Bulldogs preparing for conference tourney
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By
JOSH RICHERT
Texarkana Gazette
Texarkana College is getting back to the high standards set two years ago when the softball team won the Region XIV tournament and earned its first-ever appearance at the NJCAA National Tournament.
The conference tournament starts Thursday at Alvin Community College with the Bulldogs sitting atop the contest's entrants. But second-year coach Leslie Messina knows that for TC to claim its second Region XIV tournament crown in three years the Bulldogs still have some fierce competition to deal with.
“I keep telling the girls, ‘we still have to work; nothing's been won yet.’ We don't want to overlook anybody,” Messina said.
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Staff photo by Robb Pittard
Texarkana College right fielder Mindy Woodson stays locked in as she waits to make a catch. The Bulldogs won the Region XIV East Zone and are the No. 1 seed in this weekend's conference tournament in Alvin, Texas.
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“We're playing well right now. We really picked it up when it came to conference play, especially the second half. We've got our defense situated because we had to make some moves due to injuries. We have our lineup set, and they are playing well together. They jelled and the chemistry finally clicked as a team.”
Texarkana won the East Zone title just as the 2004 squad did, but also earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament, a first for TC. That's a solid accomplishment, especially for a squad that has just 12 players on the roster, and only two who hadn't had to play through some sort of injury, according to Messina.
“We've had to work hard to get here,” the coach said. “But they won the games that counted and the ones that mattered. We feel good right now, but we also know that we can't take anything for granted. We start over at 0-0 in the regional tournament, and anybody can win it. We just have to come ready to play, and keep our intensity high. I don't think that will be a problem.”
With the top seeding, Texarkana (31-22, 22-8) receives a first-round bye into Friday's quarterfinals. The Bulldogs will face either Alvin or Paris. They split two games with Alvin and were 3-1 against Paris.
Messina has tried to keep the team relaxed as they've prepared for the event.
“We've tried to keep our schedule as close to the same one we've had all season,” she said. “We had a couple of days off after our last regular season game. Practice has been a little lighter, but we're going over all our fundamentals. I want everything to be fresh in our minds so that when we take the field it's second nature to us. And we hit a lot—it's what we do well.”
For TC to be successful they'll rely heavily on freshman right-hander Claire Collom, who Messina said made the transition from high school to collegiate competition extremely quickly, and sophomore slugger Leina Braxton.
For TC to be successful they'll rely heavily on freshman right-hander Claire Collom, who Messina said made the transition from high school to collegiate competition extremely quickly, and sophomore slugger Leina Braxton.
“We key off of Claire in the circle and Leina at the top of our lineup,” Messina said. “She's not your typical leadoff batter because of her power, but when she gets on her speed is something we like to take advantage of. Those are our two biggest ones we rely on.”
Collom has recorded a 20-10 overall record and went 15-5 in league play. She pitched 187 innings, struck out 126, walked 36, and gave up 182 hits. She finished with a 2.06 ERA—1.81 in league.
Liz Hendricks, also a sophomore, has been a team leader for the Bulldogs at first base.
“Liz has had another phenomenal year for us,” the coach said. “She was nearly flawless at first base and drove in some big runs for us. She a good leader for us as well.”
With the exception of Braxton, the team's biggest sticks have come from the freshman group.
Braxton smacked 13 home runs, had 63 hits and 35 RBI while hitting .371 on the season (.432 in conference), Jennifer Lynn led the team in average at .447 for the year and .477 in league. She belted seven triples, 12 doubles, drove in 33 and had 71 hits.
Jolene Addington batted .349 for the season, set a school record for doubles at 18, and tied Braxton for the team lead in RBI at 35. Jessica Lynn had a season average of .346 and .388 in Region XIV play. She had 15 doubles and 30 RBI, while Faith Meriwether hit .326 and .374, respectively.
“Jennifer Lynn has had a very good year,” Messina said. “Jolene broke the school record for doubles, even playing hurt, and tied for the lead in RBIs,
Jessica Lynn and Faith were a big part of our run in conference, and both swing the bats very well, and the bottom part of our lineup always comes up big in key situations. It's been a team effort all the way through.”
Expected starters for the Bulldogs Friday are Collom on the mound and Jennifer Lynn behind the plate, Hendricks at first base, Courtney Barton at second, Braxton at shortstop, Meriwether at third, Jessica Lynn in left, Addington in center, and Mindy Woodson in right.
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