The 2010 softball regular season is almost over and the NCAA South Regional Tournament is drawing near.
With three games remaining on the schedule, the Spartans stand at 20-17 overall with an 11-10 mark in Sunshine State Conference play. UT ranks fourth out of the nine teams in the conference.
The team saw its share of ups and downs over the course of the season. A rocky 2-3 start at the Eckerd Tournament turned into a 7-4 record after winning five of six games in a Clermont, Fla., tournament.
The Spartans were 9-8 when they went on a tear, winning nine of ten games from March 18 through April 1. Eight of the wins were in conference play.
“We weren’t doing too well in the beginning,” sophomore Becky Vyzas said. “Other than that I think we’ve been pretty good.”
Vyzas has put up more strong numbers in 2010 after a big freshman season. Despite an 0-11 weekend against Florida Southern, the star catcher leads UT with a .286 batting average and two home runs. Her defining moment this season was a walk-off grand slam against Lynn on March 20.
Injuries took their toll on the team as well. Vyzas missed 13 games with a wrist injury, while pitcher Deanna Henriott missed the entire season with a torn labrum in her hip. The latter injury put the pressure on Heather Van Landingham and Kari Walsh to carry the team on the mound.
“Heather doesn’t mind having the weight on her back,” UT Head Coach Leslie Kanter said. “Kari’s also done a good job this season.”
UT’s lineup saw significant changes from 2009 with a combination of freshmen and transfer students filling holes left by last year’s seniors.
“We lost a lot of good hitters last year,” Kanter said of the team’s high turnover rate.
Four seniors will depart from the team after this season, including Van Landingham.
Van Landingham has pitched well with an increased workload in 2010, posting a 1.82 ERA in 23 starts.
Jessica Tejas also stepped up in her senior season, hitting .271 with two home runs and a team-high 14 walks. She credits her teammates and Coach Kanter for her success at UT.
“Coach never stopped believing that when it was my turn, I would step up,” Tejas said. “Having that kind of confidence lasts much longer than seven innings.”
With regionals looming, Kanter says her team is prepared for the tournament.
“I don’t know what to expect, but I think they’re ready for the challenge,” Kanter said.
Kanter also has a positive outlook on the future of the team, saying they are capable of winning the conference title soon.
“I wouldn’t doubt that in the next couple of years we will be in the running,” Kanter said.
The Spartans close out the regular season at home Friday and Saturday with a three-game series against Eckerd College.