Link: USA South Release
The LaGrange College softball team was picked to finish fourth in the USA South West Division Coaches' Preseason poll on Thursday, as the Panthers will begin their season on Sunday, Feb. 16, with a doubleheader against Agnes Scott at the LC Softball Complex.
The Panthers compiled 39 points, clearing fifth-place Covenant by nine and trailing third-place Huntingdon by 12. Maryville, which is the two-time defending USA South champion, and Piedmont each received 60 points atop the West Division. The Scots received four first-place votes and the Lions were given five. Pfeiffer was tabbed No. 1 in the East Division with 59 points and five first-place votes.
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| Lauren DeLoach batted .305 with 29 hits, 11 runs and nine RBIs in 2019. |
Panthers head coach Jennifer Claybrook '99 '01, who is in her ninth year as LaGrange's athletic director, enters her 18th year at the helm of the Panthers' softball program. During her tenure, the Panthers have gone 373-332 overall, reaching the NCAA Division III Tournament in three-straight seasons from 2007-09. In each of those seasons, LaGrange hoisted the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) tournament title.
In 2015, the Panthers qualified for the national tournament for the fourth time in program history, tallying a program-record 14 USA South wins. The 2015 team won 25 games and defeated William Peace in the conference title game.
The 2019 team finished 16-17 and 9-7 in the USA South, qualifying for the playoffs for the third-straight season. The fourth-seeded Panthers fell, 2-1, in a three-game series to third-seeded Huntingdon in the first round of the tournament.
The Panthers return 20 players from last year's team, while adding 13 new faces. The newcomers include freshmen Abbey Gardner, Billie Simmons, Kasey Smith, Chasiti Wade, Maggie White, Reagan Gunter, Alexandrea Fulford, Madi Novak and Jessica Coates, sophomore Olivia Barrera, and juniors Rebekah Hobson, Katlyn Gamble and Jordyn Gurley.
LaGrange will have plenty of offensive firepower with senior Taylor Long and junior Brittany Todd bringing their dynamic skill sets to the table. Long ranked third in the USA South in batting average (.482) and stolen bases (25), eighth in on-base percentage (.508), tied for eighth in hits (54) and 10th in runs (35) last season. Todd batted .381, to go along with a .409 on-base percentage and a .512 slugging percentage. She recorded 32 hits, 19 runs, 15 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and nine doubles.
Long and Todd were both named to the USA South West Division First Team, while then-freshman Ansley Brown earned USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Week on April 15.
Seniors McKenzie Brunel and Lauren DeLoach will also be important factors, as both batted over .300 in 2019. In the circle, sophomore pitcher Payton Thomas returns after an impressive rookie campaign. She appeared in 18 games and made 16 starts, finishing 6-6 overall with a 3.72 ERA. Junior starter Emsley Smith will also play a vital role, as she went 5-7 in 18 appearances and 12 starts, posting a 4.43 ERA.
The 2020 Panthers are scheduled to play in 38 regular-season games, with 22 being held at the LC Softball Complex. The Panthers will compete in 16 USA South games, as the top-six teams from each division will qualify for the playoffs.
