Mocs Softball Opens New Season With High Expectations

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Chattanooga Mocs softball team opens their new season this weekend. UTC has the preseason SoCon pitcher of the year in Celie Hudson, and the preseason SoCon player of the year in Ally Walker. No wonder they’re picked to defend their SoCon title this year.

The Mocs flags were flying high last year as Chattanooga started the season 13-1.
Given the talent and experience coming back, the team expects another great start this season.
Said first baseman Emma Sturdivant:”We feel really good going into this year. Obviously having that extra boost of confidence from winning SoCon last year definitely helps us.”
Another reason to be optimistic about the start of the season.
Chattanooga will be at home for basically the entire month of February, bad weather and all.
Said head coach Frank Reed:”Thirteen. I think 13 games at home. Yeah we are rolling the dice a little bit as far as the weather goes.”
Said outfielder Ally Walker:”February in Chattanooga is not very predictable. So just hoping for some days we can get out on the field for sure.”
Said Hudson:”I like playing at home. I mean yeah it’s really cold sometimes, but it hasn’t been that bad lately. Fingers crossed that it stays in the sixties.”
Coach Reed knows he has the pieces.
Now it’s a matter of putting it all together.
Said Reed:”We need to find that chemistry that we had last year. I still think we are struggling with finding that.”
Reporter:”What does the team have to do this year better than they did last year?”
Said Walker:”We’ve just got to be a litlte more consistent. We got hot at the right time last year, and I’m very thankful for that. But I would like to see us more consistent in SoCon play and also through the tournament.”
Said Sturdivant:”I would say to be just as successful as last year, we just need to come together as a family like we did last year. Every single girl on last year’s team would run through a wall for each other. I think as long as we have that same mentality this year, there shouldn’t be any reason why we can’t be as successful.”

Chattanooga hosts Austin Peay in a double header Saturday starting at 1pm at Frost Stadium.