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Return of All-American could spark UNC
BY RACHEL SODER
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
With a confident air, Jaclyn
Holden stepped casually into the
left side of the batter’s box.
Readying her hands for the
incoming pitch, she gripped the
bat in fierce anticipation. Her tall,
thin frame deceptively concealed
the power she awaited to release
upon the opposing team.
The pitch came in, and the first
baseman crushed a double high
and off the wall in right-center field
for her fifth double in five games at
the Triangle Classic last weekend.
Defenders only could scramble to
pick up the ball with hopes of limit
ing her to two bases.
The return of Holden is just one
of the factors that could propel the
North Carolina softball team to
what the Tar Heels hope will prove
to be one of their best seasons in
recent memory after falling in
the NCAA Regionals last year.
Holden was crowned as a third
team All-American as a freshman
but missed last season because of
a shoulder injury which forced her
to redshirt.
“I’ve seen her get stronger and
stronger every week,” said Coach
Donna Papa. “I think Jack is some
body that’s going to help us as we
go through the season just her
knowledge of the game and being
on the field and having some expe
rience.”
Holden’s return couldn’t come
at a better time for the Tar Heels,
with the graduation of former
North Carolina standouts Emily
Price who set the UNC single
season home-run record with 16
last year— and Dionne Streete.
North Carolina went 44-22 (6-4
in the ACC) with the combination
last season.
Selected as third in the ACC
preseason coaches’ poll, North
Carolina returns three starting
pitchers and five starting play
ers from last year’s roster. During
their 5-0 start last weekend, which
included two come-from-behind
wins, the Tar Heels displayed the
type of team chemistry that they
hope will continue throughout the
season.
“You can’t replace Dionne or
Emily or any of them, really,” said
pitcher Crystal Cox. “But we’ve
really found different strengths and
worked on a lot of different things,
and I think we’ve come together
well.”
The junior co-captain will take
the reigns as the ace on staff after
setting the single-season record for
strikeouts with 297 last year. The
achievement earned Cox an All-
“We want to go pitch by pitch, inning by
inning.... If we can keep everything kind
of a small focus, then we’re going to be OK.”
DONNA PAPA, unc coach
NCAA Regional Team selection in
2004.
“Crystal is just a competitor,”
Papa said. “She always goes out
on the mound, and she wants the
ball, and she is tough, and in two
years, she’s really made a mark on
our program.”
Cox will be joined by junior
Alison Yin and senior co-captain
Ashley Allen, who will look to
make an impact now in her final
season.
“(Ashley’s) always been com
ing back from an injury and not
ever able to really be strong start
ing a season,” Papa said. “I think
Ashley is going to surprise some
people.”
After struggling to put runs on
the board last season, the Tar Heels
will look for more offensive output
behind the bats of Holden, junior
Erica Ennis and senior Jessica
Young. Young knocked in five home
runs last season.
But much of North Carolina’s
thunder this year will spring from
its young talent. Many of the soph
omore starters saw action in 2004
and will bring that experience with
them this season.
“We have a good freshman
class, and the sophomore class has
stepped up a lot,” Cox said.
Papa also hopes to take advan
tage of a younger, quicker offense
by stressing aggressive base run
ning. Aside from experience, she
said she believes the team won’t
miss much because of the solid
work ethic they have put forth so
far.
“I think every one has each
learned they’ll have to step up in
their own leadership role,” Allen
said.
Part of the reason North
Carolina has gained more confi
dence is the chemistry the team
has developed early in the season.
But Papa said the challenge for
the younger players will be keep
ing focus throughout the season.'
“We want to go pitch by pitch,
inning by inning, those kinds of
things,” Papa said. “So I think if
we can keep everything kind of a
small focus, then we’re going to be
OK.”
Allen echoed her coach’s sen
timents, emphasizing that even
though the team is confident,
plenty of hard work will be crucial
Spring Sports
to putting together a successful
season.
“Team wise, we’re definitely
working for an NCAA title, but
even before that, we have to take
each little section of the season at
one time,” Allen said.
This idea will be especially cru
cial when North Carolina takes
on such big names as California,
the preseason No. 1. But Papa said
that with the nucleus of her team
and the unity and heart her play
ers have demonstrated, the Tar
Heels refuse to “fold over and die”
to the Golden Bears just because
they are No. 1.
“I think that they have a lot of
energy as a team, and they have
worked really well together,” Papa
said. “They have really good chem
istry, and besides having good tal
ent, the chemistry is the glue that
binds a team together.”
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DTH FILE PHOTO
North Carolina pitcher Crystal Cox will lead the Tar Heels' charge at the
mound after setting the single-season strikeout record last year with 297.
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