LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky softball team will open its 2008 campaign under first-year head coach Rachel Lawson this weekend at the Chattanooga Shootout in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Wildcats will play four games in the two-day tournament hosted by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Kentucky is 4-7 all-time on opening day, and has won season openers in each of the last two seasons. A year ago, the Blue and White opened their season with three consecutive wins including the season-opening 12-11, win over Stephen F. Austin.
Lawson will make her coaching debut with the Wildcats against a first-time match-up with Wichita State, and Chattanooga which she holds an all-time record of 1-0 against.
The Wildcats? lineup features a 15-player squad including 2007 All-SEC Freshman team performers Molly Johnson and Natalie Smith. The Blue and White will also field their 2007 pitching rotation again in the 2008 season, which includes Jennifer Young, Megan Jolly, Amber Matousek and Lindsay Brogdon. Other returning contributors from last season?s squad are Becky Bishop, Audrey Meyer, Destinee Mordecai, Ashley Dimkich and Katie McCarty. UK will welcome four freshmen to the squad in Meagan Aull, Samantha DeMartine, Annie Rowlands and Megan Yocke.
UK will begin their season with a match-up against Wichita State on Sat., Feb. 9, at 10:30 a.m. The Shockers amassed a 37-28 record in 2007, placing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference and return 10 letterwinners, including three pitchers to the 2008 team. Mike Perniciaro is in his third year as the head coach of Wichita State, where he is 72-51 with the team. The meeting will mark just the second time in school history between the two schools. The teams met in 2002 with Wichita State taking a 1-0, triumph.
At 12:45 p.m., the Wildcats will go head-to-head with the host team Chattanooga. Chattanooga will begin its 2008 campaign after finishing 35-31 a year ago. The team took the Southern conference title in 2007 and return 10 letterwinners from that squad. Frank Reed is in his seventh year as the head coach in Chattanooga, where he is 245-157 overall, and 0-2 against the Wildcats. UK and the Lady Mocs last met in 2005, with the Wildcats squeaking out a 1-0 victory. Chattanooga holds an all-time 5-2, series record over Kentucky.
The tournament continues on Sunday with the Wildcats meeting both teams for the second consecutive day. UK will battle Wichita State at 10:30 a.m., and Chattanooga at 3:00 p.m.
Complete coverage of the Wildcats can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
