Conway – The Central Arkansas softball team opens the 2015 season on Friday afternoon, travelling to Lafayette, Louisiana to take part in the 2015 Louisiana Classic, hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette. The tournament, in which the Bears will face Tennessee State, North Carolina State, Incarnate Word, and Louisiana-Lafayette, marks the launching point of the Bears' quest to secure their fourth straight appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament, and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
This season, fans will see a familiar Central Arkansas squad take the field, as the Bears return all eight of their starters in the field from last season, along with staff ace and last season's SLC Newcomer of the Year, Kylee Studioso.
"Experience breeds confidence," said Central Arkansas head coach David Kuhn, of his experienced squad. "There is no substitute for it, and it will help us on the road and at home. We will no longer be awestruck by playing in big stadiums or intimidated by our opponents."
A trio of juniors lead the way offensively for the Bears, as third baseman Sam Forrest, second baseman Sarah Bigej, and catcher Jessie Taylor all had hugely successful seasons in 2014. Forrest, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is coming off a year in which she hit .348 and slugged .594 and tallied a school-record 18 doubles. The performance earned her a National Fastpitch Coaches' Association All-Region Third-team selection and a place on the preseason All-SLC second-team this year. Bigej, a native of Happy Valley, Oregon, finished third in the SLC last season, reaching base at a clip of .505, while collecting the fourth most walks in league play (18), and hitting .392 with seven doubles, both of which were good for seventh in the league. She was selected to the preseason All-SLC first-team this year. Taylor, from Bryant, Arkansas, set the UCA single-season RBI record last season, driving in 49 runs while hitting .273 with 10 homeruns.
"Sam is a great hitter," said Kuhn. "She's fierce, a great competitor, a clutch player, and she hates to lose, and she has been one of the best hitters in the SLC over the past two seasons. Sarah is a great hitter who always responds well when the game is on the line, and Jessie is an outstanding catcher and a great leader both on and off the field."
Studioso, from Edmond, Washinton, was one of the best pitchers in the SLC last season, leading the league with 219 strikeouts, tying for the league lead with 41 appearances, and ranking third with 17 victories. She was even better in league play, striking out a league-high 132 batters in 94.2 innings while going 11-4 in 17 appearances.
Against league opponents, she threw four shutouts and held opposing hitters to a batting average of .207.
"Kylee had a bit of a learning curve last year, going from junior college to Division I," said Kuhn of his ace. "But she is a great competitor and gets better every time that she pitches. She is a student of the game and has worked very hard to improve her game this offseason, so I could see her having a breakout year. She has a definite it-factor, and we can win anytime she takes the mound."
The Bears will feature some new faces this season, as there are five freshmen and a transfer on the roster. Shivaun Landeros, who spent her first two seasons at Appalachian State, looks to have an impact this season. She went 9-13 for the Mountaineers, leading the team in wins, appearances (33), ERA (3.58), innings (140.2), and strikeouts (96).
"Shivaun is expected to help us on the mound right away," said Kuhn. "She has 20 Division I wins in the past two seasons, and she has a good attitude, great work ethic and outstanding softball skills."
Of his freshmen, the Bears' skipper said, "I am not sure how much they will help us on the field this season, but I do know that they are a very talented group and can help this program right away. They can step in at any moment and we will not miss a beat. Our depth and talent level has increased very much."
That increase in depth and talent should help the Bears, as they face a tough non-conference schedule before entering the always competitive SLC slate. Central Arkansas will take the field against teams from three teams from the Power 5 conferences this season (NC State, Notre Dame, LSU), as well as facing solid mid-major foes in Louisiana-Lafayette, Hofstra, and East Carolina.
Kuhn said the non-conference schedule is tough for a reason: "We always try to play a tough schedule, because it is exciting, challenging, and most importantly, it helps prepare us for the SLC regular-season schedule. NC State, ULL, Notre Dame, LSU, Hoftra, and ECU are all great programs with storied traditions, and we hope to be like them one day."
