Houston Softball Preview

Candis Turnbo

Working to build the University of Houston softball program into a national power is the number-one task for third-year coach Kyla Holas and her staff. As a player, Holas knew what it took to play at the highest level and strives to communicate that desire to her players as the program looks to build upon its solid foundation in 2003.

With the return of most of the lineup and the addition of six newcomers, the Cougar program is scheduled to improve upon last year?s turnaround success and further solidify the pieces in place. This year Holas welcomes a heralded and talented group of freshman who are expected to make significant contributions. They will unite with an already talented and young team that looks to dominate early season tournaments and knock off conference opponents.

One of Holas' priorities for this year?s program is consistency both at the plate and in the field. Holas and her staff constantly preach that while offense wins games, defense wins championships. With this improved consistency and increased confidence will come achievements of finishing at the top of Conference USA, advancing to post season play and eventually placing the Cougars in the upper echelon of collegiate softball.

Team leadership continues to be an integral part of the Houston program. Despite having only one senior, a majority of the Cougar squad has been together for at least two seasons, including seven players who have been at Houston since the program's first season in 2001.

The Battery
The Cougar pitching staff features two of the team?s more seasoned returners in starting juniors Jamie Falco and Jenny Johnson. Both have been with the program since its inception and are one aspect of the Houston team that, despite being uncertain heading into the season, have the ability to blossom and immediately impact the team?s chances in competition.

The battery is our last question mark, a part that has needed to mature and gain more experience. Should they fit correctly for us this year, big things are going to happen, Holas said. That's been our focus, especially in the hiring of Beth (McClendon).

Beginning the season as Houston's top series starter, Falco closed out her sophomore campaign in 2002 tied with fellow pitching mate Johnson with a team-record 15 wins to accompany her school record 1.88 ERA. This after winning 10 games, tossing the program's first no-hitter (April 14, 2001, vs. Charlotte) and earning a spot on Conference USA's All-Freshman team the year before. Having spent time this past off-season honing her fundamentals in order to increase speed and sharpen pitches, Falco looks to increase her accomplishment and build upon her growing collegiate resume at Houston.

Johnson, who joins Falco as the Cougars' 1-2 tandem on the mound, also made strides last season, tying Falco with a school record for wins en route to a 15-10 record, a 2.68 ERA and a team-leading 175 strikeouts in 27 games started (a team-leading 33 appearances) in 2002. Opponents batted just .237 against her in 169.2 innings of work, quite an accomplishment for a workhorse pitcher who led the team in both innings pitched and appearances the previous season. Like Falco, Johnson also spent time during the off-season and fall concentrating on improving her fundamentals, particularly her speed, to ensure her stability as a force to be wreckened with each time she takes the mound.

New to the starting crew this season is freshman Crystal Briscoe, a right-hander from Buffalo, Texas. Though just a freshman, Holas looks for big things from Briscoe.

Crystal is a freshman, but coming in is better prepared fundamentally than the other pitchers, said Holas. She still has all of the freshman things that she's going to have to go through, but that is no reason to count Crystal out.

Other pitchers include sophomore Michelle Keith, who moonlights as a middle reliever between her time spent at first base, and freshman Brooke Johnson. Keith made just two appearances in 2002, allowing three unearned runs on two hits in two innings of work.

"We're developing both of them to be able to come in and give us some changes in speed and some different looks from the other side (with Brooke)."

Behind the Plate
On the receiving end of the pitch at catcher position this season are junior Arelis Ferreris and sophomore Jenilee Skender, both returning powerhouses who provide the Cougars with perhaps the most potent offensive catching duo in Conference USA.

In addition to her good fundamentals behind the plate, Ferreris, an All-Conference USA pick each of her first two years at Houston, has batted above .300 as the Cougars' clean-up hitter each of the last two years and looks to return to the same spot in the batting order. In 2002, she led the Cougars with a team-record 50 runs batted in and 12 home runs while hitting at a .305 clip. She was the only Cougar to appear in all 59 games and tied teammate Kristen Glowacz with a team-leading .559 slugging percentage.

Although Houston is in good hands with Ferreris, expect Skender to see some playing time this year as well. Skender, who appeared in 46 games for the Cougars last season, has a good rapport with the Cougar pitchers and compliments Ferreris well as a force at the plate in producing runs and getting on base. As a freshman in 2002, she belted six homers and knocked in 22 runs while hitting .282 on the year.

Also included in the mix is redshirt sophomore Lindsay Vanover, a walk-on last year who enters the 2003 season in the back-up role. Vanover makes her biggest contribution daily in practices as a team leader and in assisting getting the pitchers ready.

