AGGIE PRIDECAST FEATURING PATTI RADUENZ 

EAST GREENSBORO – With a new coach and a young team, the expectations for North Carolina A&T softball team is low as the Aggies begin their season this weekend with a doubleheader against Hampton starting at 1 p.m., at the Lady Aggie Softball Complex. 

N.C. A&T finished last season with a 9-31 record overall and a 5-10 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to finish as the No. 4 seed in the south. They went 1-2 in the MEAC Softball Championship Tournament. 

The Aggies were picked to finish eighth place in the MEAC out of 11 teams in 2020. The top eight teams earn a spot in the MEAC tournament held in Ormond Beach, Fla., from May 6-9.
There are a lot of new faces surrounding the Aggies softball team this season with four new coaches and eight newcomers. One player returns after sitting out last season.
The chief new face is Patti Raduenz who enters her first year as the Aggies head coach. She inherits a young team that consists of seven freshmen, nine sophomores, four juniors and one senior.

"It's an advantage for us that we can continue to grow this program. It's kind of like planting a seed in the garden," Raduenz said of her young team. "You want to watch that seed mature and grow through the years. Like a strong oak tree, as it gets older, it gets stronger, you build those roots deeper.

Twelve players return from last year's team. The lone senior on the team is infielder Alyssa Smith, while the three returning juniors from last season's team are pitcher Bayleigh Kirby, junior pitcher and utility player Hailee Cutts, junior catcher Samantha Ramirez.

"A younger team allows us to truly solidify our foundation, our roots, and this team has bought in," said Raduenz. "That's exciting for them. It's exciting where they're not necessarily influenced by what they've learned in the past. They are open-minded and looking forward to starting new." 

THE RETURNERS
Smith recorded 19 hits, seven doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI and scored 12 times. Ramirez batted .263 with 21 hits, five doubles, 11 RBI and eight runs scored. On the mound, Cutts recorded a 3-7 record with a 9.74 ERA with 11 strikeouts, while Kirby only pitched in one inning last season. Cutts also batted .248 with 26 hits, six doubles, 11 RBI and five runs scored.
"Alyssa is kind of a quiet stallion," Raduenz said.  "The team calls her the stallion, but she's more of a lead by example. She's a fantastic hitter and she's got a cannon for an arm. Hailee is not only a pitcher but a first baseman. She's a pure hitter and she's got some nice power behind the plate."

The eight sophomores returning from last season's team are outfielder Eternal Fuller, pitcher and utility player Alisa Maldonado, infielder Vivica Boyd, utility player Maya Figueroa, infielder Desttany Parker, catcher Jocelyn Bennett, utility player Tivonia Cole and catcher Dominique "Nikki" Varela. 

Fuller was second on the team last season with a .288 batting average and she recorded 17 hits, a double, two RBI and scored 13 times. Varela batted .274 with 23 hits, two doubles, 10 RBI and scored seven times and Figueroa recorded nine hits and five RBI.

"Tivonia and Eternal have done a great job in tracking down balls defensively," Raduenz said.  "I don't think there's a ball that can get over their heads. Desttany has been rock solid at third base. She's feisty and she's a very patient hitter."

Raduenz said Eternal and freshman utility player Latianna Langley are great at getting the ball in play and beating out the majority of the throws.  She calls them great baserunners that take advantage of defensive mistakes and hesitations.

Vivica is hungry and a fighter who is learning how to play first base according to Raduenz.

THE NEWCOMERS
The Aggies have plenty of players who are learning how to deal with college life and softball. The newcomers are freshman outfielder Latyya McIntyre, freshman catcher Nicky Heisler,  freshman pitcher Kayla Douglas, sophomore outfielder Cinsear Saunders, freshman outfielder Moriah Terry, freshman third basemen Maddie Trotter, freshman pitcher Kayla Brown and Langley.

Redshirt junior utility player Stephanie Williams returns to the team after sitting out last season. In 2018, she batted .269 with 32 hits, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs, 20 RBI and scored 13 times.

"She's a kid who is a fantastic hitter and has a strong arm defensively," Raduenz said about Williams.  "She matches what I like as far as having that passion and love for the game. She's a pure hitter."

PITCHING
The biggest loss from last year's team is the pitching staff.  The Aggies lost the top two pitchers of All-MEAC performer Zadaisha Waddell and Mohagony Headen. 
Waddell, a three-time All-MEAC standout, had the best ERA on the team last season at 3.52. She posted a 5-8 record with 64 strikeouts. Headen was second on the team with a 4.98 ERA and 63 strikeouts.  The two combined for 127 of the team's 138 strikeouts last year.

"We don't have a lot of experience in innings, but we got a good one coming back in Bailey," Raduenz said.  "She throws good speed and has great movement and she's a tough mentality in the circle. Hailee probably has the most experience. She's a workhorse. She's a tough nose kid and along with being a good hitter, defender and her pitcher. She's tough in the circle."

Raduenz said she has some youngsters who are still learning that in college you just can't throw the ball hard.

"They're learning on how to strategically spin, getting the ball to move and making each pitch difficult to hit as opposed to trying to blow things by people," Raduenz added.

Waddell also led the Aggies at the plate with a .385 batting average, six doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI with a .542 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage. The Aggies also must replace Zadia Davis, who was third on the team with a .276 batting average and recorded 24 hits, a double, three RBI and 14 runs scored.  She was also named on the MEAC third team last season.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Hampton finished last season 23-25 overall and 7-17 in the Big South to finish eighth in the conference.  The Pirates lose their top two players of Taylor Warrick (.351 average) and Dasha Hill (.317 average), while Janae Lyles (.288 average) returns for her sophomore season.

Hampton also has a young team this season that includes 11 freshmen, one redshirt, eight sophomores and a senior. After the season opener, the Aggies 22 of the next 23 games are on the road or at neutral sites starting with a short trip Elon, N.C., to face Elon Wednesday at 4 p.m. to start a seven-game stretch of games in North Carolina.