EVANSVILLE, Ind.- The University of Evansville softball team is gearing up for the 2013 season, which kicks off February 15 against Virginia Tech at the Troy Invitational in Troy, Alabama.
 
“We are really excited about the progress the team has made up to this point,” said head coach Mark Redburn, who is heading into his fourth season with the Aces. “They have come back from break excited, in shape and ready to continue where we left off last season.”
 
The Aces entered the 2012 post season ranked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference and ended their season with a loss to fifth-ranked Creighton in the first round of MVC Tournament.
 
“We are ready to keep building after getting into the MVC Tournament against Creighton,” explained Redburn. “The team has great chemistry and is upbeat and enthusiastic. The girls have really put the time in to develop their individual skills.”
 
The Aces’ spring schedule will give them every opportunity to continue building, as they open their first two weekends on the road in Troy, Ala., for the Troy Invitational (Feb. 15-17) and in Jackson, Miss., for the Jackson State Tournament (Feb. 22-24), before returning home to play tournament hosts themselves the following two weekends at Cooper Stadium beginning on March 2.
 
“Our strength coach, athletic trainer, assistant coaches, as well as our girls, have been extremely hands on in their areas and that has made a tremendous difference in improving the preparation in our players for where they are right now,” said Redburn. “We intend to continue developing so that we are ready to go for the opener.”
 
UE is returning six starters and a total of 12 letterwinners for the 2013 season, after graduating four seniors, including Amy Gaertner and Allison Aguilera. Evansville will return senior Sarah Patterson and junior Taylor Perry at the pitching position, as well as having two of the five newcomers to this year’s squad, freshmen Sarah Baldwin and Annie Moore, to battle in the bullpen for the third and fourth spots. The remaining freshmen to join the Aces this season are infielders #Kirsten O’Conner and Tori Griffin#, and catcher Morgan Baer.
 
Evansville also returns senior Halie Malone at the catching position and sophomore Mariah Ferguson as a utility player.
 
Malone, who has spent a considerable amount of time behind the plate since coming in as a freshman and started 47 games last season, is excited to get the season going.
 
“We have been working hard all fall and spring and we just keep getting better,” said Malone. “We have really good chemistry as a team and we all get along and work together pretty well.”
 
The infield will have plenty of depth this season, as seniors Alicia Betancur, #Kendall Kautz and Brianna Villanueva# return and will join juniors Emily Morris, #Niki Rahming and Kacey Rogers#. Rounding out the lineup in the outfield will be veteran senior Tamara Robey alongside sophomores #Victoria Dellorto and Kayla Fortner#.
 
Fortner, who pulled in Second Team All-MVC and NFCA All-Region Second Team honors last season, thinks the team is definitely further along than they were last year.
 
“I think we are going to be fun to watch,” said Fortner. “We have been really consistent throughout all of preseason and everyone is hitting well throughout the lineup.”
 
The Aces were tabbed ninth out of ten teams in the MVC Preseason poll, but Malone and Fortner are not worried.
 
“I am excited that we were picked ninth,” said Malone. “We are excited to prove everyone wrong. I think we are going to shock people.”