Mesa Legend - ARCHIVES - Vol. 38, Issue 10


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Volume 38 Issue 10
February 27, 2001

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MCC softball recovers, becomes a contender

BY CHRIS BOWMAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted February 27, 2001

In his fifth year as head coach of the T-Bird softball team, DeWight Byron has brought MCC from the basement of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, to a team that has enough potential to win a conference title.

Becky Thatcher/FOR THE MESA LEGEND

Freshman pitcher Sarah Golob exerts herself against Pima Community College. Golob has won four games in conference, and hit four home runs in first month of the conference season.

Last year’s breakthrough season, where the Thunderbirds finished 15th nationally, was the turn-around that Byron has labored hard for.

The current cast of players are even more talented then ever before, according to Byron, but having an inexperienced team can create some difficulties.

"We’ve been known to make some young mistakes," said Byron, who was named Coach of the Year last season in the ACCAC. "I think the kids we have are very competitive, though."

The T-Birds have started strong in the early going of the conference play, as they posted an 8-2 record.

Their only 2-4 in non-conference action, but the injury bug can be blamed for the poor showing they had in the Western Shootout that opened up their season.

"We were plagued by injuries in the tournament," Byron said. "Our middle infield and top pitcher were hurt, and as resul,t we dropped three games."

Freshman outfielder Lindsey Magnussen believes the Thunderbirds’ best asset this season is their dominant pitching staff. Their versatility, however, has put them near the top of the conference.

"We have a lot of talent on this team. Most of our players play multiple positions, so we’ve had injuries in the early part of the season and we adapted to that."

The pitching staff is led by Monique Woodmansee, an All-American candidate who had an amazing freshman season a year ago.

Woodmansee was a first team All-ACCAC performer in 2000 when she went 20-6, with a 0.59 ERA. She also is one of the T-Birds’ best hitters, and her success, according to Byron, can be attributed to her mental toughness.

"Monique controls the game, and she never gets rattled," Byron said. "If their is an error, she is mature enough to handle it. She hits her spots all the time. She throws hard, and has all the pitches."

Freshman Sarah Golob has stepped in and produced in a major way for the T-Birds.

Golob has a 5-2 record as the number two pitcher, and leads the team in homers with four.

MCC is healthy again, and it showed in their last game against Pima Community College.

The T-Birds handled PCC 9-0 as Woodmansee picked up her fourth win.

"The game against Pima was the first time our team went out and did the things we coach them to do," Byron said. "They executed well on offense. They jumped on the team early. They hit the ball like they have the potential to hit it every game. Defensively, were still making some bonehead mistakes, but those will fix themselves as we start playing more games."

This year’s softball squad should compete for ACCAC title along with Central Arizona College and Western Arizona College. According to second baseman Octavia Barrett, their team goal is to win the last game of the season.