ABAC Fillies Softball
1998-1999 Outlook
1999: The new tradition continues - the season outlook...
Last season was full of highlights for the Fillies who, en route to a 39-18 record (and 11-1 in
Georgia Junior College Conference play), captured their second straight State Championship,
won the District C Championship against Spartanburg Methodist College from South Carolina,
and made the sixteen team field at the NJCAA National Fastpitch Tournament in Hutchinson,
Kansas in May.
Ten talented freshmen join the four, returning players for the Fillies' continuing assault on the
Southeast college Fastpitch scene. All four sophomores bring leadership and experience back to
the ABAC program for the 1999 season.
Coach Campbell has made a strong commitment to improving her program by expanding the
Fillies schedule to more than fifty games in the Spring of 1999. The team will travel to major
tournaments in Florida (three times) and Alabama, while playing a challenging program of home
and away doubleheaders against many of the top-ranked teams in the country including Florida's
Tallahassee C.C. and FCCJ, and the top ranked team of Lake City Community College.
For the first time the ABAC Fillies will be playing on their own campus as completion of their
new softball field will be ready for the 1999 season. The field features two concrete dugouts and
pitching bullpens on each side of the diamond. The field is encased in green windscreen with
yellow poly-caps. Home plate to center field is 225 feet and 215 down the lines. The grass is
Bermuda. A batting cage and hitting circuit is positioned down the left field side of the diamond.
The Fillies' players are especially looking forward to defending their State Championship title as
they will host the GJCAA Tournament in May at their new field. GJCAA conference teams are
Young Harris College, Georgia Perimeter College, and Gordon Junior College. This will be the
last year these four colleges compete in fastpitch by themselves, as rumor has it; the rest of the
junior colleges in Georgia will switch to fastpitch in 2000; which will increase the field to nine
teams.
Campbell's Fillies team did lose most of its firepower as seven starters are gone. Six of these
starters signed scholarships at four year colleges. Gone are All-American pitcher, Jennifer
McCarthy, third baseman, Penni Murphy, second baseman, Sheila Bland, catcher, Anna Schell,
the entire outfield of Adrianne Roberson, Lauren Jowers, and Sonya Poole, as well as utility
player, Molli Harden. McCarthy, Roberson, Jowers, Schell, and Harden signed with Division II
power Georgia College and State University and Poole signed with NAIA power Georgia
Southwestern University.
Despite the fact that these players will be missed, Coach Campbell is excited about the potential
of the freshman recruits and the winning attitude and tradition provided by the experienced
sophomores..."We have started a great tradition in fastpitch in just two short years and I feel with
a lot of hardwork, dedication, and commitment, this team can carry on the tradition of winning at
ABAC. "Our goal in this program has always been to have a top-class team who loves to hustle
and compete with the best. I strongly believe that with our philosophy of hard work and
commitment and a little luck, we can make our program a regular face at the NJCAA National
Tournament.
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Last updated on 1/7/99 by Instructional Technology
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