THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SOFTBALL
WEDNESDAY,FEB.20,2002
2002 Roster
13 - Katie Campbell senior catcher R/R Anacortes, Wash.
21 - Kelly Campbell
senior
pitcher
R/R
Anacortes, Wash.
3 - Amy Hulse
senior
second baseman
R/R
Olathe
8 - Christi Musser
senior
outfielder
L/R
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Team ready for storybook season
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
With 15 letter winners, eight returning starters and the entire pitching staff coming back, the Kansas softball team seems poised for a storybook season.
The team is ready, with an actual book in the locker room. The Jayhawks are recording their season as they go.
They had T-shirts printed that say, "What story will you tell?"
"We're trying to write a story," senior third baseman Megan Urquhart said. "It's a year we're all going to remember. We do have high expectations because we do want this story to be great, and we feel like it is going to be great."
Kansas wrote the first chapter of its story on the way to the airport for the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Phoenix. The Jayhawks finished 3-2 at the Classic, including victories against No. 17 Southwest Texas and No. 6 Arizona State.
"We have eight seniors who are leading by great example this year," coach Tracy Bunge said. "We're going to have, I think, a season to remember. We're calling it a storybook season."
Kansas used a team retreat to Prairie Star Ranch before the season to decide on its goals. In a preseason poll, the Big 12 Conference coaches picked Kansas to finish fourth in the conference,
but the Jayhawks have higher expectations and think they can contend for the Big 12 title.
Bunge said the team had the potential to win the Big 12 title. "This group is as driven as any group that I've ever had as far as their work ethic. They're fun to coach everyday. They're not about winning or losing, they're actually about improving every day, and I love that as a coach. And that is going to get us where we want to go," she said.
With eight seniors, Kansas is experienced. Seniors Urquhart and outfielder Shelly Musser were elected as co-captains by their teammates.
"I feel like, with eight seniors, we're all kind of leaders within ourselves," Urquhart said. "And we know how to take care of business."
The team has great chemistry both on and off the field.
"We're very close," Musser said. "It's really exciting to know what we can do in our last year."
Statistics indicate that the Jayhawks shouldn't have any problems taking care of business. Six players on this year's roster received All-Big 12 honors last season — senior second baseman Amy Hulse, centerfielder Shelly Musser, senior shortstop Courtney Wright, senior catcher/outfielder Leah Tabb, senior third baseman Megan Urquhart and
sophomore pitcher Kara Pierce, who was chosen as the conference freshman of the year last year.
Pierce is expected to pick up where she left off last season.
"She's able to make the ball move in four directions," Bunge said. "Our expectation is that she continue to do what she did really well last year. We're expecting her to pick right where she left off and to continue to improve."
Bunge said Urquhart would be a big part of the team based on her play last season. "Megan had probably our most solid seasons for us overall between offense and defense. She was an offensive key for us. She was the solidifying point on the infield for us as well. I think she's the best third baseman in the conference."
The Jayhawks have also added two new recruits to the roster, freshmen first baseman/outfielder Lindsey Weinstein and infielder Serena Settlemier. Bunge said the freshmen had had mixed starts to the season, playing like upperclassmen on some days and like freshmen on others.
Weinstein said playing on a team full of seniors was comforting for a newcomer.
"The chemistry of the team makes the transition so much easier," Weinstein said. "I'm learning from them each day in practice and off the field."
The seniors remember what it felt like last season when the NCAA selection committee told Kansas its season was over before the players we're ready for it to end.
"Other teams thought we were going to make it also," Urquhart said. "And we were all shocked when we didn't. At that point last season we were not ready to end our season. We're not going to let it happen again."
The team doesn't want to leave this year's postseason hopes in the hands of someone else by taking care of business and beating tough opponents.
"If we win a few of those and take care of the rest of the season and beat the people we should beat, we're going to be in position," Bunge said. "Whether we win the Big 12 or not, to be in the postseason and make some noise in the postseason, that's this team's goal."
Kansas defeated some highly ranked teams in Arizona, but faltered a bit in its second tournament of the season in Las Vegas. Now the Jayhawks must regroup and prepare for the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla., March 1-3.
Contact Brox at abrox@kansan.com. This story was edited by Anne Morgenmeier.
4 - Courtney Wright senior shortstop L/R Tucson, Ariz.
34 - Leah Hansen
34 - Leah Hansen
junior
first baseman
L/L
Olathe
22 - Leah Mountain
sophomore
first baseman
R/R
Wichita
Not Pictured
13-Serena Settlemier
freshman
pitcher/first baseman
R/R
Kelso, Wash.
77 - Lindsey Weinstein
Weinstein
freshman
first baseman/outfielder
L/L
Tarzana, Calif.
00 - Shelly Musser
senior
outfielder
L/R
Scottsdale, Ariz.
19 - Leah Tabb
senior
catcher/outfielder
R/R
Oklahoma City, Okla.
7 - Megan Urquhart senior third baseman R/R Shawnee
10 - Dani May sophomore catcher/outfielder L/R Lawrence
18 - Sandy Smith sophomore infielder R/R Norwalk, Calif.
36 - Kara Pierce sophomore pitcher R/R Mesa, Ariz.
51- Kirsten Milhoan
junior
pitcher
R/R
Peoria, Ariz.
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