University of Houston Athletics
Softball Voted Preseason No. 1 in Conference USA
1/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 26, 2011
HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team was picked as the favorite to capture the 2011 Conference USA regular season title, the league office announced Wednesday.
Nine points separated the top four teams in what looks to be an even stronger conference this spring. The Cougars tallied 70 points and three first-place votes by the league's nine head coaches.
"For anyone's confidence, knowing that people are thinking of you in that way gives you that little extra boost," head coach Kyla Holas said. "We've been telling them how talented this group is. We tell them to reach for that potential every single day. So when someone else affirms that, it helps back us a little bit to help them see that."
Houston posted a 30-24-1 overall record in 2010 and finished fifth in the league (12-10-1). A year later, the Cougars return their entire starting roster and pitching staff for the 2011 season. Heading this list are 2011 All-C-USA Preseason picks senior Donna Bourgeois, sophomore Ashleigh Jones and sophomore Reina Gaber.
A senior transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette, Bourgeois enters this season with a career pitching record of 69-24 and a career ERA of 1.37. She earned All-Sun Belt Conference first team honors and was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region second team, while posting a 23-10 record with a 2.01 ERA in 32 starts in 2010.
"With Donna, people saw what she did at ULL, being a 20-game winner each year," Holas said. "That's just something you can't forget or pass by. You have to acknowledge that. So, I'm happy for her and I hope she can have a good year in this conference."
Jones earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors after the leading Houston in batting average (.333), triples (four), hits (61) and stolen bases (seven) a year ago. She also started every game in the outfield during her freshman campaign.
"Ashleigh played every single day last year in centerfield," Holas said. "When you can get that kind of experience, things usually happen well for you. For her, I think that was pretty much a given."
Gaber finished second on the team with a .323 batting average and led the squad with nine doubles. Her performances earned the utility/designated player All-Conference second team accolades as well as a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
"Reina did a great job in conference last season as the (designated player), that's a tough role to play," Holas said. "She has a very strong mental game, a great personality and a great approach to things. I'm proud of her getting recognized again this year."
East Carolina and UAB were both voted to finish second in the conference race with 63 points each. The Pirates collected three first-place votes, while UAB received two. Predicted to place fourth is Tulsa with 63 points and one first-place vote. Rounding out the conference predictions were UCF in fifth (48 pts.), Southern Miss in sixth (31 pts.), Memphis in seventh (29 pts.), UTEP in eighth (23 pts.) and Marshall in ninth (17 pts.).
"It's a lot of respect especially since I think this conference is going to be possibly the strongest it's been since I've been here," Holas said. "I think we're going to put four or five teams into the postseason this year. We've brought a lot of good transfer and a lot of good freshmen in this year, it's going to be a really good season."
The Cougars cheered when Holas broke the news in practice. Holas and her staff still see a young team on the field as the projected lineup is dominated by freshmen and sophomores, but the excitement for their potential to develop in 2011 is clearly evident.
"They are excited," Holas said. "This is something we talk about as one of our goals, it's something we work for everyday. We always talk about it, but when someone else says it, it means a lot."
Houston will play host to No. 8 Michigan in the season opener on Feb. 11 at Cougar Softball Stadium. As a part of the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational, the first pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
2011 C-USA PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS (1st Place Votes)
1. Houston (3) 70
2. East Carolina (3) 63
3. UAB (2) 63
4. Tulsa (1) 61
5. UCF 48
6. Southern Miss 31
7. Memphis 29
8. UTEP 23
9. Marshall 17
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Toni Paisley, East Carolina (Senior)
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Camilla Carrera, UTEP (Catcher/Utility, Senior)
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
P Toni Paisley, East Carolina
P Donna Bourgeois, Houston
P Lauren Webster, UAB
C Mandy Lowman, UAB
IF Samantha Cobb, Tulsa
IF Natalie Land, UCF
IF Kayla Orr, UAB
IF Jazmine Valle, Marshall
IF Tiffany Lane, UCF
OF Caitlin Everett, Tulsa
OF Ashleigh Jones, Houston
OF Lelani Bernardino, Memphis
OF Leslie LeJune, Southern Miss
DP Reina Gaber, Houston
UT Camilla Carrera, UTEP
