By Pk Bartley Staff Writer

This year’s University of Louisville’s softball team is made up of mostly underclassmen. There is only one senior on the team, shortstop Kenzie Meisenburg. A lot of Meisenburg’s teammates are freshmen, “The only advice

I have given them is just to have good work ethics,” said Meisenburg. “Also to keep their confidence levels up, because confidence is important to have at the college level. Meisenburg feels that since she is the only senior on the team that she has to be one of the leaders. “This year everyone is a leader on this team. There are three captains on this year’s team,” said Meisenburg, “The freshmen have stepped it up to be leaders as well. We are all leaders on this team, not just one person.” Meisenburg feels that U of L’s freshmen class is the best in Conference USA this year.

A couple of those freshmen are center fielder Sara Bausher and pitcher Krystle Herold. Both of them feel that the freshmen class is ready to compete at the college level. “I believe that as individuals we can all make it on the All-Conference freshman team,” said Bausher. Bausher also feels that U of L could be a top twenty ranked team with the talent that they have. “We have a tough schedule this year,” Bausher says, “I know we can come out and beat some teams. We can turn some heads, and by the time we are seniors we can go to the college World Series and maybe win it.”

U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall has a lot of new starters in her line up.

“Pretty much all of our freshmen will play sometime during the season,” Pearsall says. “Significant starters from the freshmen class will be Aja Sherman at first base, Sara Bausher out in center field, and we’re going to hope that Lisa Estes can help us behind the plate and out in the outfield.”

Pearsall also believes that Meisenburg will have a great year because she has been practicing and working so hard. “I think we can do a lot,”

Pearsall states, “Some of it is going to have to come from sheer heart and desire. I think sometimes there is going to be a team on the field with more talent than us, but if we play with a lot of heart and intensity, then there is a lot we can do and we can reach a lot of our goals.” This year’s team is very young but the talent may be able to make up for the lack of experience.