As the Colonels’ softball team heads into Mardi Gras weekend facing their first conference opponent of the 2011 season, the Sam Houston State Bearkats, head coach Jenny Parsons looks to her infielders for leadership.

Parsons refers to her infield as the captains of the field. “They’re the ones making all the calls and making all the plays as well as all of the reads,” Parsons said. “My infield runs the game. They take the pressure off of the pitchers by understanding what the situation is and what their responsibilities are between plays.”

Leading the Colonels in the infield this season is junior utility Ashley Ray. The Lafayette native leads the team in multiple categories including slugging percentage (.685), hits (17), home runs (6) and total bases with 37 on the year so far.  

After transferring from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Ray joins the Colonels as a utility player who spends a lot of time on third base. “I was recruited as a utility player,” Ray said. “Coach just told me she was going to see where I fit best and we’ll work from there.”

According to Ray, her biggest asset to the Colonels is trying to bring everyone together to play as a unit. “I just try to be a team player and I try to bring everyone together to play as one,” Ray said.

Seniors Whitney Roan and Tori Lay, as well as redshirt junior Mandy Granger anchor the Colonel infield. According to Coach Parsons, all three players have a big impact on the Colonels leadership.  “We’re a young team and we’re trying to find our way around still,” Parsons said. “We look to Tori and Mandy for leadership as upperclassmen.”

Roan says the biggest asset she offers to the Colonels is her senior experience. “As a senior, I’m expected to lead by example,” Roan said. “My personal role is to motivate my team and pick the girls up whenever we’re down.”

Also helping out the Colonel infield this season at shortstop is junior Tsade Joubert and re-shirt freshman Alaina Guidry. Both Joubert and Guidry have seen playing time this season for the Colonels. Joubert has played in 12 of the 15 games so far this season, while Guidry has played in 14 games for the Colonels.

Guidry says her favorite thing about playing shortstop is leading the infield. “We’re always in the game and we always have something to do as shortstops,” Guidry said.  Joubert agrees with her teammate and says being vocal is a key part of their position as well.

Behind the plate for the Colonels is sophomore catcher Katie Holmes who also says that being vocal is a necessity as an infielder. The Omaha, Nebraska native says she talks before every play and every pitch, as well as after every pitch. “I’m constantly yelling how many outs there are, where runners are at and what plays are going to be,” Holmes said. “We have to make sure everybody’s heads up on the field.”

Last season, Holmes tallied a .989 fielding percentage and had five hits with two doubles and a home run in 28 plate appearances for the Colonels.

Holmes hopes that the Colonels can improve on their 25-22 record from last season. “So far it looks like as a team we are improving more than we did last year,” Holmes said. “It looks like as the season goes on we’re getting better and better.”

The Colonel infield is backed up by returning sophomores Brittany Ezell and Jackie Burri as well as by freshman newcomers Brittany Marcet and Kandace Boudreaux.

Coach Parsons bases her positional choices on each player’s skills. “Their foot speed and how good their glove skills are determines who plays what,” Parsons said. “The more they can play different positions, the more useful they are to our program.”

The Colonels will host Sam Houston State Friday at 1 p.m.