Diamond Dreams Begin Anew for Softball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2009) – A program that began rebuilding last year will continue to work its way back to the once dominant program that Occidental softball boasted years ago. A 16-athlete roster will take the field in 2009 with eight returning players and seven new faces.
Seven of the eight returning players were starters a year ago and the sophomore class now has a year of collegiate athletic experience, which will help both on and off the field.
Leading the way for the Tigers will be sophomore Second Team All-SCIAC shortstop Gabriela Chavez who hit in the leadoff spot most of the season and played a pivotal role on the left side of the infield. She finished with 64 putouts and 97 assists while posting a .307 batting average, scoring a team-high 21 runs and posing as a threat on the base paths with eight steals in nine attempts.
Also returning to the diamond will be junior catcher Alyssa Escalante who earned Second Team All-SCIAC honors in 2007 as a freshman. Last season she led the team with a .343 batting average and a .510 slugging percentage while drawing 13 walks.
Both Chavez and Escalante collected 35 hits with five and eight doubles, respectively and 52 and 45 total pases. Escalante hit three homeruns, picked up 52 total bases and drove in 17 runs.
Sophomore centerfielder Olympia Powell was perfect in the field for the Tigers with 70 putouts and eight assists without an error.
Also returning in ’09 are Alyssa Smith (.284 BA, 25 H, 10 BB, .959 fld%), Lindsay Gross (10 R, five SAC), Becky Nashleanas (27 H, 32 TB, 6-6 steals), Stephanie Egan (.241 BA, 20 H, 62B, 11 RBI)and Lindsay Lightman.
Following a year hiatus from softball, Britt Karp will rejoin the Tigers for the 2009 campaign. Among the newcomers who will play immediate roles are Shanna Yackel who will see a significant amount of time on the mound and Nicole Hannasch who will play an integral role in the outfield while bringing a big bat to the plate. Also donning black and orange for the first time will be a pair of infielders in Tasha Serna-Gallegos and Vanessa Hernandez, Kanika Tua'one an outfielder and pitcher Kimi Elguea .
Although the squad is a young one, the women are working hard and look forward to improving throughout the season.
The Tigers open up on Saturday, Feb. 7 against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Claremont-Mudd Scripps to open up an eight-game home stand. Oxy plays a 37-game schedule with 25 home games at Bell Field.
