BSC's 30-Win Softball Team Opens Play in WVIAC Tourney 

( Bluefield)—When Bluefield State College’s softball team opens play in the West Virginia Conference tournament tomorrow morning in Vienna, the Lady Blues enter their 10 a.m. game against Salem International as a confident, but hungry club. They’ve won 14 of their final 16 regular season games to chalk up the first 30-win season in the team’s history.

“The interesting thing about our players is that, even though they’ve won 30 games, they are really focused on doing more,” noted coach Todd Buckingham. “They can think of at least 10 losses during the regular season that they believe we should have won. Last year, we were happy just to be getting to the tournament with a non-losing (25-25) record. This year, we want more.”

Buckingham entered a challenging situation five years ago when he took over the BSC softball program. His first team posted a 2-28 mark. “We hadn’t won a conference game in six years,” he recalled. “The following year we won seven games, and pushed that to 11 games in 2004.” After a 25-win 2005 campaign, the Lady Blues have come together late in the 2006 campaign, sweeping a critically important doubleheader at Fairmont State recently to knock the Lady Falcons out of first place in the conference.

“The key to our turnaround has been getting the talent,” Buckingham said. “I’ve visited national amateur softball tournaments the last several summers, and I’ve recruited several players at those tournaments to join the players from this region on our team.”

Approaching the WVIAC tourney tomorrow, the Lady Blues spotlight an offense that includes several hitters among the conference’s best. Centerfielder Nikki Resta is batting a team-best .418 with a league-leading 45 stolen bases. “She’s our catalyst—probably the best leadoff hitter in the conference,” Buckingham observed. Freshmen Brandi Hankins and Liz Hawkins also rank among the league’s top five base stealers, with 20 and 15, respectively. Hawkins has also been on a tear at the plate, collecting 12 hits in her last 18 plate appearances, raising her batting average to .382.

Sisters Ali Lopez (freshman, rightfielder/designated hitter) and Erica Lopez (freshman, first baseman) are also productive middle-of-the-order hitters. “Ali is a great clutch hitter,” her coach said. She’s batting .408 with 34 runs batted in. Erica is hitting .362 with six homers and 34 rbi’s. Maggie Donaldson, another freshman, gives the Lady Blues some lineup flexibility and power in the batting order. “Maggie is a great athlete. She can play three infield positions,” Buckingham said. She’s batting .306 with 4 homers and 38 rbi’s.

“To say that Katie Kelly has been our anchor on the mound is a huge understatement,” he continued. “She’s won 17 games, and has gone 9-1 in her last 10 starts.” Kelly is not overpowering, according to her coach, but has excellent movement on her pitches and works well with catcher Liz Ruberg in knowing how to exploit a hitter’s weaknesses.

“Each of our three seniors has been big parts of turning the program around,” Buckingham continued. Jesse Sarrett, Liz and Callie Shamblin are all four-year starters, and they’ve all been leaders, on and off the field.” Sarrett, a leftfielder, was recently named the WVIAC “player of the week.” Ruberg has been a four-year captain, and Shamblin, a third baseman, has battled through injuries to give the club solid play throughout the season.

Buckingham will be leaving BSC after the season to become head softball coach at Indiana University/Southeast in New Albany, IN. “It’s been a great experience at Bluefield State, and our student-athletes have represented the school very well in the classroom and on the field,” he added.

“Everybody in the conference thinks BSC shouldn’t be this good, but we’re confident. We know that, by sweeping Fairmont State on the road last week, we can beat anybody. We believe in ourselves.”

If the Lady Blues beat Salem International tomorrow, they’ll face regular season WVIAC champion West Virginia Wesleyan in the next round. BSC extended the Lady Bobcats before dropping a 14-13 decision earlier this year.

May 3, 2006