Seahawks begins fall workouts with most players in school history

[LamarStatesports]

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head softball coach Vance Edwards has a smile on his face this fall.

Edwards is smiling because he has more talent and more players on his current roster than any time since the college added intercollegiate sports in 2004.  

The 19 players include two sophomore starters from the 2010 Seahawks -- second-team all-conference outfielder Kirstyn Krugman from Dayton and pitcher/outfielder Lacey Simmons from Jersey Village.

Krugman ranked second in stolen bases in Region XIV this spring. She was eighth in hits and 11th in batting average with a .408 mark in conference action. Krugman hit .424 on the season to lead the Seahawks.

Simmons committed only two errors and had a .964 fielding average while playing in 32 of the Seahawks’ 35 games.

Sami Williams, a sophomore infielder from Port Neches-Groves, also returns after being red-shirted for medical reasons in the spring, which would have been her second season at Lamar State.

Williams hit .304 and was a starting outfielder as a freshman.

Edwards’ biggest job this fall is finding ways to use all the talent on his roster when the Seahawks begin their sixth season in Region XIV, one of the top junior college conferences in the nation.

“We have a lot of freshmen. So, during the fall, we will look at people playing at various positions,” Edward said. “I told the team that all positions are open. Everyone has to compete for a starting job, including the sophomores.”

Edwards also starts the 2010-11 school year with a new assistant coach, Megan Rowe, a former all-conference pitcher at Louisiana State University—Alexandria.

“Megan was an outstanding high school and college pitcher, so she will be working with our pitchers and catchers,” Edwards said.

There are four pitchers – Simmons, Katy Austin from Port Neches-Groves, Ashlee Frank from Beaumont West Brook and Candice Spurlock from Texas City.

The team has five experienced catchers – Valerie Brown from Bridge City, Tiffany Schwartzenburg from Beaumont West Brook, Samantha Lunceford from Port Neches-Groves, Keely Borel from Nederland and Shelby Klein from Seattle, Washington.

Klein transferred from George Fox University in Oregon, where she started 31 games as a freshman and was named to the All-Northwest Conference second team.

The fall roster also includes: outfielders Logan LeBlanc from Nederland; utility players Vicki Day from Pasadena, Erica Schmalenberger from Houston, Emily George from League City; and infielders Krista Mayer from Nederland, Delana Hamor from Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Katie Parker from League City and Kayla Adams from Silsbee.

Adams signed with Angelina College in 2009, but sat out her freshman season with an injury.

Seahawks softball news is available on-line at: www.lamarpa.edu.

[Guest shake and bake]

What is the address for the SB field. Or how do you get there from Orange.

[LamarStatesports]

Martin Field is adjacent to the Lamar State campus at 1000 Lakeshore Drive, next to the old National Guard Armory.

From Orange: take Hwy 87/73 toward Port Arthur, turn left at the the Memorial Boulevard exit (Hwy 96) and keep going as far as you can go. The last traffic liight will be at Procter Street. One block further, you have to turn right onto Lakeshore Drive. Continue down this street through the college campus. Martin Field will be on the left just past the old PAISD Middle School, which is being refurbished.