The Northeast Texas Community College Eagles softball team will be looking to kick off the season with a pair of wins Saturday as they host Hill College for a double-header beginning at 1 p.m.
Led by new head coach Jessica Keith, the Eagles will be looking to turn heads in 2013.
?I believe we have the players that we need to put together a good season this year,? Keith said about her 2013 squad. ?If practice is any indication, we should be able to put the bat on the ball and use our speed on the bases to put pressure on opposing defenses.?
With a starting squad that will consist of up to eight sophomores, the Eagles should be loaded with veteran leadership this season.
?We have a lot of players who will be spending their second season on the field for us and that should translate into good things,? Keith said.
Among those returning for the Eagles this season is sophomore pitcher Hannah Holovach, who led the team in wins (13), strikeouts (104) and ERA (4.66) last season. Holovach was also a force at the plate for the Eagles last year, where she finished with a batting average of .317 while piling up 19 RBI, seven doubles, one triple and a pair of home runs.
?Hannah did a great job for us last season and we will be looking for even more from her this year,? Assistant Coach Kayla King said.
The Eagles will also be looking for a large contribution from sophomore transfer Shelby Weldon, who followed coach Keith to NTCC from Ranger College. A lightning-quick left fielder, Weldon hit .294 with three doubles, walked 20 times and scored 27 runs in 47 games for the Rangers.
?With the addition of Weldon, this year?s Eagles will have one of the quickest outfield combinations I have ever seen,? Keith said. ?That speed should also translate well for us on the bases.?
Coach Keith and the Eagles will also be looking for big things from freshman Kelsey Moulder, who will anchor the NTCC infield at shortstop.
?Moulder had looked really good for us in practice so far and we will need her defense on the infield this year,? Keith said.
Moulder should have no problem adapting to the college game, after winning a state championship and earning a second-team all-state selection with Hudson High School in Lufkin as a senior.
After facing Hill Saturday, the season will continue for the Eagles Tuesday as they travel to face Eastern Oklahoma. The Eagles will be on the road again Friday and Saturday as they travel to play at the Cowtown Tournament in Fort Worth. While there, the Eagles will face Rose State, Eastern Oklahoma, Connors State, Western Oklahoma and Murray State.