"They (the catchers) will split time," said Holas. "Jenilee is still young, and she didn't get as much playing time last year as we had hoped, but we look for her and Lindsay to make a larger impact this year."

The Infield
"Defense is our focus this year. We are making a very big push in a lot of our private and personal goals to improve our defense," stated Holas. "Offense wins games and defense wins championships, so for us, we?re really pushing to improve ourselves, improve our range, footwork and make the big plays."

Going around the horn, the Cougars will have a lot of competition for the starting positions following the loss of three core starters from a year ago, but Holas remains confident.

With the first base job wide open, it's between sophomore Michelle Keith and junior Candis Turnbo.

In addition to moonlighting at first, Keith will also see some time on the mound as a reliever. In addition to batting a solid .273 with four doubles and a home run, Keith made two pitching appearances.

Turnbo returns for her third season with the Cougars and after playing outfield the past two seasons, moves to the infield this year. She was busy this past off-season working on hitting consistency, and looks to solidify the infield while giving her coaches versatility and the option to place her in the outfield if necessary.

The lone senior, Amber King, returns to play second base. After transferring to Houston prior to last season from San Jacinto JC in Houston, King made an immediate impact for the Cougars as a key player off the bench. She batted a solid .310 in 26 games, including eight starts. The program's only walk-on this year, Jenny Baker, a transfer from Galveston JC, will provide the Cougars depth at second in addition to her pinch running duties.

As far as shortstop, the Cougars have a range of players who can play the position adequately, including sophmores Kristen Glowacz and Jeanie Davis and freshman Jaci Gonzalez.

"We have a lot of people that we can fire in there between Jeanie (Davis) and Kristen (Glowacz), as well as Jaci Gonzalez. They each give us something different that balances out, on offense and on defense, depending upon the game situation and who steps up in that spot."

The 2002 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Kristen Glowacz returns with force for her sophomore campaign eager to continue her offensive tear on opponents. Converted from the outfield prior to last season, Glowacz showed signs of improvement in the field, from range to overall mechanics, and looks to continually improve with more experience and playing time.

Jeanie Davis arrived at Houston in 2001 with a firm grip on the starting position, but was sidelined for the year with a torn ACL suffered in the fall of 2000. Now a year removed from her comeback, Davis will work for All-Conference status in 2002.

Gonzalez, a freshman from San Antonio, joins the team after playing with the Cougar volleyball tam in the fall. Her defense is her strength and may find her a spot in the lineup throughout the year.
At third base, commonly referred to as perhaps the toughest position on the infield, junior Melissa Lynch and newcomers Michelle Whipple, a junior, and freshman Brandi Clark will vie for the position while each adding depth.

Whipple comes to Houston following two years of playing experience at Navarro JC and is a highly-touted team leader who plays with as much intensity during practice as she does during games. She will add versatility to the infield with her unmatched speed and quickness.

Strong defensively, Lynch is a hard worker who has concentrated on increasing her offensive output during the off-season and had a solid fall season. In the support role in 2002, she batted .217 in 22 games while committing just five errors.

Finally, Clark, a highly-touted explosive player who led her Houston high school team to the state championship last year, adds a 'pop' to the Cougars' lineup. In addition, as a utility player, she gives Holas and the coaches some flexibility depending upon
the game situation.

The Outfield
"Our outfield is our strong suit," Holas said. "There is no question that we have one of the best outfields in the country, and we are probably the best in the conference."

Beginning in right field, junior Lindsay Durham returns for her third season as a Cougar and as the outfield's staple. In 50 games last year, including 47 starts in right field, she did not commit a single error on the field in 58 chances. In addition, with the ability to get key hits, Durham batted a solid .259 in 2002, belted two homers and scored 20 runs in the nine hole.

Continuing Houston's youthful yet experienced outfield crew is centerfielder Kim Nesloney, who last year burst upon the scene as a true freshman with a .324 batting average and just one error in 43 games. Known for her explosive speed, Nesloney can cover a large part of the outfield and is not afraid to dive or slide to make the play.

Junior Candis Turnbo may see some playing time in center to relieve Nesloney from time-to-time, although most of her time will be spent playing on the infield. Whether it?s in the infield or outfield, Turnbo brings experience and leadership as a junior and possesses a strong arm and great outfield mechanics.

The new face in the outfield is Brooke Johnson in left. The freshman from Huntsville, Ala., brings speed and athleticism to the position, and as the Cougars' lead-off hitter, adds pop to the top of the lineup.