Date: 2/5
Position: Pitchers and Catchers
Position Coaches: Hannah Campbell (Pitchers) / Becky Clark (Catchers)

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Pitchers: Alexis Reid, Sr. (11-11, 3.07 ERA, 143.2 IP, 31 App, 25 GS, 14 CG, 4/1 SHO, 79 Ks, .253 opp. avg), Megan Dudenhefer, So. (2 App, 6.1 IP, 1 K)  Catchers: Lyric Cabral, So. (50-50 GP-GS, .197 avg, 28 hits, 8 runs, 6 2BS, 3 HRS, 20 RBI, 43 total bases), Kamdyn Kvistad, So. (55-54 GP-GS, .264 avg, 42 hits, 23 BB, 14 runs 5 2Bs, 8 HRs, 27 RBI, 71 total bases), Taylor Stevens, Sr. (29-0 GP-GS, 12 runs), Morgan Lutticken, Jr. (11-0 GP-GS, .100, 3 RBI)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Devin Brown (18-16, 2.03 ERA, 227.2 IP, 40 App, 31 GS, 25 CG, 6/1 SHO, 231 Ks, .205 opp. avg), Bailey Murphy (2 App, 2.1 IP, 1 K, .364 opp. avg)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Jamie Finical (So., Elon University), Samantha Yarbrough (Fr., Fairhope High School).

Miscellaneous Notes
- South Alabama will look to replace four-year starting pitcher and three-time all-Sun Belt performer Devin Brown. Brown ended her career holding the program marks in strikeouts (932) and shutouts (29). She also concluded her career ranked fourth all-time in strikeouts by a Sun Belt Conference pitcher.
- Senior RHP Alexis Reid made 31 appearances in the circle in her first season with the Jaguars – 25 starts, 14 complete games and five total shutouts. Of her five shutouts, four were solo with one combined. She finished the season with a 3.07 earned run average, and struck out 79 batters in her 143.2 innings of work.
- A. Reid ranked among the conference leaders in nine different statistical categories, and 141 hits were the fewest allowed by a Sun Belt pitcher.
- Sophomore RHP Meghan Dudenhefer joined the club last January and made two appearances in the circle during the 2018 season.
- True freshman RHP Samantha Yarbrough lettered the last two seasons of her prep career at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Ala. During her two seasons with the Pirates, she hit a combined 25 homers and drove in 99 runs at the plate, while winning 41 games on the circle, helping lead FHS to two straight Class 7A state tournament appearances, culminating her prep career with a state title as a senior.
- Yarbrough was named the AL.com Coastal Alabama Softball Player of the Year as a senior and as a junior, and earned numerous other postseason accolades as she was a Alabama Sports Writers Association Super 10 All-State Softball team selection, a ASWA 7A first-team all-state selection, named the 7A Player of the Year by the ASWA, as well as being named to the AL.com Super All-State Softball Team. She was also named to the AL.com 2018 High School Prep 100 List and ranked 18th on the list, while also finishing third in the 2018 Miss Softball voting.
- The freshman batted .431 as a senior with 10 homers, 43 RBI and 54 runs scored, and was limited due to injury in the circle for much of her final prep season, but still managed to go 13-2 with a 1.12 ERA and 124 strikeouts.
- Yarbrough could also see time in the field or in the designated player role this season.
- Sophomore catcher Cabral started behind the plate in 48 of her 51 games played last season. She also picked off two runners and threw out eight runners attempting to steal.
- Kamdyn Kvistad made the eight other starts behind the plate last season.
- Senior Taylor Stevens has been awarded the program's "Extra Mile" Award each of the last two seasons, sharing the award with Dayla Gulledge a year ago.

Head Coach Becky Clark
-On Lyric Cabral's performance behind the plate last season and her improvement: "I'm not sure people understand how difficult it is to do what Lyric did last semester. To join a team at the Christmas break at her age and jump in and hold down the catching spot with consistency is a testament to her overall athletic ability and IQ of the game. On top of that she played with an injury for most of the season so I look forward to her being healthy and in great shape for her sophomore year."

-On her view of the responsibilities of the catcher position: "In general terms the catching position is about game IQ and toughness but when you talk in terms of specifics I think a great catcher has to be able to receive well, catch and throw, block, and manage the game and pitching staff. You want a catcher who understands the flow of the game and can stay steady under pressure. I am big on fundamentals of the position so we want to keep the ball in front of us, get as many calls for our pitcher as possible, and make the necessary throws and reads within the game."

Assistant Coach Hannah Campbell
-On replacing Devin Brown: "Devin was a pitcher who deceived hitters with her different speeds and spin. Her overall instincts allowed her to use those tools and get the strikeout in big situations. Her presence and overall big-game experience will obviously be missed, but we have solid competitors on the mound this year who aren't afraid of stepping up and getting a job done."

-On her expectations of Alexis Reid this season and what she's worked on this offseason to step into the No. 1 role: "Lex is a player who loves the pressure of the game. She wants the ball in her hand in the big situation. Throughout the offseason, she worked a lot on her spin and movement to help keep hitters off balance. I expect those improvements in her game, along with her steady mindset and ball instincts to transfer to the field this year. She knows the game and loves to compete so I can't wait to see it all come together for her."

-On the strengths of the newcomers to the pitching staff: "The best thing about this group of pitchers is how competitive they are. They want to be on the mound and they want to win. Jamie [Finnical] has worked extremely hard in the offseason and has learned how to be more efficient in her motion, trust her process and keep a steady mindset. She is a fierce competitor so I'm looking forward to seeing her bring all of those pieces together and seeing what she can do. I expect her to be a pitcher that attacks the zone and gets quick outs for her team.

"Sam [Yarbrough] has a very mature approach to the game. She may be young but you can't tell when she is on the field. She does a great job of attaching the zone and competing. She understands spin and will be someone who will get more swing and misses. Her work ethic along with her compete mentality are going to be two of her biggest strengths."

Pitcher Alexis Reid
-On stepping into the No. 1 role on the staff: "I know that I have to come in and fill in Devin's [Brown] role. We are two different types of pitchers and I bring some different tools to the toll box. I've been in this position before [at Kansas], so I'm excited to be able to step back into that role and get the team rolling and be the leader of the team"

-On where she feels she has progressed the most since the end of last season: "I've grown as I feel I've become more consistent; I feel that was my biggest down fall last year. Going into this season, I feel I am better in that area both mentally and physically."

-On working with Lyric Cabral behind the plate: "I think we are just able to communicate well with each other. We talk with each other in the dugout after every inning and go over what pitches worked better than others. We also watch film together and go over the scouting report with each other. Our communication is the biggest thing. We both value each other's opinions."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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