CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Supporters of the Lady Mocs are welcomed to come out Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to the UTC Hitting Facility located in Warner Park for fan day. The players and coaches will be available to interact with the community prior to the season beginning Feb. 12 in Clermont, Fla.
The Lady Mocs Season Pass will be available for $55, a 30% savings from individual ticket prices, and provide access to all regular season games and the entire Frost Classic. More informaiton on the season pass can be found via the link at the top of the page. Also, the print edition of the 2010 Softball Media Guide can be obtained at the event, while the online edition can be accessed through the link above.
Today, the outlook contains an in depth look at the catchers. A video of head coach Frank Reed discussing the catchers with GoMocs.com can be accessed by clicking the link above. The next installment will be Saturday when the preview moves to the corner infielders.
Jan. 31 - Season Overview/Schedule
Feb. 2 - Pitching Staff
Feb. 4 - Catchers
Feb. 6 - Corner Infielders
Feb. 8 - Middle Infielders
Feb. 10 - Outfield
Part Three - Catchers
The key to a pitching staff is to have equally as strong catchers. Two seniors, Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Lynleigh Hurndon (McDonough, Ga.), return after a tough injury-plagued season last spring. Also back is sophomore Jenni Martin (East Ridge, Tenn.), who came through in the clutch multiple times as a pinch hitter.
Hurndon had a slow fall dealing with injuries, but will be ready in the spring to ease back into the catching rotation.
"Lynleigh has been our main stay back there, as far as fundamental catching," said Reed. "She has struggled a bit offensively, but hopefully, as a senior she has corrected those issues and is poised for a great season. She has the ability to get the extra base hit and also hit behind the runner."
Eason came on towards the end of last season offensively. After starting her career with a couple of shoulder injuries, she is now healthy going into her senior season.
"Brittany, athletically is probably as good as any on our team," said Reed. "If you look at her, she has size, but also speed. She has a good eye in the batter's box going through her sophomore season with 23 walks. Coach [Jeff] Martin challenged her to be a little more aggressive. I think that was indicative of what she did last year by putting the ball in play."
In her first season, Martin started off quickly hitting a three-run walk-off home run to beat Virginia Tech in the season's opening tournament at Frost Stadium. She was primarily the team's designated hitter and also came off the bench many times.
"Jenni came in and put up some great numbers offensively and made the all-freshman team," said Reed. "She is mentally one of our strongest hitters in the way she approaches the game."
All three catchers are fundamentally sound and have shown leadership behind the plate. Each player can provide something different with their bat for the team.
"Our catchers are real fundamental when it comes to blocking, framing and all the things that go along with being a great catcher," said Reed. "We will probably start out with some rotation between Lynleigh and Brittany and see how the numbers fall. When one is struggling, then the other comes in and gets the job done."
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Lady Mocs. The Lady Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ChattanoogaMocs, or on Twitter, www.twitter.com/GoMocs.
