Thursday, January 28, 2010

MACON, Ga. – As the 2010 NCAA Division I Softball season approaches, the Atlantic Sun Conference takes a look at each team leading up to the start of the season. Today, Belmont falls under the microscope.

Overview
In 2009, the Bruins finished league play with an overall record of 11-35 and 3-17 mark in A-Sun play and return seven starters, three pitchers and 11 of 17 letterwinners. Head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer enters his first year at Belmont after spending three seasons as the top assistant coach at Wichita State, in which the Shockers amassed 91 wins, including four against nationally ranked opponents, in the Missouri Valley Conference. Last season, the Bruins tallied a home record of 3-15 at Aquinas Field in Nashville, Tenn.

Top Returner
Senior Dawn Thoni returns as Belmont’s top hitter after a spectacular season in which the Franklin, Tenn. native started in 43 of 44 games played in 2009. Thoni finished the season at .294 with six home runs, 15 RBI, a .515 slugging percentage and a .347 on-base percentage.

Newcomers
Belmont only has two true newcomers on its roster this season, and returns Devon Schmidt, who missed the 2009 season due to injury.

Courtney Elrod, a Clarksville, Tenn. native, stands as a very versatile athlete who provides depth in the middle of the infield. Defensively, Elrod has a solid glove and a good arm. Offensively, the freshman has the ability to become a consistent hitter, and she has shown that she can hit with power. Elrod will be relied upon to make an impact on the bases and as a pinch hitter, if not in the starting lineup.

Ashley Smith started as a shortstop at Wallace State-Hanceville, a program that finished in the runner-up position at the NJCAA Div. I National Championships last season. This season, Smith has handled the transition to third base this season well, as the junior will be competing for the starting job with senior Erin Gier. Already showing the ability to be one of Belmont’s top hitters, Smith will be relied upon to lead at the plate and drive in runs.

Devon Schmidt, a redshirt freshman pitcher, started an all-freshman type of season before sustaining a season-ending injury. Through a determined rehabilitation process, Schmidt stands healthy and ready to help lead the Bruins pitching staff this season. Schmidt will battle sophomore Ashley Byers for the No. I spot, but the Greenbrier, Tenn. native will also come in out of the bullpen if needed to close a game.

Schedule
Belmont, celebrating its 18th year of play in 2010, will begin a strenuous early season tournament schedule on Saturday, Feb. 20 to ensure that the Bruins are battle-tested coming into conference play. During those tournaments the Bruins will face nine teams that finished in the top 100 in last season's NCAA RPI, but none a more formidable opponent than Georgia who opens the season ranked at No. 7.

Belmont opens the 2010 spring season on Saturday, Feb. 13 with home matches at Aquinas Field against in-state foe Austin Peay. Last season, the Bruins fell twice to the Lady Governors, who finished the season with an overall record of 15-38 and ranked at No. 214 in the RPI.

The Bruins begin conference play against the USC Upstate Spartans on March 26 at Aquinas Field, and will play 21 of their 56 games with home field advantage in Nashville, Tenn.

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11 Days of Atlantic Sun Softball Schedule
Jan. 28 – Belmont
Jan. 29 – Stetson
Feb. 1 – ETSU
Feb. 2 – Kennesaw State
Feb. 3 – Jacksonville
Feb. 4 – UNF
Feb. 5 – USC Upstate
Feb. 8 – Mercer
Feb. 9 – Lipscomb
Feb. 10 – FGCU
Feb. 11 – Campbell