SOFTBALL JOURNEYS SOUTH FOR SECOND TOURNAMENT BOUT

PHILADELPHIA-- Temple softball returns to Florida this weekend to attend the Plant City Tournament where the Owls will take on Harvard, Illinois State, Michigan State and Toledo. The Owls, disappointed by their performance in their first tournament run, look to Plant City as a proving ground. They intend to use this tournament to demonstrate the team's cohesion, talent and drive to win. "We are excited to go and see how we improve from the last tournament," said junior Kelly Swartwood.

When reflecting on their performance at the USF Wilson Invitational, Swartwood stated "We have a lot of talent but we didn't put it all together. When pitching was on, defense was off. It is only a matter of time before it comes together." Swartwood discussed other problem areas. "We are learning how to come back after making an error and not make errors after that," Swartwood said.

Since returning to Philadelphia, the Cherry and White has worked hard to correct mistakes that were made during their first trip to Florida. "Now we have a sense of what we really need to work on and we are focusing on what we need to work on in practice," said Swartwood. Coach Casey Dickson added "As a coaching staff, we are stepping up the intensity with our practices.  Other than that, we are keeping with our practice plan and that is to teach the game and go over the fine points".  

The Owl program has gone through significant changes with Dickson's appointment as head coach. When comparing Dickson to her previous coaches, Swartwood explained "Our team is responding well to Coach Dickson's structure and working hard. We believe that we deserve to win because of how hard we worked. Coach Dickson is very much a teacher."

Dickson has high hopes for the remainder of the season "My expectations are for this team to give it all they have, be committed to the team and the game of softball, and improve everyday.  If we improve in these areas as a team, then this team is one to watch soar to new levels".

Historically, the Cherry and White have not faired well against Illinois State or Michigan State. Illinois State (3-6) leads the series 0-4 while Michigan State (4-2) has a 7-2 advantage over the Owls. Temple last met Illinois State in 1995. They played Michigan State last season. The Owls (1-4) have never competed against Harvard (0-0) or Toledo (3-4). 

Temple University Athletics

SOFTBALL JOURNEYS SOUTH FOR SECOND TOURNAMENT BOUT

Related News

Related Videos