Texas Tech Softball Position Preview: The Infield

LUBBOCK, Texas – Just over one week away from the start of the 2019 season, the Texas Tech softball program looks to a core group of infielders to lead the Red Raiders to another successful season.

Head coach Adrian Gregory welcomes back six letterwinners from last season – Jessica Hartwell, Taylor Satchell, Kiana Workman, Breanna Russell, Myamie Thompson and Olga Zamarripa – and will throw three talented newcomers into the mix.

Joining this group of experienced infielders is junior transfer Shelby Henderson, as well as freshmen Zoe Jones and Miranda Padilla.

"We've always been better offensively, so we really focused on improving our game on the defensive side of the ball," Gregory said. "We want to win at least two out of the three parts of the game. We've recruited better and taken numerous steps to create that brick-wall defense. We've put the team in different situations to get them ready for anything and I've seen a vast improvement from this team."

THE RETURNERS

Jessica Hartwell – Senior
After an impressive sophomore season, Harwell returned to the field with even more ferocity for her junior campaign. The NFCA All-Region and All-Big 12 first teamer became the third NFCA All-American in program history, reigning in third-team laurels. She smashed the school's single-season record with 20 home runs, 63 runs scored and a monster .897 slugging percentage. Writing her name in the record books even further, Hartwell became the third Red Raider to ever hit .400 in a season. She finished the season tied for eighth nationally in home runs and ranked in the Top 10 in total bases, slugging percentage and runs scored.

Hartwell's 66 hits on the season tied for seventh in the school record book and she set a program single-game record with three home runs against Baylor on Apr. 7. She posted four multi-home runs games in 2018 and was the first Red Raider to earn a national player of the week award.

"Jessica believes in herself in all aspects of the game and that is one of her greatest strengths," Gregory said. "She is relentless the process of getting the job done. She's really worked to master her approach at the plate and it shows on a daily basis. We'll get everything she has in every moment of the game and that's all you can ask for as a coach."

Taylor Satchell – Senior
Satchell made her debut in a Red Raider uniform after transferring from LSU. As a newcomer, she started 45 games – mostly as second base – and saw some action behind the plate. A tough defensive weapon for the Red Raiders, Satchell ranked third on the team with 102 putouts and a strong .971 fielding percentage.

While she had limited appearances at the plate, Satchell made the most of her opportunities and collected six hits while driving in three runs. She drew eight walks and tallied one double, triple and home run in her first season with Tech.

"Last year we really used Taylor as a defensive specialist," Gregory noted. "She competed with multiple people at second all year and she showed us that she has really solid hands and a strong defensive approach. This year, she's come back with an incredible amount of drive to have an amazing senior year. The way that she's chased it and has worked at it has been so fun to watch."

Kiana Workman – Senior
A 2018 Academic All-Big 12 Second-Team selection, Workman made the move to shortstop where she started all 59 games for the Red Raiders. She finished the season ranked fifth on the team with 51 hits, 18 runs scored and 69 total bases while hitting .280 at the plate. Workman was walked 12 times during the 2018 season and she finished third on the squad with 12 doubles and 29 RBI.

Workman saw improvement from her sophomore season, increasing her on-base percentage from .246 as a sophomore to .323 as a junior. The Tomball, Texas, native went on a nine-game hitting streak from Feb. 12 to Mar. 4 and recorded 10 multi-hit games.

"Kiana has played several different positions for us," Gregory explained. "This season, we're looking for her to bring experience and poise to the infield. She understands the feel and flow of the game and we keep encouraging to trust her instincts more."

Breanna Russell – Sophomore
Taking on a major role as a freshman, Russell started all 59 games in the hot corner for the Red Raiders. She racked up five home runs, seven doubles and two triples in her first season at the plate and compiled a .365 slugging percentage and .189 batting average. Russell, who posted 148 at-bats on the season, led the team with 19 walks.

She bounced back from a rocky defensive start and finished the season with 62 putouts and 139 assists from third base. Russell finished the season with 29 RBI and a .299 on-base percentage.

"I love how Breanna plays the game," Gregory said. "It's loud, it's joyful and you can really tell that she loves the game. I think a lot of her early errors last year were due to a lack of experience at the college level. The growth we've seen since last season has been astounding. She's playing with so much more confidence and control and she's really come into her own on both sides of the ball."

