APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – After a couple of weeks of individual skill/position workouts, Austin Peay State University’s softball team will begin its first full team practices this Monday, September 17th, 2018 at Maynard Stadium/Cheryl Holt Field as the Governors prepare for their first season under the direction of new head coach Kassie Stanfill.
“We’re excited to start practice with our full squad,” Stanfill said. “I think a team practice just brings a difference kind of energy because we first get a chance to work with them one-on-one and develop fundamentals and now we get to put them into more of a live-action setting, or a game-type setting, and see where we can build from there.”
The Govs will have a couple of weeks of full team practices before they face off versus a pair of opponents this fall, starting with a trip to the University of Evansville, October 12th, for a 6:30pm contest, followed a week later (October 19th) with a, 5:00pm, home doubleheader vs. Shawnee Community College.
“That’s something the players talked about during the interview process,” Stanfill said. “They wanted to face some other teams this fall and have a chance to compete because there is a difference between a practice and a game and these contests will allow us to see how they work through things in real game situations.”
Fall team practices will run through October 31st, with Austin Peay holding their Governors World Series October 23rd-25th.
I’m looking forward to the world series at the end of fall practice,” Stanfill said. “We as a coaching staff select the teams then we let the athletes run with it. They set the lineups, they make the pitching changes, or defensive changes when they want and we as coaches just sit back, watch and evaluate, while they get to have a good time to finish their fall.”
Overall, the Govs return 18 letter winners from last year’s team that posted a school-record 39 victories, and a runner-up finish in the Ohio Valley Conference, including OVC Pitcher of the Year, Morgan Rackel, OVC Freshman of the Year, Bailey Shorter and OVC First-Team selection Danielle Liermann.
Kacy Acree (All-OVC Second-Team), Natalie Schilling (All-OVC Newcomer Team), Kelly Mardones (All-OVC Newcomer Team) and Carly Mattson (All-OVC Tournament Team) also return.
