When a team loses seven seniors and replaces them with six freshmen, it is hard to believe that an improvement upon the previous season is possible.Mississippi State softball head coach Jay Miller doesn’t just think it is possible. He thinks it is probable. Miller’s Bulldogs finished third in the SEC West last season and got knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Regional round.
“Overall, Alabama has the strongest team coming back [in the SEC],” Miller said. “Hopefully, we can challenge them in the West. We finished third last year, and I see us being better this year than last year. If the freshman pitchers pan out like we hope them to, we could give the SEC a good bit of a run.”
The freshman pitchers Miller placed the season’s focus on will play a big role in how the Bulldogs finish the season. Among the seven seniors that played their final season in 2007, three were pitchers.
The only returning player who sees most of her time in the pitcher’s circle is junior Kelsey Nurnberg, of Ankeny, Iowa.
Nurnberg saw action in 31 games in 2007, turning in a 7-6 record with a 3.07 ERA. After sharing time with Kelli Miller, Sara Hickerson, and Stephanie Comeaux last season, Nurnberg will soon be thrust into the circle as MSU’s most experienced and seasoned veteran hurler. The pressure, Nurnberg said, could be worse.
“Of course there’s weight on my shoulders,” Nurnberg said. “But with the support of the team and how strong the freshman are, I have a feeling that the pressure won’t be as huge as it could be.”
Miller said the two freshmen in the pitching spotlight are both very talented players. Misty Flesher, whose array of awards and acclaims are headlined by her setting of the all-time national career shutout record, joins the team as one of the top athletes coming out of Oklahoma.
Miller said he thinks the Maroon and White also landed the best softball player from the Mississippi high school ranks. Elizabeth Woolven, of Nettleton, joins the Bulldog squad with her minuscule high school career 0.50 ERA in tow.
“The big question [with these freshman pitchers] is experience, of course,” Miller said. “They haven’t been through a season yet. They haven’t been through the wars of the SEC yet. How quickly they mature will determine how successful we are.”
Miller said the returning Lady Bulldogs aren’t to be forgotten about.
Sophomore All-American Chelsea Bramlett will be starting at catcher this season, moving from her second base position last season. Bramlett was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year in 2007, impressing mostly with her speed and consistency on offense, turning in 46 stolen bases and a .386 batting average.
Seniors Courtney Bures, Hayle Guess, and Nakita Boyce will also play a big role in guiding the team. Bures was also an All-American in her freshman season, and she will be returning to her shortstop position this season. Guess and Boyce will continue to be the familiar faces in center and left field, repsectively.
The corners will feature the Lithonia, Ga., tandem of sisters Sammie Jo and Jessie Bailey. Sammie Jo, a junior, will be starting at first base and providing power to MSU’s offensive lineup. Sophomore Jessie will primarily play at third but can step into the pitching circle when needed.
Two more freshmen will see a great deal of time on the field, Miller said. Brittany Bell will be starting in right field, filling the void left by Katie Cooley. Bell possesses a lot of speed and a good arm, said Miller.
Ali Bainbridge, of Birmingham, Ala., should see most of the time at second base this season. Bainbridge led the team in the fall scrimmage season at the plate as a freshman, something Miller said very rarely happens.