Finishing with an impressive 32-11 record, ranking sixth in scoring and second in ERA, 2006 was certainly a year to remember. Head coach Jennifer Claybrook enjoyed her finest season at the helm rewarded with her second GSAC Coach of the Year Award. 

With the emergence of a new ace in the form of the promising young freshman Amanda Daniel and a new breed of young sluggers lead by Chloe Turnipseed and Kristi Underwood your LaGrange College Panthers have a lot to look forward to. At the same time we also have to say fare-well to a true legend.

Finishing third in the GSAC with a 12-2 record, the panthers more than held their own when it come to conference play. Even-more, with a 15-4 home record, escaping LaGrange with a win has proved to be quite a feat. The road to a 32-11 final overall record was paved by a total team effort.

With nine players batting .300 or better, seven batters driving in 20 or more runs, and 11 players accounting for 10 or more hits this was a team saturated in talent, and coaching second to none. As evidence take notice to these honors: Seven players made all conference; head coach Jennifer Claybrook was awarded GSAC Coach of the Year; Amanda Daniel was awarded GSAC Freshman of the Year; and the omnipresent Jessica DeMooney, was awarded Player of the Year in the GSAC for the third year in a row.

Even with all these honors abound things are not all smiles and sunshines for your panthers. The exit of DeMooney leaves a gargantuan hole in the line-up. DeMooney, who ranks in the top five all-time rankings of every major offensive category(also ranking 7th, 20th, and 49th nationally in runs per game, batting average, and triples per game respectively), takes with her one of he few traditions in this young programs history- DeMooney dominance (Jessica's sister Jennifer was a dominant figure from 97-00). It's up to returning seniors Kelly Scandrett (.353 lifetime batting average) and Kim Woodard (77 runs batted in lifetime) to pick up the slack and buy time while the supporting cast comes along.

Even with such a lofty hole missing, the team and its future is in good hands. With freshman Amanda Daniel pulling her best Francisco Liriano impression- 14 wins in 21 starts with a .82 ERA- and freshman phenoms Chole Turnipseed and Kristi Underwood performing equally well on the field and at the plate your panthers are sure to be near the top of the conference for years, starting with this one.

The school has posted a GSAC Player and Freshman of the Year recipients for the second time in the short history of the sport.  Four players were voted Academic All-GSAC along with two others voted on the NFCA All-Region Team.  In addition to its scoring and ERA ranks, the Panthers were ranked 20th in batting average, 24th in double plays and ranked in the top 50 in win/loss percentage.  The .744 winning percentage is the best in school history; the 32 wins are the most since making the jump to NCAA division III.

After two straight winning seasons, both improving on total wins, it's up to this cast to keep the winning ways going. With a coach of the year and five returning all conference players nothing less should be expected.