-MVP during her senior year for the Timberwolves. Smart posted a team-best 28 hits last season, including nine doubles, two triples and a home run.

"Lindsay is coming off an injury that slowed her a bit during the fall," said Bargfeldt. "She is just starting to be able to show us what she can do. Brooke led the team in slugging percentage this fall. She has a great attitude and provides great versatility to the club."

Outfield
Four players, with a possible fifth player, could see action in the outfield during the 2006 campaign. Sophomore Lindsey Tower, moving to left field, and senior Julie Shafer, anchoring the outfield in center, lead the pack as returning all-conference performers. Sophomore Sara Dyer along with freshman Jessica Barr may platoon in right field, with fellow freshman Smart possibly seeing action as well.

Tower led the team with a .313 batting average, while her .386 average during league games was the seventh best in the WAC. She posted the fourth most hits in the conference with 63 hits, the third most in school history.

Shafer, a two-time all-conference selection, did not commit an error in 81 defensive opportunities. With 51 hits on the year, she ended the 2005 season with an 11-game hitting streak. Shafer currently ranks seventh all-time at TU in career hits with 145.

Dyer earned first-team all-conference honors as a designated player in 2005, having an eight-game hitting streak snapped in the next-to-last game of the season. She also hit her first collegiate grand slam against Louisiana Tech, becoming only the fourth player in school history to hit a grand slam. Defensively, she did not commit an error in five games at third base.

Barr was a four-year starter at Valencia (Calif.) High School, while earning all-Empire League honors for three years. As a senior, she led the Tigers with a .327 batting average, .485 slugging percentage and .610 on-base percentage, while scoring 23 runs and batting in 15 more runs. Playing both first base and outfield, she posted a .997 fielding percentage with 349 putouts and 11 assists her final season.

Schedule
The 2006 schedule will be one of the toughest tests the Golden Hurricane has taken in recent years. Seven opponents on the slate received votes in the 2006 ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, with Baylor, Oklahoma and Nebraska ranked in the top-25. The same three teams are also ranked in the preseason USA Today/NFCA top-25, with two other TU opponents receiving votes.

In addition to the ranked teams on Tulsa's schedule, the Hurricane will play at least 18 games against teams that participated in an NCAA Regional in 2005. Eight of those contests will be played in Tulsa at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex as TU will host a total 27 regular-season home games this season.

With a balanced mix of veteran experience and young talent combined with a very strong schedule, and hosting the Conference USA Tournament, what IS next for the Golden Hurricane? It could be the program's first NCAA Tournament bid.