2008 Softball Outlook

Preseaon Interview with Head Coach Dennis Shores

Guilford’s softball team enters its sixth season with a second-year head coach Dennis Shores.  The Quakers returns eight letter winners from 2007 and six of those students are projected to play significant innings. With only two seniors on the roster, the 2008 squad is the largest to date and Shores expects the squad's competitiveness to be excellent. The Quakers return their top-five hitters from 2007 and the addition of seven new student-athletes will significantly add to Guilford's depth. Guilford also welcomes Jennifer Simms as the new assistant coach.  Simms, a four-year starter for Greensboro College, will work with the infielders, while Shores focuses on the Quakers’ hitting, pitching and outfielders. Shores is excited about the new attitude, structure and discipline he introduced last season.  The Quakers finished 10-30 in 2007, a one-game improvement from 2006, but showed great improvement in losing 10 games by three runs or less.  Guilford finished 2007 as the ninth-place team in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and missed a spot in the six-team ODAC Tournament.

Here’s a preview of the Quakers by position:

PITCHER:Third-year starter Taryn Pulvermuller and sophomore DeNina Eldridge return to anchor the Quakers’ pitching rotation.  They will be joined by freshman Samantha Golley to handle the majority of Guilford’s pitching. Rookie classmate Ami Hutcherson may also throw some innings in relief.

CATCHER: Junior Kelly Guarnieri, a two-time honorable mention All ODAC pick, will split time with sophomore Charissa Duncan behind the plate for the Quakers. Also an outfielder, Guarnieri led Guilford with a .364 batting average. She has started every game of her career and was Guilford's top run producer in 2007. Duncan finished third in both runs batted in and hits and will be used as a utility player when not behind the plate.

INFIELD: Veterans Kelly Hale and Zenovia Hogue return to field the corners at first base and third base, respectively. Hale, Guilford’s power hitter, set team records for home runs and RBI during the 2007 season.  They will be joined by Anne Arundel C.C. transfer Amber Stapler, Guilford’s starting women’s soccer goalkeeper, who will vie for either second base or shortstop positions. Sophomore Emma Shew adds depth to the infield, along with rookies Diane Buccos, Jo Beth Hooker and Hutcherson.  The quartet is capable of playing any of the infield positions.

OUTFIELD: Guilford returns experience at two of three outfield positions with Ciara Locklear and Guarnieri anchoring the rotation.  Locklear, the Quakers’ lead-off hitter in 2007, ranked among the top five in all offensive categories.  First-year student-athletes Morgan Freyer and Courtney Kozar, a starter on the Quakers’ volleyball team, vie for the remaining outfield spot.

Guilford’s tough non-conference schedule should prepare the young Quakers for challenging ODAC games later in the year. Guilford opens the season with three home dates beginning with cross-town rival Greensboro College, Feb. 13.  Games against other USA South Athletic Conference teams like nationally-ranked Methodist University, Peace College, and Ferrum College should prepare the Quakers for the 2008 Beach Blast Tournament, Feb. 29-30 in Virginia Beach, Va. Guilford opens its ODAC schedule at home March 12 against perennial power Roanoke College.