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SPORTS
| October 3, 2003
Softball
Information on former player’s
leave withheld
Teammate says Katy Cox was taken
off the team due to academic problems.
By Chris
Piper
The Shorthorn staff
Ace softball pitcher Katy Cox will not return to the Lady Mavericks
lineup this season, and her coach won’t say why.
The Star-Telegram reported Thursday that the would-be senior failed
to meet academic requirements, attributing the information to coach
Debbie Hedrick. The coach, however, denies ever speaking with media
about the former standout’s grades.
She would not confirm the information in the article or even whether
Cox continues to attend the university refusing to answer questions
“about a player no longer on the team.”
Sports Information Director Bill Petitt also declined comment regarding
Cox’s grades, but said the team “will certainly miss
a pitcher of her caliber.”
“As far as the academic standing, we can’t say anything
about that because it violates university privacy policy,”
he said.
A search for Cox’s name in the university’s student
directory returned nothing, and she could not be reached for comment.
The player was named last season’s Southland Conference Pitcher
of the Year, posting a 29-7 record with 29 complete games and 14
shutouts. She maintained a conference-best 1.31 ERA.
Hendrick said she will rely heavily on the arm of sophomore pitcher
Jill Garro, who went 12-10 last year with a 1.83 ERA — third
best in the conference. Garro started 21 games and struck out 95
in 137 innings.
“I’m really excited about taking over for Katy. She
is a great pitcher ... It’s going to be a challenge —
a great opportunity for me,” she said. “I’m confident
but not overconfident.”
She said another player on the team told her Cox wasn’t coming
back because of academic problems, adding that Hedrick had not talked
about the former pitcher during practice, so far.
Sophomore Falon Kwansick, who started at first base last season,
will join Garro in the rotation this year, Hedrick said. She pitched
in relief once last season and allowed one earned run in three innings,
recording a save.
But it was by no means her first trip to the mound as a softball
player. As a senior at South Grand Prairie High School, she posted
a 23-3 record and a 0.76 ERA.
Incoming freshman Lauren Hebert will also pitch regularly, Hedrick
added.
“The girls have worked hard, and we’re hoping for a
repeat of last season’s success,” she said. “We’ve
got a very young team — talented but young. I think we’ll
take some bumps along the way, but we’re definitely going
to be competitive.”
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| Katy
Cox, the Lady Mavericks’ former ace pitcher,
will not return to the team’s lineup this season.
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