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Life > Athletics > Softball > 1/31/08
 PIONEER SOFTBALL TEAM BEGINS PLAY THIS WEEKEND
DENTON, Texas (January 31) - The Texas Woman’s University softball team will open their 2008 season this weekend with five games at the St. Mary’s University Invitational Tournament in San Antonio, Texas.
Eight positional starters and two starting pitchers return from the Pioneers’ 2007 team that won seven of their final eight regular season games to qualify for the 2007 Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament.
Among the key positional players returning for the Pioneers are pictured senior shortstop Rachel Johnson (.255 average, 48 hits, 10 doubles, 23 RBI), junior centerfielder Tiffanie Boone (.276 average, 54 hits, eight triples, 75 total bases, 31 steals), junior infielder Shian Smitherman (.255 average, four home runs, 25 RBI), sophomore outfielder Billie Callahan (.276 average, 10 doubles, 18 RBI), and sophomore catcher Kaley Frye (.276 average, 48 hits, 23 RBI).
Junior Ashley Martin (4-11, 48 strikeouts, 97.1 IP, 5.83 ERA) and sophomore Allie Packer (8-11, 73 strikeouts, 128 IP, 4.21) will be the familiar faces back in the circle this season for TWU.
Three transfers - senior utility infielder Meagan Peiser, junior right fielder Kayla Behrle, and sophomore pitcher Carly Case - and one true freshman - second basemen Hayley Siebman - are expected to make an immediate impact for TWU.
“I like the makeup of this team,” said TWU head softball coach Randy Porter. “The bulk of our lineup is back from last season, and we’ve added four talented newcomers to the mix. We’ve worked extremely hard in the off-season and preseason to get ready and I’m confident that we can have a successful year.”
Following this weekend’s quartet of games in San Antonio, the Pioneers will return home to Denton for their six-team TWU Tournament taking place at Pioneer Field and Billy Ryan High School next Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9-10.
Altogether, there are five tournaments (the St. Mary’s University Invitational, the TWU Tournament, the Schutt Sports D-II Lead Off Classic, the Henderson State University Tournament, and the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament) on the Pioneers’ 2008 schedule.
Two games against the University of North Texas will highlight the Pioneers’ non-conference, non-tournament schedule this year (Wednesday, March 12 at UNT and Wednesday, April 16 at TWU).
TWU’s 2008 Lone Star Conference South Division schedule features seven opponents, highlighted by the preseason favorite in the division, the Angelo State University Rambelles. The Pioneers will open LSC South Division play with a doubleheader at Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Thursday, February 28.
Season tickets for all of the Pioneers’ 2008 regular season (non-tournament) home games are on sale now in the TWU Athletics office.
NOTE: The Pioneers schedule of games at this weekend’s St. Mary’s University Invitational has been modified due to the fact that Southern Arkansas University dropped out of the tournament today because of the unexpected death of head coach Kevin Allison’s mother. Here is the revised tournament schedule for TWU:
Friday, February 1, 4:00 p.m. vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
Friday, February 1, 6:00 p.m. vs. St. Edward’s University
Saturday, February 2, 11:15 a.m. vs. Delta State University
Saturday, February 2, 1:30 p.m. vs. Cameron University
Sunday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s University
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