CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - As the start of the nineteenth softball season for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga draws closer, GoMocs.com begins its 2012 outlook in a four-part series that includes video insights from head coach Frank Reed. Monday focuses on an overview of the team and an in-depth look as the challenging schedule the team faces.

The Lady Mocs have been working hard, preparing for the season ever since coming back from winter break. Most of the practices so far have occurred in the UTC Indoor Hitting Facility.

There have been six opportunities for the team to practice outside at Frost Stadium due to a milder than normal winter. This has enabled the team to face live pitching and practice defensive schemes in the outfield and infield, which are difficult to simulate at the indoor facility.

Chattanooga host its "Meet the Lady Mocs" event at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday inside the UTC Hitting Facility, located off Third Street in Warner Park. The interactive event provides fans and supporters the chance to get autographs, schedule cards and posters and discuss the upcoming season with players and coaches.

For more insight on how the team has come together in the eyes of coach Reed be sure to watch the video to the right or click on the link above. Reed also breaks down the Lady Mocs schedule and how the Southern Conference is shaping up heading into the season.

Below is a full schedule of the series with the next installment on Wednesday looking at pitchers and catchers.

Part 1 - Overview and Schedule - Mon. Jan. 30
Part 2 - Pitchers and Catchers - Wed. Feb. 1
Part 3 - Infielders - Fri. Feb. 3
Part 4 - Outfielders and Utility - Mon. Feb. 6

OVERVIEW
Coming into the 2012 season, the Chattanooga softball program is looking to win its sixth-consecutive Southern Conference Regular Season Title. The Lady Mocs are going to be young this year, which is a different situation than last year's squad that posted one of the greatest season's in program history, advancing to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Final, and rewriting many of the team's offensive records.

"Last year, the team matched our beliefs on how good they could be," said head coach Frank Reed, who is a five-time SoCon Coach of the Year. "Of course, now we are fixing to experience the loss of six senior starters. We just have to regroup a little bit and try to figure what the new look of the Lady Mocs is going to be for the 2012 season."

Chattanooga welcomes newcomers in junior Ninjja Suetsuga (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and freshmen Haylee Blalock (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Taylor Deason (Clarksville, Tenn.), Jenny Garcia (Miami, Fla.), Nicole Osterman (Kissimmee, Fla.), Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and Cheyenne Willis (Winchester, Tenn.).

"We are going to have inexperience at key positions," said Reed. "A lot of our success is going to depend on how quickly our younger players are able to mature and become sophomores and juniors as far as their play on the field."

Chattanooga does welcome back 2011 Southern Conference Player of the Year and fifth-year senior Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) along with senior Vivian Morimoto (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who led the team in batting average at .402, a year ago. Another stable presence returning for the Lady Mocs will be up the middle with senior shortstop Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.) and junior second baseman Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.).

The positions and roles on this year's team might not be as well as defined as in the past, but youthful enthusiasm can be seen throughout the team in preparation for the season.

A new addition to coach Reed's staff is assistant coach Sammi Parks, who played at Belmont and spent the past three seasons playing overseas. Coming back for her second season with the Lady Mocs is associate head coach Amy Herrington-Woodard, who was able to provide changes last year to the structure of practice that kept a senior laden team on its toes.

Two items that coach Reed believes that are going to be important going into the season are staying healthy throughout the lineup and in the circle, and how quickly the younger student-athletes can develop, realize and understand the quickness of the college game.

SCHEDULE
Coach Reed is known to setup a challenging slate for his teams and the 2012 season is no exception as Chattanooga plays five teams - North Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia State and UAB - that competed in the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

For the third-consecutive season, the Lady Mocs open the campaign in Clermont, Fla., at Dot Richardson's National Collegiate Invitational. Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, North Florida, North Carolina and UCF are on the schedule during the three-day event.

"You have to continually play quality teams because you have to be consistent," said Reed. "Consistency comes from consistently not having let downs and playing teams that are going to get up and challenge you every day."

Chattanooga then takes a short drive down Interstate 75 to Atlanta, Ga., for the Georgia State Panther Invitational, a two-day round robin tournament with IUPUI, Georgia State and Eastern Illinois.

The Frost Classic Inspired by Memorial kicks off the home schedule for the Lady Mocs as they welcome 12 teams to the Scenic City. Chattanooga plays Valparaiso, Niagara, East Tennessee State, Purdue and Dayton, while Ball State, Belmont, Cleveland State, UT Martin, Tennessee Tech and Troy also compete on three adjacent fields at Warner Park and Frost Stadium during the three-day tournament.

A trip to Oxford, Miss., has Chattanooga playing host Ole Miss, Belmont and Troy before a tournament bracket is setup between the four teams.

The first-midweek home matchup for the Lady Mocs is against SIU-Edwardsville before opening the Southern Conference schedule against College of Charleston to being spring break.

One of the most difficult trips of the season is on Chattanooga's off week from the SoCon, where it plays at Florida State and Florida on the way to Clearwater, Fla., for the USF "The Game" Tournament. Canisius, Hartford, Northwestern, UMass and Illinois are also on the Lady Mocs schedule.

Southern Conference play goes into full swing as Chattanooga plays back-to-back weekends on the road against Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.

"The teams in the conference are getting stronger and that you can't look past anybody," said Reed. "Certainly, no one in the league will be looking past us."

A 10-game homestand at Frost Stadium, the second longest such streak in program history excluding tournaments, begins against Marshall in a mid-week matchup. Elon is then scheduled for a series against the Lady Mocs before they host Tennessee Tech.

The Catamounts visit the Scenic City the following weekend for a three-game set, then Chattanooga hosts UAB in a mid-week doubleheader.

Chattanooga returns to the road against Samford for the Southern Rail Rivalry series, which is followed by a stop from Furman to close out the home slate.

Prior to traveling to Boone, N.C., for the Southern Conference Tournament, Chattanooga closes out the regular season with a series at UNC Greensboro.

The double-elimination championship hosted by Appalachian State is the site where the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will be earned. Chattanooga will be seeking to capture its 12th tournament title.