2021 Centenary Ladies Softball Season Preview
The Centenary Ladies softball team cannot wait to get back on the field. The Maroon and White finally get that chance as they face the Texas-Dallas Comets on Saturday in Richardson, Texas in a doubleheader with games set for 2 and 4 p.m.
Live stats and live video are available for both games. Video: https://utdcomets.com/watch/?Live=2010&type=Live. Stats: https://utdcomets.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary.
The Ladies split a pair of games with the Comets, members of the American Southwest Conference, last season at home.
COVID-19 limited the 2020 season to just 12 games so the wait since last March has been agonizing for the Ladies. Centenary went 6-6 last season, winning four of their final six games and went 4-1 in one-run games. The Ladies went 2-1 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play, winning two of three at home against Dallas.
The Ladies are predicted to finish sixth in the SCAC this season by the league's coaches based on balloting in the annual preseason coaches' poll, it was announced earlier this week. The conference portion of the schedule, though, does not begin until early March, as the Ladies are scheduled to play 14 non-conference games prior to SCAC play.
Head Coach Mark Suire enters his sixth season at the helm of the program. Suire took over a program prior to the 2016 season that had not won double-digit games since 2010 and finished above .500 since 2009. The Ladies were picked to finish seventh in the SCAC standings and miss the conference tournament but the Maroon and White defied the odds and finished fifth with a 20-20 record. Five different Ladies received All-Conference accolades, including First Team Utility Player Haley Miller, marking the first time in three seasons that the Ladies had a First Team all-conference selection.
"We've got a challenging schedule this season," said Suire. "We have the opportunity to face some of the top DIII teams in the nation, including four-game series against each of the top two ranked teams in the preseason polls. Hopefully, that experience will serve us well and make us a better program.
"We will be a young team this year, with only two seniors on the roster, so it will be important for our younger players to gain valuable experience prior to heading into conference play."
The Ladies qualified for the SCAC Tournament and defeated Southwestern in their opening game for their first SCAC Tournament win in program history. Centenary ended up going 3-2 to finish third in the event and clinched the program's first winning season in seven seasons. The six wins last season gives Suire 82 in his Centenary career, moving him into third place in career wins. He also ranks third in career winning percentage (.456). The Ladies have finished third in the SCAC Tournament three times, tied for fifth once, and finished fourth or better three times in the regular season standings.
Centenary returns a solid core of players who contributed last season. Sophomore Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) is the Ladies' returning hits leader with 12. She played in all 12 games and hit .333 (sixth on team) with a .415 on-base percentage (fourth on team) and slugged .361. She also finished the season tied for eighth in the SCAC in stolen bases with eight. Her 12 hits were tied for second on the team last season and she had eight runs scored (also second on the team) to go with five RBI which was tied for third-most. She also recorded three multi-hit games.
Senior Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.) played in all 12 games and hit .237 with a .302 on-base percentage and slugged .289. She had nine hits in 38 at-bats with seven RBI, three runs scored, and two doubles. She posted a pair of multi-hit games, on Feb. 9 versus UT-Dallas and March 7 vs. Dallas in SCAC play. Junior infielder Jaymee Wilkinson (Brazoria, Texas) also played in all 12 games and hit .360 (third on team) with an impressive .407 on-base percentage and slugged .440. She finished the season with nine hits in 25 at-bats with four RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored. She had a pair of multi-hit games including a season-best performance versus Dallas on March 7 as she went 3-3 with an RBI and a double in a 4-3 Centenary win.
Senior catcher Brittney Broussard (Rayne, La.) made an immediate impact in her first season with the Ladies following her transfer from Bossier Parish Community College. She saw action in nine games and hit .304 with a .360 on-base percentage and slugged .435. She had seven hits in 23 at-bats with three doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored. Broussard ranked second on team in doubles and fourth in RBI.
Junior pitcher Kirstyn Gomez (Deer Park, Texas) made nine appearances and three starts on the mound in her first season with the Ladies. She posted a 2-3 record with an ERA of 5.45 and tied for the team lead with two complete games. She allowed 30 runs (28 earned) and 61 hits in 34.2 innings pitched with eight walks and seven strikeouts.
Junior Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.) made seven appearances and five starts on the mound in her first season with the Ladies following a transfer from Bossier Parish Community College. She posted a 2-2 record with two complete games, which tied for the team lead with Gomez. She allowed 18 runs, all earned, and 36 hits in 25.2 innings pitched with 11 walks and six strikeouts and finished with a 4.91 ERA.
"Due to the shortened 2020 season, many of our underclassmen remain relatively inexperienced in the rigors of conference play. That, combined with the addition of six freshmen, will require us to learn quickly in order to meet the challenges of SCAC play," said Suire.
Centenary's home opener will be Saturday, Feb. 27 versus Millsaps with a doubleheader set for 2 and 4 p.m. The Ladies open SCAC play at home versus Austin College March 6-7. The 2021 SCAC Softball Tournament will be held in Kerrville, Texas April 29-May 1.
The Ladies' complete 2021 schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule
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