Date: 2/4
Position: Pitchers/Catchers
Position Coaches: Becky Clark (Catchers) / Hannah Campbell (Pitchers)

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Pitchers: Jamie Finnical, Jr. (2-4, 7.28 ERA, 50 IP, 17 App, 7 GS, 1 CG, 1/0 SHO, .313 opp. Avg.) Catchers: Kamdyn Kvistad, Jr. (49-46 GP-GS, .325 avg, 49 hits, 20 runs, 6 2Bs, 8 HRs, 79 RBI, 79 total bases)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Pitchers: Samantha Yarbrough (6-9, 4.71 ERA, 93.2 IP, 29 App, 14 GS, 5 CG, .212 opp. Avg.), Megan Dudenhefer (70.0 ERA, 1 IP, 3 app, .500 opp. Avg.), Alexis Reid (10-18, 3.78 ERA, 175.2 IP, 35 App, 28 GS, 16 CG, 3/0 SHO, .289 opp. Avg.) Catchers: Taylor Stevens (33-29, .244 avg, 19 hits, 6 runs, 5 2Bs, 6 RBI, 24 total bases), Morgan Lutticken, (Did not play during the 2018 season), Lyric Cabral (20-19 GS-GP, .281 avg, 16 hits, 4 runs, 4 2Bs, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 23 total bases)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Pitchers: Allie Hughen (Jr., Palomar College), Kelsie Rivers (So., College of Central Florida), Lexi Hutchins (Fr., North Desota [La.] High School), Jenna Hardy (Fr., Anthony Wayne High School) Catchers:Emma Kropp (Fr., Fairhope High School), Kassidy Wilcox (Fr., Brantley High School)

Miscellaneous Notes
- Kvistad ranked third on the team with a .325 batting average, while her 49 hits were second-most on the club last season. She recorded 14 extra-base hits, including six doubles and eight home runs, while also tallying 79 total bases. The junior scored 20 runs and drove in 28 and had a .523 slugging percentage.
- Kvistad played one game at the catcher position during the 2019 season and six games as a freshman in 2018.
- Two freshmen are also vying for time behind the plate - Wilcox and Kropp. Wilcox was a starter behind the plate for the Brantley since her seventh grade season. While there, she helped lead Brantley to four Alabama High School Athletic Association (ASHAA) Class 1A state titles and a pair of runner up finishes.
- Wilcox was elected to the finals all-tournament squad four times, was a first-team all-state selection by the ASWA four of her last five prep season and earned honorable mention honors as a 10th-grader.
- She amassed 368 hits for a .459 batting average and a .785 slugging percentage, while also posting 96 doubles, 12 triples and 47 home runs, 324 RBI, and over 200 runs during her Bulldog career
- Over her final three prep seasons, Kropp posted a .370 batting average with 156 hits, including 36 doubles, six triples and 21 home runs, while also scoring 94 runs and driving in 151 runners during that span. She also earned 7A first-team all-state honors from the ASWA and was named to AL.com's Coastal Alabama All-Region Softball Team following her senior season.
- Finnical is the only pitcher on staff with experience at the DI level having pitched her freshman season at Elon and then 50 innings in the circle last season at South.
- Rivers earned multiple postseason accolades following her freshman season at College of Central Florida as she was a first-team FCSAA all-state selection, a first-team all-Mid-Florida Conference selection and was named the Pitcher of the Year in the league. Of her 37 appearances, 31 were starts in the circle, while she finished with a 22-5 mark and a save, posting a 2.94 earned run average.
- Hughen lettered two seasons at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif., before transferring to South Alabama. She earned California Community College Athletic Association first-team all-conference, all-tournament and all-state honors, both as a sophomore and as a freshman, while helping Palomar to back-to-back championship game appearances.
- Hughen recorded a 15-2 record, three saves and a 0.92 earned run average in her 98.2 innings of work, while striking out 131 batters. She led the team in complete games (9) and her four shutouts were tied for most on the club. She allowed just 13 earned runs during the spring and averaged 9.29 strikeouts per game during the season, which ranked as third-best in the conference, while raising that average to 12.41 in league play.
- Hutchins was named first-team all-area by the Shreveport Times and was selected to the all-District 1-4A team as a pitcher by the district's coaches. She was also selected to compete for the Louisiana High School Coaches Association & Louisiana Softball Coaches Association East-West All-Star Games as a member of the West Team.
- Both Hughen and Hutchins are also expected to see time in the field and at the plate during the 2020 season.
- Hardy earned first-team all-Ohio and first team all NLL honors as a senior after compiling a 16-5 record during her final prep season. In her 144.2 innings of work in the circle, she struck out 224 batters and held a 0.63 earned run average, while allowing just 13 earned runs during the season.

