Date: 2/26
Position: Outfielders

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Mackenzie Brasher, Jr. (52-49 GP-GS, .357 avg, 50 hits, 27 runs, 3 2Bs, 4 RBI, .392 OB%, 8-10 SB-SBA); Caroline Nichols, Sr. (52-36 GP-GS, .294 avg, 32 hits, 22 runs, 2 2Bs, 3 RBI, 13-13 SB-SBA); Victoria Ortiz, R-JR. (38-37 GP-GS, .277 avg, 31 hits, 11 runs, 5 2Bs, 1 3B, 4 HRs, 50 XBH, 19 RBI, .446); Shelby Sloan, R-So. (25-15 GP-GS, .267 avg, 16 hits, 6 runs, 4 2Bs, 1 3b, 11 RBI); Bailey Welch, So. (30-21 GP-GS, .240 avg, 12 hits, 12 runs, 2 2Bs, 1 3B, 5 RBI, 1 BB)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Amanda Flynn, Sr. (22-7 GP-GS, 2 hits, 4 runs, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Erin McGlothlin (Homestead, Fla.)

Miscellaneous Notes
- Brasher earned second-team all-Sun Belt honors as well as league all-tournament honors last spring.
- The Orange Beach, Ala., native ranked second on the team and just outside the top 10 at the plate as she posted career best in hits (50) and batting average (.357).
- Nichols moved to the outfield on a full-time basis during the 2021 season and moved into the starting lineup in March. 
- She led the team and ranked 10th in the Sun Belt in stolen bases as she was a perfect 13-for-13, and ranked second on the club with 22 runs scored.
- Nichols had nine multi-hit games, which were third most on the roster, and did not commit an error in her 71 defensive opportunities.
- Ortiz returned to the lineup last season after missing the 2020 campaign due to injury. Of her 31 base hits, 10 went for extra bases (five doubles, one triple and four home runs).
- The Mobile, Ala., native played in the Florida Gulf Coast League over the summer where she earned all-star honors after batting .403 with a .667 slugging percentage. She tied for third in the league in doubles (7) also recording four home runs, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored, and recorded at least one hit in 20 of her 23 games played.
- Welch played in 30 games, starting 21 with all coming in the outfield – center (12) and left (9). She batted .240 with 12 hits, including a pair of doubles and a triple, while scoring 12 runs and drawing 10 free passes. 
- Sloan hit right at .300 against SBC competition (.296), and five of her 11 RBI came with two outs, and batted .345 (10-for-29) with runners in scoring position, which led the club        
- McGlothlin – the lone freshman of the position group – accumulated a .405 career batting average with 83 hits, 74 runs scored, six home runs, 40 stolen bases, .518 OBP and 39 RBI during her prep career at Keys Gate Charter High School in Homestead, Fla.
- She was ranked by Extra Inning Softball as the No. 60 player in the nation entering her senior season.

Head coach Becky Clark
-On Victoria Ortiz and how the end of the season and her participation in the summer league has helped her: 
"I think having the opportunity to play this summer in the Florida League was incredibly beneficial for Vic. It gave her a chance to hit the reset button and get her swing going again. I think that showed this fall because she was back to the old Ortiz having better at-bats and driving the ball with some authority. Going into this spring she needs to trust her preparation and just play the game with intent."
-On the importance of Caroline Nichols' mid-season emergence last season and what has she done to improve during the offseason: 
"Pepper was a big spark plug for us last season and I anticipate her continuing to make an impact on our lineup. She was out this fall with an injury, but is back and healthy this spring. Pepper is a competitor and plays the game with great instincts. She applies pressure by putting the ball in play and uses her speed to create opportunities for both her and the rest of the lineup. I think one of her strengths is she never really gets intimidated by the situation and helps set the tone with that mentality on game day."
-On expectations of Mackenzie Brasher after becoming an all-conference performer last spring: 
"Mackenzie has developed as a defender and on the offensive side, but I think the biggest step forward for her has been the mental side of the game. She obviously has the tools to play at a high level and now has the mental approach required to do this day-in and day-out. I think that's why you saw the postseason accolades for her, and the cool thing is, she still has more in the tank. My goal for her is to stay consistent with her mental approach and bring the same effort both physically and mentally every day. When she does this, she gives herself a chance to be incredibly successful."
-On what she's seen out of the unit as a whole throughout the first few weeks of practice: 
"Our outfield should be a strength for us both offensively and defensively. You could potentially have several top of the order hitters out there as well as a tremendous amount of speed and experience. They need to continue to do the preseason work both fundamentally and from an execution standpoint but the ability is there to be one of the top outfields in our conference."

Senior Caroline Nichols
-On her breakout season in 2021: 
" Everyone wants to be a starter, but I started the season off coming off the bench. I just came to practice every day and gave it my all and knew I had to prove myself so I could earn a spot in the lineup. I was put in the lineup at the Alabama tournament and knew that was my time to either make it or break it. I did what I needed to do. I just kept busting my butt and working to keep that position."
-On setting the table at the top of the lineup: 
"I love being in the leadoff role because it sets the table for the rest of the lineup and helps bring energy to the game. I'm a very competitive person and I love how the rest of the team gets fired up when I'm in the leadoff spot; it helps set the tone for the game. Our game last season against Alabama was a good example of it. We came in a little nervous, but I felt I was able to set the tone with my leadoff hit in my first at-bat. Everyone was hype from that point on."
-On what this group does well defensively: 
"We're really good at communicating and knowing how each other plays. Myself and Brash [Mackenzie Brasher] know that we each have a lot of speed and are confident that if anything is hit between us, its going to be caught."
-On being a leader on this team: 
"I'm the leadership type; I'm very vocal, so I've felt that even before this season, I've kind of taken on that role with this team. I always do what I can to help my teammates out, whether that's constructive criticism or what. I just push them to get better every day."

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