HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Under the direction of first-year head coach Travis McCall, the Coker College softball team is looking forward to a successful second season in the South Atlantic Conference. McCall and the Cobras are confident they can continue Coker's rich tradition softball excellence.
"Our number one expectation is to go out there and be competitive, show people we are going to do the little things right," said McCall. "We'd like to do better in conference this season and be there at the end."
For those expectations to be fulfilled, McCall who comes to Coker after serving as the assistant coach at King University for the past three seasons, will rely heavily on the play and leadership of his three seniors, preseason All-SAC second team selection Ashlee Ellen, Tyresha Ellis and Katelyn Szupello.
"I expect big things out of our three seniors, they are all capable of having all-conference caliber seasons," said McCall. "Junior Ashley Gallman is another one I think has that potential to be a difference maker and get some all-conference recognition."
However, this 2014-2015 roster is a filled with a wealth of young players as well. Five freshmen, seven sophomores and two juniors compliment the three seniors to give this team a solid balance of youth and leadership.
"Sophomores Carley Bailey and Megan Strickland will be a couple younger players that we will be relying on to have a good season," said McCall.
With the youth of this roster, McCall knows there will be some growing pains, but the improvement he has seen in the fall has him confident that all 17 players will be ready to take the field when the time comes.
"Consistency is going to be a big thing for us," said McCall. "Some of them do have a lack the experience of playing in bigger games and will have to adjust to the speed of the college game and realize the small margin of error there is. This is a scrappy team though, they are a tough bunch."
McCall was quick to point out that it's a day-by-day process to get the team better will prepare them for every game, every at bat and every pitch.
"We want to play our best softball in April, not in early February," said McCall. "We want to be there at the end and this is a hungry group of girls that wants to go out there to get better and win."
Coker, picked 11th in the SAC preseason poll, will kick off its season on the road at the UNC Pembroke Invitational Feb. 6-8. Their first home game will be on Saturday (Feb. 14) against Barton College.
Story by Aaron Beebe '15 sports information department intern