2020 Softball Preview: Pitchers and Catchers

HUNTSVILLE — The Sam Houston State softball team is set to begin preparing for its Southland Conference regular-season and tournament title defenses when the nonconference portion of the schedule kicks off Feb. 7 against Mason at the Stetson Leadoff Classic in Florida.

Bearkats head coach Garrett Valis, the 2019 SLC Coach of the Year, has a solid group of returning players who make a strong nucleus to build around with the newcomers. Sophomore Regan Dunn and senior Karina Sanchez both have experience pitching in the NCAA Tournament and will have catchers Bailey White and Hunter Ervin, who shared starts last season, back this season.

Pitchers

Sophomore Regan Dunn saw action at the plate and in the circle as a true freshman, appearing in 28 games last season. She was 9-5 as a pitcher with a 2.22 earned run average with 91 strikeouts and a save and was 6-1 with a 1.69 ERA in seven Southland Conference starts.

She pitched a perfect inning in a 3-0 loss to No. 9 Texas in an elimination game at the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Dunn hit .205, scored nine runs and had two RBI in 44 at-bats on the season.

"Regan returns with the most time for us on the mound last year where she put together an impressive freshman season," Valis said. "She is a dual-threat athlete as a pitcher and hitter, so she can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of a game. Her desire to achieve at an elite level is awesome to watch. I believe the experience from last season will prove extremely valuable as she looks to take on a larger role this coming year."

Senior Karina Sanchez started nine games in the circle for the Bearkats and made 18 appearances last season. She earned the victory in a 4-3 win over Stephen F. Austin on May 5, 2019 that clinched the outright Southland Conference regular-season championship.

Sanchez pitched six strong innings, scattering five hits and not giving up an earned run in a 3-0 loss to No. 9 Texas in an elimination game at the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

"Karina is in her second year with the program after coming off of a national championship at the junior college level," Valis said. "She pitched in some big spots for us last year in a more limited role, but I anticipate that to increase quite a bit. She's a tireless worker that loves to compete for her team, and I look forward to handing her the ball this spring."

Junior Annie Bailey appeared in 10 games in the circle for the Bearkats, including seven starts last season. She went 2-1 with seven strikeouts. She also went 1 for 4 at the plate for a .250 batting average on the season.

"Annie comes back with as much pitching experience at this level as anyone on our staff," Valis said. "I am excited for her to take the necessary steps forward to be a more consistent contributor for us. She has worked well to develop more consistency with coach Tess
Soefje), so I anticipate her competing for mound time throughout the spring."

Junior Darby Fitzpatrick appeared in five games, primarily as a relief pitcher for the Bearkats with one start in the circle in 2019. She had two strikeouts in four innings.

"Darby is also a junior pitcher who I believe has continued to develop during her time in our program," Valis said. "She is a beacon of light in our leadership group and program and is extremely hungry to grab the opportunity in front of her. Darby has the ability to attach hitters in a different way than other members of our staff, so I look forward to seeing her take advantage of those opportunities."

Catchers

Junior Bailey White appeared in 57 games, making 56 starts as a catcher and designated player. She was named to the All-Southland Conference Tournament team after driving in three runs in a 7-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the semifinals.

For the season, she had 10 doubles and four home runs, and she had six multi-hit and three multi-RBI games.

"Bailey returns with the most experience behind the plate for us and has been a consistent contributor in the middle of our lineup during her time here," Valis said. "She has a big arm and ability to drive the ball all over the park. She is great option to have at the plate with runners on base. Bailey plays the game with toughness and intelligence, which I believe will elevate her game to a new level this season."

Senior Hunter Ervin made 24 starts while appearing in 31 games for the Bearkats behind the plate last season. She had two doubles and four RBI.

Defensively, she had 104 putouts with 18 assists and posted a fielding percentage of .961.

"Hunter is in her third year with the program and has improved every season for us," Valis said. "She has tremendous presence behind the plate and does an excellent job of working with our pitching staff. She is a power threat at the plate and excels at controlling the running game defensively. She looks ready to contribute for us again this spring."

2020 Softball Preview: Pitchers and Catchers

Players Mentioned

Annie Bailey

Regan Dunn

Hunter Ervin

Darby Fitzpatrick

Karina Sanchez

Bailey White

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