‘Team of stars’ grabs No. 1 spot

The Patriots softball team is now the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation.

This “team of stars,” which is the motto of the 2009 season, is off to a fast start with a record of 19-1 after going 43-9 last season and advancing to the NCAA West Regional Tournament, where they fell three wins shy of going to the World Series.

Coach Mike Reed looks at his roster and says this might be the deepest team he has ever coached.

Outfielder Julie Smith sprints for the next base. Photo by Christy Grant

Perhaps the biggest problem Reed faces every game is deciding whom to start at catcher.

“Both of our catchers bring so much to the team and they both have tremendous strength in throwing the ball and have high batting averages,” Reed said. “They both could be regular starters, but we usually split their time 50-50. It is a great problem to have.”

Sophomore Brittanni Hanna brings experience from being a regular starter in 2008 and freshman Ashley Klores brings a big bat from the left hand side of the plate.

Klores has the highest batting average (.486) of any player on the team with a minimum of 35 at-bats, the third highest slugging percentage (.743) and second highest on-base percentage (.525).

Hanna, who started 49 games last season, is batting .313 and has a perfect fielding percentage with only three runners attempting to steal against her so far this season.

To the pitching side of the game, only four pitchers have been so far this season, but Reed said each one has come through as the teams’ earned run average is under two runs a game.

The “unsung hero” of this year’s pitching staff has been sophomore Kelsey Ainsworth, Reed said.

Returning from an arm injury at the end of last season, Ainsworth has logged a team-high 45 innings, going 8-1 with a 1.87 earned run average with two shutouts. She is also tied for a team-high in strikeouts with 23 while opponents are batting .211 against her.

“I felt like I worked hard in the offseason to come back from the arm injury and to be ready for the start of this season. So far, the hard work is paying off and my performance shows that,” Ainsworth said. “Getting to play college ball here has been a dream come true for me. I’ve never seen a team with so many stars on it that play with so much confidence. It has been a great experience so far for me.”

Sophomore Kelsey Harrington, who won a team-high 17 games last season, is 5-0 this season with a 2.47 earned run average and three complete games. Harrington only has walked four of the 130 batters she has faced.

Out of the bullpen, sophomore Stacy Shepherd has held opponents to a .155 batting average and has recorded almost one strikeout per inning, both team highs.

Then there is freshman Jessie Bross, who Reed said might arguably have the fastest arm on the team.

Bross leads the pitching staff with a 1.62 earned run average in 26 innings of work with two saves.

“We’ve only used four pitchers this season but we expect senior Lauren Scruggs to return soon and that will give us an extra lift from the bullpen,” Reed said. “However, we are fortunate to have Ainsworth and Shepherd coming back strong from injuries and then Bross coming in and having a great freshman season. Then, of course, we all know what Harrington can do after what she did last season.”

On any given night, Reed said that any player on the team can contribute to the win, whether it is a starter or someone pinch-hitting off the bench.

“It seems like we have a different hero every game. We might have someone getting the game-winning hit that is only batting .200 or we might get a pinch hitter from the bench that comes up with a key hit. That is just how this team is; you never know what is going to happen,” Reed said. “They have the right attitude and are so unselfish. It is very hard sometimes to find an entire team filled with players of that attitude and I’m very thankful we have it.”

As the season draws closer to an end, the Patriots look to secure the division title, a conference tournament championship, a berth in the regional tournament and more importantly, a chance to play in the World Series.

However, Reed said that as long as the team plays by its motto, this team has a chance to go far.

By Jeremy Cotham Sports Editor