Home > The Bear Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 23 > Entry
Baylor softball’s all-time lineup
SOFTBALL POLL
Baylor’s softball history is really more of a doubleheader — it’s more like two separate histories, only by a program wearing the same name on its jerseys.
Baylor’s first softball tenure ran from 1974 to 1988, before the sport really reached the popularity and level it’s at today. The team’s success was spotty, and Baylor’s own archival records from those days are sketchy at best.
Then the program was renewed in 1996 with the formation of the Big 12, and the vast majority of the school’s success has been amassed since then.
So, don’t be surprised if you notice a more modern feel to Baylor’s all-time softball squad:
Catcher: Chelsi Lake (2004-07): A prodigious slugger, Lake is Baylor’s all-time leader in home runs (44) and RBIs (184).
First base: Ashley Monceaux (2006-07): In just two short years with the Lady Bears, Monceaux made a lasting impact. The former Arizona Wildcat just might be BU’s best hitter ever, with a career .380 batting average, 30 doubles, 28 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Second base: Carrie Leerberg (2002-05): A speedster who ranks fourth all-time in BU history with 68 stolen bases, Leerberg was first-team all-Big 12 and all-region as a junior in 2004, when she hit .372 with 28 steals in 32 attempts.
Shortstop: Kim Wilmoth (2002-05): Baylor’s all-time leader in games played with (252), Wilmoth was a gamer in every sense of the word. She ranks among BU’s top 10 in career batting average (.318), runs (118), hits (213), triples (9) and stolen bases (92).
Third base: Brette Reagan (2006-current): With 13 home runs in 2009 — a number certainly not out of her reach — Reagan would suprass Lake as Baylor’s all-time top home run hitter. She has banged out 10 or more homers in each of her three seasons, and was the Big 12 freshman of the year in ‘06, when she hit .355 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs.
Outfield: Kelly Osburn (2003-06): A terrific all-around player blessed with power, speed and a patient batting eye, Osburn is the program’s all-time leader in runs (164) and walks (106), while also ranking second in home runs (38) and third in stolen bases (80).
Outfield: Harmony Schwethelm (2003-06): A versatile player who also saw action at shortstop for the Lady Bears, Schwethelm is arguably the best baserunner in school history. She stole 102 bases in 117 attempts to rank No. 1 atop BU’s all-time thievery list.
Outfield: Naomi Fitzgerald (1998-2001): Baylor’s first multiyear all-Big 12 performer, Fitzgerald knew what to do with the bat in her hand. She had 247 hits in her career and 69 multi-hit games, ranking No. 1 in both categories among Lady Bear letterwinners.
Utility player: Sarah Caudle (2000-03): A savvy second baseman who also pitched for the Lady Bears, Caudle is sixth in school history with a .323 career batting average.
Pitcher: Stacey Allison (1996-99): The bedrock of BU’s program when it was reborn in 1996, Allison went 75-54 in the circle with a 1.84 ERA and 610 strikeouts.
Pitcher: Lisa Ferguson (2004-07): How many softball programs can boast a player who is the school’s all-time leader in both wins (82) and saves (19)? Whether she was starting the game or closing it out, Ferguson could bring the gas.
Pitcher: Cristin Vitek (2002-05): Talk about a hurler who could flat-out bring it. Vitek recorded a school-record 759 strikeouts in 738.2 innings pitched, finishing with a 74-38 record and a miniscule 1.41 ERA. Vitek’s most memorable performance came in a 16-inning thriller in a 1-0 win over North Carolina in the 2004 Waco Regional, gunning a mind-boggling 28 strikeouts to set a new NCAA record.
Coach: Glenn Moore (2001-current): Before last year’s dip to 23-22, Moore had won at least 30 games in every season as a Division I coach. The Baylor program has become a perennial Big 12 power under his watch, making four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2003-07 and advancing to the school’s first College World Series in 2007.
- Introducing the all-time Baylor football team
- Baylor soccer's all-time squad
- The Best of Quarter-Miler U
- Nothing but aces for Baylor golf
- Baylor baseball's field of dreams
- Catching up to BU's swiftest cross country runners
- Introducing BU's all-time volleyball all-stars
- BU's all-time tennis teams
- These Bears could ball
- Baylor softball's all-time lineup
- BU women's hoops dream team
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Baylor's all-time teams
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F
Post a comment
Before you comment, please take a few moments to make sure that what you're saying is civil and respectful. We don't tolerate personal attacks, insults, name-calling, impersonations or generally hateful comments — they don't make for a pleasant (or productive) conversation. We want to raise the level of debate and encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints — and that means disagreeing without being disagreeable. If you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, you probably shouldn't say it here.
Your comment will be removed from WacoTrib.com if it runs afoul of these guidelines or anything else in our site's visitor agreement.
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.
Comments
By Brice Cherry
December 23, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Let me add a few honorable mentions from the pre-1996 era:
Cindy Maddox, pitcher: Took Baylor to a pair of AIAW College World Series in 1980 and ‘81.
Paula Young, shortstop: Young played on that 1980 World Series team and was the AIAW Athlete of the Year in Texas. She also coached the program from 1981 to ‘88 and from 1996 to 2000, recording a 323-349-2 record.
Two other good players from the mid-1980s era were pitcher Sally Swain and pitcher Cindy Mosteller.
By nancy
December 26, 2008 2:01 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
yeah! chelsi, ozzie, kimmie and harms
By Dr. Jeff Schwartze
April 28, 2009 5:54 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I thought that Kelly Leveque was one of the smartest players on the diamond. She was a consistent hitter and great fielder. She deserves to be mentioned.