ETSU softball coach Amy Fuller is excited about the team she has for the upcoming 2004 season.
The Lady Buccaneers return all nine starters from a 2003 campaign that included 28 wins and a runner-up finish in the Southern Conference Tournament.
“We didn’t lose any of our starters, and we also added three new players since last season,” said Fuller.
The new players that Fuller is talking about are Courtney Jenkins of Knoxville, Tenn., Belinda Barrera of Fayetteville, N.C., and Stephanie Gaynord of Manassas, Va. Jenkins and Barrera are pitchers, while Gaynord can play shortstop or second base.
“All three of (the new players) will contribute immediately,” said Fuller.
The team has been working hard in the off-season to get ready for the up-coming year. Scrimmages and conditioning have improved the team’s offense and defense.
“We have improved pitching, hitting, and we are more aggressive between the base paths,” said Fuller.
This year’s team is led by captains Tiffany McVay of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., and Rhea Holler of Peoria, Ariz. McVay shined on the mound last season, winning 14 games while posting a 2.36 earned run average and striking out 83 batters. She also hit five homeruns. Holler was also impressive on the field with a .964 fielding percentage.
McVay and Holler will get plenty of help from the rest of the team – a team that had eight players selected to be on the 2004 Preseason All-Southern Conference teams.
McVay, along with Julia Chance of Knoxville, Tenn., and Janine Sprague of Hillsborough, N.C., were selected for the first team. Sheryl Clark of Bradenton, Fla., Miranda Byerly of Candler, N.C., Lindsay Lane of Erwin, Tenn., Danielle Spetar of Knoxville, Tenn., and Jessica Lonsinger of Dale City, Va., were selected for the second team.
Southern Conference play should be competitive again this year for the Lady Bucs. Last season, the team finished fourth in the Southern Conference regular season standings with a 10-10 record. This season, the Lady Bucs are ranked fifth in the conference in the preseason standings.
“College of Charleston, UT-Chattanooga, and UNC-Greensboro all have good teams this year and should make the [SoCon] Tournament,” said Fuller.
The ETSU softball team opens its season with a double-header Feb.13 against Mars Hill. The games will be at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Kiwanis Park.

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