Feb. 4, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team played host to a pair of nationally-renown instructors on Jan. 22 and 23, as two-time gold medalist Crystl Bustos and USA National Team coach Michael Bastian held four premium-level instructional clinics at Bulldog Field.

The clinics were sponsored by Ringor, the official shoe of Samford softball.

Bustos's clinic consisted of a pair of three-hour instructional sessions and was highlighted by a hitting demonstration. During that time, the former batting champ of the Women's Professional Softball League, taught both fielding and hitting techniques while working with the campers.

Bustos, a native of Canyon County, Calif., attended Palm Beach Community College in Palm Beach, Fla., where she helped lead PBCC to back-to-back NJCAA National Championships. As one of the most dominant hitters in the nation, she was twice named an NJCAA First Team All-American and NJCA Player of the Year. Over the summer, Bustos turned in another gold medal-winning performance for Team USA in the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece.

For a consecutive Olympic Games, she led Team USA with a .346 average, five home runs, 10 RBI and 24 total bases. On the Aiming for Athens Tour, Team USA finished with an unblemished 53-0 record and Bustos dominated all competitors with a .500 batting average, a 1.091 slugging percentage, 82 hits, 24 home runs, 94 RBI and 179 total bases. The following is an excerpt from an e-mail that one of the parents sent to Samford's head softball coach Beanie Ketcham.

"My daughter, Haley Thompson, and I just wanted to thank you so much for helping put on a wonderful softball clinic. Your campus is just beautiful and Haley just loved the experience. She, along with four other friends from the same travel softball organization, was lucky to have the chance to come. She was also very impressed with your players. She said they were friendly and helpful. That, added to the experience of meeting Ms. Bustos, was overwhelming. Good luck in Samford's upcoming season. We hope to come and see your team play."

Bastian, a member of the coaching pool for the ASA/USA National Teams and the former head coach of the Women's Professional Softball League's Akron Racers, held a pitching clinic at Samford on Jan. 23. On that day, he hosted two sessions, one for beginners and one for returners.

As a member of the USA Softball Junior National Team's coaching staff, Bastian recently traveled to Nanjing, China, for the 2003 World Championships. He has over 15 years of fast-pitch coaching experience, including stops at several colleges and universities.

The following is an excerpt from an e-mail that one of the parents sent to Ketcham, Samford's head softball coach.

"I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the clinics that you hosted in November and again in January. I think that Allie got more out of these than any other single-day clinics that she has ever attended. She has improved greatly and continues to work on many of the things that were covered at the clinics."

The Samford University softball team will open its 2005 season on Tuesday, Feb. 8, as the Bulldogs travel south to Troy, Ala., for a non-conference doubleheader against the Troy Trojans. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.