The biggest challenge facing the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team this season may be living up to the big expectations they have set for themselves.
Coming off their second consecutive Southern Conference tournament title, the Lady Mocs enter the 2010 season looking as strong as ever, if not stronger.
“It’s sort of a different climate this year. I’m probably more of a coach that poor-mouths and tells everybody how we’re not very good,” UTC coach Frank Reed said Thursday at the team’s hitting facility before a fan-greeting session. “But that’s probably not the truth now. We’re pretty talented.”
The most noticeable strength is UTC’s pitching staff. Two-time Southern Conference pitcher of the year Brooke Loudermilk returns for her senior season looking to build on her 48-24 career record and 649 strikeouts.
In addition to Loudermilk, juniors Michelle Fuzzard, Kandice Irwin and Soddy-Daisy graduate Nikki Waters, who transferred to UTC last summer after pitching two seasons at Southern Illinois, give the Lady Mocs a lot of options in the pitching circle. Fuzzard also is the team’s starting first baseman.
“I’m excited to be able to play and to see where we are that first weekend out and see what we need to work on,” said UTC pitching coach Shaina Ervin. “I think we have the staff to put up great numbers.”
Offensively, UTC welcomes back senior outfielder Laci Upchurch, who returns to the lineup after missing the 2009 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Upchurch has hit 24 home runs in her three seasons at UTC, and she needs two more to set a school career record.
UTC opens the season Feb. 12-14 at the National Training Center Invitational in Clermont, Fla., with games against Oklahoma, Michigan, Georiga, Florida Atlantic and Central Florida.