2007 SEASON PREVIEW:
Lady Cavs Look to Continue AAC Dominance

February 4, 2007

There has not been a more dominant softball team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference over the past five years than the Lady Cavaliers.

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise has claimed four of the past five league titles, three in a row, and one NAIA Regioin XII championship. The program seeks to keep the championship tradition rolling and continue its drive for a second appearance and success at the national championships.

Under the direction of Lady Cavs’ head coach Tori Raby-Gentry, the squad has not only posted a two-year combined record of 73-38 but have reached new heights. In 2005, UVA-Wise claimed its first NAIA Region XII title and appearance at the NAIA national championships. A year ago, the Lady Cavs won its first AAC Tournament title before falling in the loser’s final of the regional.

“Our goal is to first win the AAC regular season by ourselves (the 2006 title was shared with Tennessee Wesleyan),” explains Raby-Gentry.

“Then we want to get to the point where we get in the habit of winning the league tournament. From there, the team wants to accomplish the goal of returning to the national championships.”

UVA-Wise lost two All-AAC players and one other starter from last year’s 35-16 AAC championship squad.

Coach Raby-Gentry’s team will again reload with two-time All-AAC junior catcher Shelley Newton leading the charge. Newton will be joined by five other returning starters and junior pitcher Amanda Wheeler Sims to dot the deep and talented roster.

“First we will have even more quality depth with numbers at every position. The versatility of the players will be another great resource. The players are the type that accept playing anywhere they are put on the field,” adds Raby-Gentry.

Newton will lead what the head coach feels will be the Lady Cavs’ best offense they have had in the last three years. Wheeler will be the foundation in a pitching rotation comparable to the national championships staff two years ago.

CATCHER
The most decorated Lady Cav athlete, Newton, will lead the squad’s catchers. The two-time All-Region and All-AAC player led UVA-Wise with a .335 average, 13 doubles, four home runs, 79 total bases, .510 slugging percentage and four sac flies. She was also second in four other offensive categories including 29 runs, 52 hits and 32 rbi.

Newton is one of the most consistent hitters while doing a great job calling pitches and keeps a good pace on games. When not catching, she will be the team’s designated hitter.

Sophomore Mary Wilson will backup Newton for the second year. Wilson will be Wheeler’s designated catcher with how well the two work together. In the fall, the second-year player showed an improved bat and added strength. She hit .267 with 16 runs, 36 hits, seven doubles, a home run and 21 rbi.

Melanie Sutherland, a sophomore, may see time at catcher. She caught in 11 games and drove in one run.

PITCHERS
Left hander Wheeler Sims will move into the top hurler role vacated by AAC Pitcher of the Year Dani Benton (17-5, 1.33 ERA). The experienced pitcher’s success on the season will determine the team’s success. She was 4-4 with 3 saves last season and has 12 victories and a 2.19 ERA in 2 years.

Senior Tori Flint, a transfer from Longwood University, will bring pitching experience against good competition to the staff. She has a good mix of pitches and saw 13.1 innings a year ago.

Highly-touted freshman pitcher Lauren Snead will be a talented arm counted upon in the 2007 season. The all-state rise ball pitcher has good pop on her pitches and the quicker she matures the better the Lady Cavs will be.

Two others, junior Michelle Osborne and freshman Sam Baker, will see frames in relief. Osborne went 2-0 with 10 strikeouts in 11 innings for 2006. Baker was an all-district pitcher at Twin Springs.

FIRST BASE
An all-around complete first baseman, Alicia King, will start for the third year. The senior comes off a solid year where she had a 13-game hit streak and hit safely in 20 of the team’s last 23 games. King batted .317 with six doubles and 28 rbi while leading the team with a .985 fielding percentage in 406 chances.

Sophomore Hannah Ellis and freshman Amber Salyer backup King. Ellis had a hit and two runs while Salyer was an all-state 2nd team pick at J.J. Kelly High.

SECOND BASE
Sophomore Bobbi Mihelarakis and all-district freshman Christine Cantone will battle for second base. The player swinging the better bat will have the advantage as both are solid defensively.

SHORT STOP
Bath County’s Amber Harvey, who missed her senior season due to injury, is penciled in as the starting short stop. Harvey has a powerful bat as she batted .426 with three homers as a junior who has a great arm, speed and defensive range.

Junior Sarah Frazier will give a quality experienced athlete behind Harvey. Frazier was an all-state short stop in high school at Powell Valley and has a quick release on her throws.

THIRD BASE
One of the best ‘hot corner’ players of the AAC, Amber Quillen, will handle the position again in 2007. She has a good bat which was on fire to end the season with a five-game hit streak coming back off injury.

Local product Sarah Smith will be behind Quillen. The freshman was a two-time all-region player at J.I. Burton High.

OUTFIELD
The best defensive outfielder on the team, Osborne, will handle left field starting duties. She made some huge fielding plays in the 2006 AAC Tournament.

Versatile Frazier joins sophomore Sarah Stone to provide the left field depth. Stone gets good jumps on balls and played a big role as designated hitter and pinch hitter role late last season.

The speedy Britney Lawson returns to center field. The sophomore bats lead off and led the Lady Cavs in five offensive categories. Lawson lined 55 hits, scored 35 runs, ran out six triples and swiped 18 bases while hitting .316. She hit safely in 31 of 51 games and had six three-hit efforts.

Osborne and Cantone will be the insurance for Lawson in center field.

The final projected starting outfield spot is projected to have Frazier have the inside track while Wilson, Brittany Tunnell and Sutherland along with newcomer Cantone look for time.

Frazier, an impact player, made 25 starts in the outfield a year ago and used her speed to steal 10 bases and line 15 hits.

The small speedster Tunnell moves from second base to the outfield as well as adds another left handed bat. Wilson saw time in right field last season while Sutherland is improving her play in the outfield.