Myamie Thompson – Sophmore
Competing hard for a position in the middle infield, Thompson returns for her sophomore season after making 19 appearances as a freshman. The Lancaster, Calif., native saw two starts at second base at the NISC Regional and went 3-for-6 at the plate with one RBI and a perfect fielding percentage.

The first hit of her Texas Tech career was a solo, walk-off home run that helped Tech to a 10-2 win over Abilene Christian on May 1. Her .467 slugging percentage ranked fifth on the team and she finished the regular season with a .267 average at the plate.

"We're looking for Myamie to be consistent in the middle infield and to flourish in tough situations," Gregory said. "We see her fighting at shortstop every day and I really want her to step up and own her position on the field."

Olga Zamarripa – Sophomore
A speedy weapon for Tech on the base paths, Zamarripa made 23 appearances during her first season in a Red Raider uniform. She was 2-for-3 on the year in stolen bases and she crossed home plate five times. She picked up one RBI against Northwestern State (Feb. 24) and came up with one hit at Long Beach State (Mar. 24).

"Olga will do anything you ask her to do," Gregory said. "She's competing with a lot of different people at a couple different positions. Last season she ran bases for us quite often and she did really well. She made the most of her opportunities and kept a great attitude throughout all last season. I think Olga does a great job embracing every role that we ask her to play."

THE NEWCOMERS

Shelby Henderson – Junior
Henderson comes to Tech after an impressive two years at Lamar University. The junior from Keller, Texas, brings a high softball IQ and versatile experience to the squad. She started all but two games as a freshman and started all 56 games for the Cardinals last season. Recognized as an All-Southland Second-Team member in 2018, Henderson racked up 56 hits and set a program record with 44 RBI. She tied for the team lead with eight home runs and ranked within the top five with a .327 batting average. Near perfect in the field, she posted a .984 fielding percentage and collected 360 putouts as the Cardinals' primary first baseman.

"Shelby brings in a lot of experience and that's something you can't easily replicate," Gregory said. "She was a leader at Lamar and had a large number of at-bats during her career there. She had a great fall and I think she's really embraced how to work hard and get better here. Shelby's done a great job adapting and she keeps getting better and better every day."

Zoe Jones – Freshman
Looking to make an instant impact on the Red Raider lineup, Jones comes to Tech after an outstanding four-year career at Mustang High School in Mustang, Okla. The two-time Oklahoma Class 6A State Champion brings a big bat to the Tech lineup as she became Mustang High School's all-time leader in career home runs and RBIs – surpassing the school's record set by former Red Raider Kierra Miles. Jones was named a Top 5 Oklahoma Players to Watch and was the Michele Smith award recipient following a senior campaign that led the Mustangs to a 6A Regional Championship. The standout earned First Team All-Conference, All-Region and All-District honors all four years of her career and she picked up COAC, All-City and Oklahoma All-Area first-teams laurels at the conclusion of her final season.

"Zoe can really swing the bat," Gregory explained. "She knows that her hitting is the strongest part of her game and she exudes so much confidence when she's in the box. She's getting more and more confident defensively and she is one of those kids who is just willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. There's a battle at second between her and Taylor and it's so fun to see."

Miranda Padilla – Freshman
A fierce competitor looking for a spot in the middle infield, Padilla joins the 2019 squad after earning four letters at Downey High School in Downey, Calif. As a senior, she was recognized as a 2018 San Gabriel Valley All-League First-Team selection and was also honored as the school's team captain and team MVP. She helped her squad to a second-place finish at the PGF Platinum National Championship Tournament and a 13th-place finish at the 2015 PGF Premiere National Tournament as well. Padilla was a recipient of the 2018 Robert Miller Memorial Award and was a four-time recipient of the Mary R Stauffer Foundation award for maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. She picked up All-League MVP honors as a sophomore and junior and was named to the 2016 Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team as an honorable mention selection.

"Miranda wants to be so good and she has this mindset that strives for that every single second," Gregory said. "She wants to be great and she expects great things from herself. She has really great hands and we want her to start trusting in them more and more."

Texas Tech is set to open up the season on Friday, Feb. 8, at the Lone Star Collegiate Classic in Conroe, Texas. For all the latest news on the Texas Tech softball team, follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter and Instagram or visit TexasTech.com.

Texas Tech University Athletics

Texas Tech Softball Position Preview: The Infield

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Players Mentioned

Jessica Hartwell

Shelby Henderson

Zoe Jones

Miranda Padilla

Breanna Russell

Taylor Satchell

Myamie Thompson

Kiana Workman

Olga Zamarripa

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