Game Notes | Davenport Athletics Network - Live Audio and Stats

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Davenport softball is making their journey to the Sunshine state for the sixth straight year as they will play in the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. beginning Sunday. Head coach McCall Salmon and her team will play 13 games in seven days beginning with a pair of games against Northwood (Fla.) tomorrow. The Lady Panthers saw their opening weekend cancelled last week against Milligan and Virginia Intermont. You can follow the team all week as every game will be broadcast live on the DAN.

Davenport softball enters their busiest week of the season in their annual trip to Florida to compete at the NTC Training Center. The Panthers will play nine different opponents next week all at the neutral site that has been their home for spring break since the program started in 2009

A Quick Look at the Opponents

Northwood (Fla.) – DU will open their season with a DH against the NAIA Seahawks who come into the weekend with an overall record of 3-8. Head coach Chris Diamond and his team compete in the SUN Conference as they will be one of two teams DU plays during the week from that league.

Lyndon State (Vt.) – Lyndon State is one of four NCAA DIII schools on the Panthers' schedule and is one they will meet twice throughout their stay. The Hornets, under the direction of head coach Bill Johnson, are opening their season on Sunday against Hanover and Schreiner before playing DU.

Hanover College (Ind.) – The Panthers and head coach Megan Carlton will also be opening their season in Clermont and will be one of four NCAA DIII foes that DU faces during the eight day stay.

Capital University (Ohio) – The reigning Ohio Athletic Conference champions are looking at repeating a breakthrough campaign from 2013 as head coach Nan Payne led her team to an overall record of 35-12. The Crusaders made it to the NCAA national tournament a year ago.

University of Tampa – The Spartans are one of the top teams in NCAA DII as they come into the weekend at No. 7 in their respective poll. Head coach Laslie Kanter has the team without a loss through their first five games and will play two more before the matchups with the Panthers on February 25.

Saint Thomas (Fla.) – The second SUN conference foe for the Panthers hails out of Miami, Fla. and the Bobcats will be one of the tougher opponents as they were selected to finish second in the league standings by the coaches. Head coach Jeff Norman and his team are 3-2 heading into weekend games vs. Barry and Warner.

Bellevue (Neb.) – The lone ranked team on the Panthers' schedule is the Bruins of Bellevue as they are No. 22 in the preseason Top-25 poll. Head coach Michala Cimino is in her fifth season and has made the Bruins into a national contender with three conference titles and three appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.

Alma College (Mich.) – The lone opponent from the mitten will be the Alma Scots and head coach Denny Griffin. Alma will begin their season as well this week and is coming off a 2013 campaign that saw them go 26-11 and finish 13-3 in MIAA play.

Point Park (Pa.) – The final opponent on the schedule will be the Pioneers from the KIAC as head coach Michelle Coultas and Point Park were picked to finish second in the conference. PPU went 31-13 last season made it to the semifinals of the tournament before bowing out to Berea (Ky.).

Notes

Getty Returns as Player of the Year
For the second time in school history, a Davenport player took home the top individual honor in the conference and Amber Getty will look to post an even greater season in her final one in 2013. As a junior last season, Getty set single season school records for batting average (.442) and slugging percentage (.862) while tying the mark for on-base % (.488)

Linebaugh Looks to Continue Late Success
Sophomore Kyleigh Linebaugh is the lone returner to the pitchers mound for head coach McCall Salmon and she is hoping Linebaugh can start like she finished 2013. After starting the season with an 0-2 record, Linebaugh went 11-3 the rest of the way and finished with a 3.01 ERA. She had a scoreless streak of 21 innings in the middle of conference play and also pitched arguably her best game of the year in the WHAC semifinals against Aquinas to lift the Panthers into the winner take all final in which they won.

Freshman Class Looking Strong AND Tall
Salmon's first full recruiting class as the head coach  looks like a gem on paper as she will head into 2014 with five freshman on the varsity roster. The class is strong at the pitcher's spot with Emily Maves and Alyssa Eastman leading the way. It also has three very strong infielders in Haley Obetts and Lindsay Tasma on the corners and Lauren Groendyk up the middle. Obetts (6'2) and Groendyk (6') are two of the tallest to ever play in the program and Maves (5'11) is just behind them.
 
Softball Contact: Aaron Sagraves | 616-554-5045 | asagraves@davenport.edu
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