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February 23, 2007 First-year head coach Sam Douglas has plenty to build on during his inaugural season in the UMES dugout. Douglas and the Hawks return just three letterwinners from last season but that will not deter this squad in bringing new promise and laying the foundation for the maroon and gray softball program. Douglas spent the last three years as the assistant to then head coach Kirkland Hall. Following Hall's retirement as coach following last season, Douglas took the helm, his second stint as the skipper, with the mentality that it takes a solid foundation to build the program. "When I talked to the freshmen about coming here, the first thing I said was this year I'm laying the foundation. I'm trying to get a nucleus of girls who are going to grow together for four years." UMES' three returning letterwinners, Kendra Saunders, Kristen Greenwood and Shakeyah Habib, will anchor a young but exciting Lady Hawk squad. Saunders and Habib headline the sophomore class; Saunders led the team in several categories as a freshman last season while Habib made great strides as a walk-on. Greenwood, the lone Hawk senior, has been a cornerstone on the mound during the past two seasons and looks to close out her final year with a trip to the conference tournament. Infield Saunders will anchor the UMES infield at shortstop this season but may be called upon for other duties. Coach Douglas has the sophomore listed as a utility for good reason; she can play just about anywhere and has a quick bat. Saunders started 46 of 47 games last season at shortstop and third base and led the team in most categories, including slugging percentage (.678) and on-base percentage (.411), runs scored (22), RBI (23) and doubles (12). Her .678 slugging percentage ranked third in the MEAC while her .411 on-base percentage put her 10th in conference. Her.365 batting average and 42 hits was second highest on the squad, and she also finished the 2006 season with eight home runs, which tied for fifth highest in the MEAC. Greenwood is also versatile enough to play several positions for the Hawks. The Bel Air, Maryland native is one of the team's top pitchers and offensive threats and will see time at first when she is not in the pitching circle. Greenwood appeared in 41 games at first base last season and had a season high nine putouts vs. Winston-Salem State on March 18. She picked up five assists vs. Morgan State on April 29 and finished with 15 runs, five RBI and two runs in 92 at bats. Coach Douglas has added a talented core of newcomers to add depth in the infield. Brooke Downey from nearby Salisbury, Md., will most likely get the nod as starting catcher while Jaleesa Lewis, Tiffany Redden and Tiana Strother will compete for time at second and third base. Downey had a .350 batting average and a .600 on-base percentage as a senior at Wicomico High School and led her team to the 2006 Bayside South Championship and the 2006 Wicomico City Championship. Lewis, another local from Milford, Del., will probably earn a starting spot at third base. She was recruited by MEAC rival Delaware State and batted .400 and had a .990 fielding percentage during her high school years. Outfield Habib and newcomers Brittney Anderson, Arika Baldwin, Falisa Carrington and Shadawn Paige will all vie for time in the outfield. Habib may be called upon to cover some of the ground in the infield having played several games at first base last season, but will primarily cover the dirt in right field this season. The sophomore played in 14 games as a walk-on last year and tripled against Morgan State, bringing in the game winning run against the Lady Bears on April 29. Habib was one of only two Hawks to earn a triple that season. Anderson earned two varsity softball letters at Philadelphia's High School for Creative and Performing Arts and led her team to the Interscholastic Association AAA State Tournament as a senior. Paige is an all around athlete, having lettered in three sports in high school and was named most improved softball player as a freshman at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, Md. Pitching The key to UMES' success this season is linked to the success of its pitching. Greenwood will head up the pitching staff and will be joined by freshman Mishayla Truttman. Greenwood has been the maroon and gray's most reliable pitcher over the past two seasons and pitched just over 157 innings in 32 conference games last season, sixth highest in the MEAC. The lone Hawk senior finished with an 8.7 earned run average and struck out 59 batters while giving up 46 walks. Truttman was a four year varsity softball starter at Gresham High School (Gresham, Oregon) and led her team the state championship game in 2005.
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