Oct. 4, 2007

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Five new players will don the Old Gold and Black as Purdue softball takes the field in 2008. As the season approaches, purduesports.com will go inside the dugout to get the rundown on each of the newcomers.

Leading off: junior pitcher Dana Alcocer.

The Skinny
Alcocer comes to Purdue from Pima (Arizona) Community College where she was named as a second-team National Junior College Athletic Assocation (NJCAA) All-America honoree, while also earning NJCAA All-Region first team and All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) first team accolades last season.

In 2006, she led the Aztecs to the NJCAA Division I National Championship, while being named the NJCAA National Tournament MVP.

"I'm very excited about getting the chance to do well this year," Alcocer said. "I'm looking forward to winning and getting far in the postseason."

Dana finished her career at Pima with a 47-8 record, a 1.50 ERA, and 333 strikeouts in 327 innings pitched.

Around the Horn in 14 Days
This past summer, Alcocer spent two weeks in Bangkok, Thailand, participating in the World University Games, an Olympic-style event featuring a wide array of athletic competitions. She got the opportunity to play softball against top-notch competition from every corner of the globe.

"It was amazing to spend two whole weeks in such a small area with world-class athletes from around the world. It was such a great experience to interact with different types of cultures and personalities," Alcocer said.

Alcocer was one of only 15 junior college softball standouts to represent the USA in Thailand.

To Purdue...And Beyond
Movin' On Up
"I found out about Purdue this past summer when I was helping a high school coach with his ASA team and I saw Coach Garza. I heard through my small circle that she was looking for a pitcher who had a couple of years under her belt. I was fortunate to be that pitcher."

Curb Appeal
"Purdue has beautiful facilities and a beautiful campus. All of the tools that they have for student-athletes are amazing. The academics are really strong here and I enjoy the coaches and the girls on the team."

The Great Unknown
"I didn't know anything about Purdue. I didn't know anyone on the softball team, either. I just came here, took my visit and fell in love with the place."

A Whole New World
"I love it here. It's beautiful. But I've heard a lot of horror stories about the winter, so I have no idea what's coming my way. I'm really excited for it, though. It's going to be a good experience."

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things
"I love the school. I love the facilities that we have here. I love softball; that's why I came. It's been a great experience all the way around so far."

Lost In Translation
"The first two weeks I was here, I was lost all of the time. I had my maps out calling the girls asking, `Where is this building? Where am I right now? How do I get there?' The (team challenge) scavenger hunt got me more familiar with campus, though."

The Inside Scoop
"I like her a lot. She's a really hard worker. I mean a really hard worker. All of her pitches have movement, but we've been working on her drop curve lately. It's been working really well for her and she looks really good. She's a really solid addition to our pitching staff." -- sophomore catcher Jenna Alexander

"She's definitely a hard worker. One of the reasons that we brought her into this program is because we felt that she would make an immediate impact. She's a competitor. She wants to win and she will do whatever it takes. The kid has some great movement on the ball. It's just a matter of her getting used to being with our team and getting comfortable.

"She will always work hard. She's never satisfied and never complacent. She knows how to win. She won a national championship at Pima. She also knows what it's like to play internationally. I'm hoping that she's going to carry over that winning attitude to our program." -- head coach Kim Maher