What you need to know:
* Georgia State returns 14 letterwinners from last season while adding seven newcomers.
* GSU will have to replace three big bats in the lineup, but has plenty of speed on the bench to add a new dynamic to the offensive gameplan.
* GSU begins the season against No. 6 Oregon on Feb. 12 at the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State.
ATLANTA – Georgia State's softball team starts the 2016 season this weekend at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. Head coach Roger Kincaid enters his sixth season as head coach after leading the team to a 38-22 record in 2015.
“It's going to be a different team from last year. We lost three power threats, but we still have a few spots that can produce homeruns for us,” Kincaid said. “We have a little more speed available to us in the lineup. You may see us steal some bases and run on teams more often than we tried to do last season.”
Key Returners
Sophomore Ivie Drake looks to avoid a sophomore slump after slamming 22 homers and 67 RBI in 2015. A finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year, Drake will begin this year on the USA Softball Top 50 Watch List for Player of the Year. Junior Megan Litumbe was second on the team with 21 homeruns last season.
“We don't want opposing pitchers to be able to pitch around Ivie,” Kincaid said. “That means we'll be depending on Megan and other players to produce in the middle of the lineup.”
In the leadoff spot, senior Taylor Anderson is back and earned preseason All-Sun Belt honors after an all-conference junior campaign. Anderson ranked second in stolen bases last season and will likely hold down the shortstop position once again.
Infielders
With Drake projected to start most games at catcher, junior Mandy Blackwell and freshman Arden Jobe hold the backup duties behind the plate, but will also fill in at first base. Blackwell started 36 games last season, mainly as a DP. Junior Mallory Koepke and sophomore Taylor Bradley will the main second basemen this season as Koepke returns from an injury that derailed her 2015 season. Bradley hit .275 her freshman year with 23 starts.
Anderson will be a familiar face at shortstop after starting all 60 games in 2015. To her right, at third base, will be Kensey Caldwell, who shifts from second to third for her junior year at GSU. Caldwell launched 10 homeruns and finished with 36 RBI last season. Competing and providing depth on the left side of the infield will be freshman Ambria Derry. Sophomore Kristin Hawkins continues to recover from an injury sustained last summer.
Outfield
Georgia State features six outfielders this season, including two freshmen in Remington Hasty and Reagan Morgan. Megan Litumbe is the projected starter in right field, but GSU will have to replace centerfielder Ashley Christy who graduated in the offseason. To fill that void, the Panthers may rely on junior Morgan Brown. Brown hit a career-high .297 last season and did a little bit of everything with 13 walks and eight stolen bases. At left field, GSU fans could see a platoon of players at the beginning of the season that includes the two freshmen in addition to sophomores Cassidy Faulk and Brenna Skalski.
Pitchers
Georgia State depended primarily on seniors Katie Worley and Chelsea Stanfield and junior Taylor Thorpe last season in the circle. All three are back, but the Panthers throw three newcomers into the mix as well. Worley threw the first no-hitter for GSU since 2011 on March 7 last season and finished with a 14-10 record and 4.11 ERA. Thorpe made 44 appearances and tallied a 17-6 record. Stanfield pitched 47.1 innings in 2015, finishing with five wins and a save. GSU adds two transfers in Annie Davis (Wisconsin) and Bridgette Flaherty (Louisville). Freshman Amanda Chance rounds out the pitchers in what will be a fun group to watch develop over the season.
Georgia State kicks off the season against No. 6 Oregon on Friday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Panthers play five games this weekend before hosting Georgia Tech in the home opener next Wednesday.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) for the latest news.