Head coach Becky Clark
-On replacing Lyric Cabral and Taylor Stevens and how the lack of experience behind the plate will affect preparation of the young pitching staff:
"Losing Lyric [Cabral] is tough and we all feel for her because softball has been such a major part of her life and no one wants to end their college career with an injury. As for Taylor [Stevens], she brought an incredible energy and work ethic with her every day and, although she is still helping with the program, that energy and competitiveness on the field will be missed. But unfortunately injuries and graduation happen and they open up new opportunities for other players and you have to have "next man up" attitude.
"Kamdyn Kvistad will return to the catching position and be available to catch or play first base. She is a huge competitor and has a tremendous presence behind the plate and with the pitchers. Her overall grit and toughness are two of the main factors for any catcher and she has worked back into the catching position without skipping a beat. She has game experience and a high softball IQ, so I am confident in her ability to get the job done behind the plate.
"Our two freshmen, [Kassidy] Wilcox and [Emma] Kropp, have worked incredibly hard to absorb the speed of the game, learn their pitchers and learn our system. Both of them are competitors and bring the same level of grit and toughness that their position requires. I think both will continue to grow and improve as the season progresses.
"Collectively, all three of them are team players and are willing to do what their team needs from them and want to contribute to our team's success."
-On what she's seen out of the catchers during the fall and early part of spring practice in their development:
"The biggest thing that stands out to me is their work ethic and grit. All three of our catchers are tough, competitive and not afraid of hard work. As a former catcher, I know the hours that go into the position and the toughness it takes to be behind the plate, and all three of our catchers live up to that every single day.
"They have also done a great job of getting to know the pitching staff and figuring out the best way to work with them. Considering we have four new pitchers on staff and two new catchers, there was a lot to do in terms of familiarity and learning each other. For Wilcox and Kropp learning our defensive and offensive systems has been a big step forward for them. Both of them will get better and stronger as they go and gain more experience. Overall this is a group with a great mentality, work ethic, and will to compete."

Assistant coach Hannah Campbell
-On Jamie Finnical's development since last spring:
"Jamie has worked extremely hard in the off season to work through the physical and mental pieces that will elevate her game. She has taken steps forward with her precision and trusting her pitches. She has also developed more awareness in her mental approach of the game. Her tools compliment the staff which will be an important piece for her this season."
-On how she's handled the talented, but less experienced staff:
"We have worked a lot of situations this preseason to be prepared for game day. This staff may be young with the program but their mentality is not. I think this will be their biggest strength as a whole and I look forward to seeing what they do this season.
-On what has stood out to her about this group in the short time working with them:
"This group knows how to keep the game simple. They don't let their mind get in the way of what they need to do to have success. They each have tools that are different from the other and together create a dynamic staff."

Junior Catcher Kamdyn Kvistad
-On what she's done during the offseason to help her take that next step in development:
"Every season, my goal is to be better than I was the season before both mentally and physically, as well as at the plate and defensively. As a team, we've worked really hard in the weight room in order to help us get stronger. We've also worked on the little stuff to make sure we are really crisp and doing all the right things both on offense and defense. We've just tried to get better all around."
-On making the transition back to catcher:
"I'm very excited to be back behind the plate. In high school and travel ball I played behind the plate 95 percent of the time. To be able to move back to that position is awesome and I'm so excited. I'm having fun back there and learning some new techniques. I just try to get better each day. I'm really excited to see where the season goes and hopefully get a chance to contribute behind the plate. Catcher is my favorite position to play."
-On the challenge of handling a talented pitching staff that hasn't gained experience at this level yet:
"Coach [Becky Clark] and [assistant coach] Hannah [Campbell] have been working really hard with the pitchers trying to get them settled in at this level. I think the coaches have done a good job keeping them calm and collected. They've worked hard on the different aspects of pitching, and every day they are out there grinding hard as everyone else on the field. For me as a catcher, I feel that it's fun to learn them and their pitches, and then just how they function out on the field. It's been a cool experience for me to work with some new faces and new arms. The adjustment to this level isn't easy no matter what age you are, but I'm excited to see what they are going to do this season and I think they are going to do a great job because of how hard they've been working."

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