http://www.miamiok.com/sports/article_f6b91477-0470-567e-becd-857850644f9b.htmlWelcome to UCA!!!
Welch's Dodson signs to play softball at Central Arkansas
Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 4:12 pm
By Jim Ellis
jim.ellis@miaminewsrecord.com WELCH –
Tylor Dodson is looking forward to helping make the University of Central Arkansas softball program into a force in the Southland Conference.
Dodson, who batted .611 in her Welch (OK) High School career, had committed to the Bears prior to her senior season.
“It feels amazing because I have been working so hard to get there,” Dodson said during a signing ceremony Tuesday morning in the WHS gymnasium. “I looked at other ones (scholarship offers), but once I went to the school, met the coaches and met the players, I just loved it. I knew it was the right place.”
The Bears finished 36-22 in 2012, including a 12-8 showing in the Southland Conference.
UCA, located in Conway, Ark., was eliminated in two straight at the Southland Conference tournament at San Antonio, falling 4-3 to host Texas-San Antonio and 1-0 to Sam Houston State.
The 36 wins was a record for the program, beating the previous mark by seven. This was UCA's first appearance in the Southland tournament after placing third in the regular season. That equalled the best ever for the Lady Bears.
They had eight student-athletes voted all-conference, the most ever in a season, and had eight Southland Conference Players of the Week.
It was the fourth straight season of improvement for head coach David Kuhn's club, which had won 24, 25 and 26 games in his first three seasons.
“It's a building program right now,” Dodson said. “In the future, we will be good.”
“I think she will do very well,” Welch coach Scott Neighbors said. “She is a hard worker. She will do everything she has to do to get on the field. We are very excited for her.”
Dodson hit a career-best .646 as a senior, collecting 53 hits in 82 at-bats. She had 11 doubles, four triple and six home runs while scoring 51 runs. Dodson struck out only five times and walk 19 while stealing 31 bases.
The Lady Wildcats' captain, she had 229 hits in her four-year career and scored 177 runs. She finished with 59 doubles, 34 triples and 14 home runs.
Defensively, she had an .888 fielding percentage, logging 26 putouts and 86 assists on 126 chances.
“This is a great opportunity for our program and for our young lady here signing to go play Division I softball,” Neighbors said. “The community, our program and everybody is real proud of her.”
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