Alabama Softball Kicks Off Season With Media Day
1/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Alabama Head Softball Coach Patrick Murphy Opening Remarks
"I can’t believe I’m back here already. It’s good to see you guys again. Unbelievably we have seven seniors on this team. We talk about it all the time and can remember when we first started four years ago with Ashley and her classmates I said ‘I can’t wait for the year you guys are seniors.’ It’s gone by really fast. Obviously for any college sport or any college team to have seven seniors is unbelievable. So far they have provided great leadership. Everything has been going really well. With a person like Ashley, who is just an incredible athlete and an even better person, it’s going to be a great year for us I think."
Coach, can you go around the horn for us?
"About midseason last season we changed Ashley from a right fielder to catcher. She had caught a lot in high school and a little bit in summer ball and it was a good move for us. It was our first left-handed catcher but it wasn’t a problem and she is looking really strong. I have three pitchers--a senior Jennifer Wright, a junior Stephanie VanBrakle and freshman, Chrissy Owens, who just stuck out 10 in the scrimmage and looks really good so far. She is 6’1” and I think you guys will like her. She throws gas. First base is the biggest hole left from four-time All-American Jackie McClain. We think we found a really good one to take her spot, a kid named Dani Woods from Maryland. She has a little bit of an Alabama connection in that she lives four doors down from Ozzie Newsome. When she signed for Alabama, Ozzie, Jarrett Johnson and Terry Jones Jr. were at her signing party. It was kind of neat that the Alabama connection was there.
"She said that Ozzie’s Alabama room in his house is unbelievable and that is what she wants when she graduates from Alabama. At second base, we have a couple of options there. Leah White is a senior and Jordan Praytor who is a freshman. They are kind of battling still. Shortstop is Dominique Accetturo’s spot. She has kind of taken control there and had a great year as a sophomore. A junior at third base is Staci Ramsey. She is pretty much cemented there. She is doing great. Left field is still up for grabs. Jordan Praytor, Emily Currie and Mandy Burford, who had a great scrimmage today. She definitely gave me something to think about. Centerfield is Jackie Wilkins a senior. In right field is Capper Reed, who is our converted baseball player/basketball player. Now she has been with us two years fulltime softball. She hits the ball as hard as anybody I have ever coached. The outfield could have three seniors starting for us. It is going to be a lot of experience out there for sure."
What are your expectations for this year?
"Like last year we hit a midseason bump and we got sent to UCLA for regionals because we knew that’s the way it works if you mess up in the midseason, you are going to get sent to the number one team in the country. At the end of that regional, we were playing as well as anybody. We gave UCLA a heck of a game. It was a nine inning game. I felt so good and I think the team did too after that regional was over because we played loose and we played probably to our potential. It just came down that we ran into the hottest pitcher in the country. Taking that, with this year, it’s been the ninth year of the program and we still haven’t won the SEC yet and I think it’s about time we do it. I think they would say the same thing."
Ashley, can you talk about being a leader behind the plate?
"I think having been here for four years and having experienced what I have experienced in those years, my knowledge of the game is definitely going to help, especially for our freshman pitcher and our freshman first baseman, which are two very key roles in the game. My voice will be something that they will have no choice but to hear. With me back there, there will be some confidence for our pitchers and it should help the rest of the team because they are all looking at the pitcher for confidence. It will be good for us."
Coach Murphy
"I think all three pitchers are getting used to her as well. Halfway through the season, it wasn’t like she had caught Steph for three years or Jen for four years. It took awhile to get used to somebody different, a left handed target. You know it’s a little but different. I think in the end, Jen and Steph were very pleased. They appreciate her blocking abilities as well."
Ashley, are you and the team hungrier this year?
"Absolutely. You’re one run away from beating the national champions. That is something that you don’t forget. The returnees kind of let the freshman know this is it, this is what we want. We’ve said from the very beginning that this is a different team. That’s just the feeling when you are out there, it’s intense. We are ready for the season, it’s going to be a good one."
