Host UTC Mocs top seed as SoCon tourney opens

The Southern Conference is coming to Chattanooga this week for the league's softball tournament. This season, the host Mocs don't have much more experience playing at Frost Stadium than their opponents.

Snow early in the season followed by a rainy spring limited UTC to nine home games during the regular season, making the Mocs' 32-13 record and regular-season SoCon championship even more impressive.

Senior outfielder Nicole Osterman said she and her teammates were looking forward to playing in front of their fans for a few more games.

"It's really unfortunate that we haven't had that many home games," she said. "But we practice here almost every day, so it's really not affecting us too much. We'll be comfortable at home. We'll have a good crowd, so I'm really looking forward to that."

The Mocs narrowly earned the program's 14th regular-season SoCon crown, needing an extra-inning two-run double by catcher Anyssa Robles in the final game of the season Sunday to edge Samford for the No. 1 seed in the tournament. As the top seed, UTC gets today off before opening play Thursday at 11:30 a.m. against the winner of today's opening 10 a.m. game between Furman and Western Carolina.

UTC is 2-4 in its last six league games heading into the postseason, but everyone starts with a clean slate today in the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid.

"You've got to put that stuff behind you, because it doesn't really mean anything going forward," UTC coach Frank Reed said of the Mocs' struggles down the stretch. "We could have swept all those games, and you're still going to do something different for the tournament.

UTC softball players gather around coach Frank Reed before beginning practice at their hitting facility in Chattanooga on , Jan. 28, 2015.

"Everybody is coming into the tournament thinking this is a new start. ... It's going to be a crazy fight in this tournament, and I don't think anybody can look past anyone."

UTC's pitchers led the SoCon with a 2.73 team earned run average. Senior Taylor Deason has been ably backed by freshmen Cori Jennings and Kailey Palazzolo. On offense, outfielder Sam Taylor leads the league with 14 doubles while Osterman is tied for the most home runs with 12.

The freshman pitchers will need to step it up for the Mocs to defend their tournament title, but they've both shown the ability to perform under pressure, and each has been a SoCon pitcher of the week.

"I think we're just going to keep doing what we've been doing all year," Palazzolo said of her first college postseason experience. "We're going to work hard, get our swings in, take our defense and do what we've been doing.

"I've thought about (the tournament), because you know what's coming. But now it's real, and it's really exciting."

With several schools leaving the SoCon in recent years, the league is down to seven softball teams this year. But having fewer teams doesn't necessarily mean reduced competition or quality of play.

"With the lesser number of teams, and we lost some good teams, I thought we might drop a little bit," Reed said. "But I think the competition level is as good as it's ever been. I don't think that anyone can be guaranteed a win on any given day, so you're going to have to go out there and work for it."

And now the work begins, with the Mocs looking to pull together and get themselves another trophy and another trip to the NCAA tournament.

"I feel like we're closer (as a team) this year, and I feel like each person knows the person behind them can do their job," second baseman Criket Blanco said. "That makes us put a lot less pressure on ourselves, and that makes a huge difference.

"We need to work on being competitive, trusting each other and knowing we can get it done."

Contact Jim Tanner at sports@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/JFTanner.