2001: ABAC FASTPITCH OUTLOOK

Last season the Fillies regained their GJCAA State title and finished with a 37-23 season record and a trip back to the National Tournament in Orlando, Fla. Finishing in the top sixteen teams in the country was a great accomplishment for the 2000 Fillies. Playing their second season on their new field on campus, the Fillies provided excitement for the fans en route to another successful season, continuing the strong softball tradition at ABAC.

Coach Campbell has reloaded for the 2001 season as ten new faces will join four returning sophomores. The Fillies plan on continuing the assault on the Southeast college fastpitch scene and building their program to a national power.

Coach Campbell has made a strong commitment to improving her program by expanding the Fillies’ schedule to more than 50 games in the spring of 2001. The team will travel to major tournaments in Florida (3 times), while playing a challenging schedule of home and away games, including some of the top Florida junior colleges, like TCC, Lake City, and Santa Fe.

The ABAC Fillies field will be three years old this season. The field is located on the rear of campus next to the tennis facility and the baseball field. 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. A batting cage and hitting circuit is positioned down the left side of the diamond.

The Fillies players are looking forward to playing their third year on their new field. Especially exciting, is that the GJCAA has nine teams competing in GJCAA Region XVII. Joining ABAC, are conference opponents Young Harris, Gordon College, Ga. Perimeter, South Ga. College, Darton College, Coastal College, Middle Ga. College, and Andrew College. Following a conference schedule, the top six teams will compete in the GJCAA state tournament, which will be held in Douglas, Ga.. The winner will advance to the NJCAA Nationals in Orlando, Fla. in May.

Campbell’s Fillies team will return four full time starters in Becky Greene, Kristin Hughes, Christie Ward, and Laura McGirr. Becky and Kristin were the leagues leading hitters in the GJCAA and Becky was named M.V.P. at the State Tournament. Both Becky and Kristin were All-Region selections. Christie and Laura anchored our outfield last year and will be instrumental in our return to the state tournament. Gone are Krista Lovejoy, A.J. Johnson, Kelli McNary, Sarah Burcham, and Sabrina Pace who all were great players for the Fillies last season. The Fillie program will miss these five athletes and wish them success at their four-year colleges.

Coach Campbell has brought in nine freshmen to join four sophomores. Coach Campbell is excited about the potential of the new recruits and the winning attitude and hard work they showed her during the fall season.

“We will be young behind the plate and on the mound, but the talent is there to have successful batteries. We have added more speed to our outfield and will be more exciting with our short game. I am looking forward to the 2001 season as these student-athletes will be fun to coach.”

“Experience is the biggest asset of these recruits. Most of these recruits have been playing the fastpitch game, which will bring more experience than teams I have had in the past. After what I saw this Fall from this team, I feel we will be a very exciting team to watch. We will be a scrappy bunch who loves to play hard. We have a started a great fastpitch tradition at ABAC in just four short years and I feel with our ethics of hard work and dedication, this will be another good ABAC faspitch team.”

“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”