In a season full of promise for the Saint Louis University women’s softball team, the Billikens have motored their way to an impressive 12-8 record.

Providing the fuel for the Bill’s early-season success is the high-octane batting power of junior Adrie Bogaars.

Bogaars, a catcher and designated hitter for the Billikens, is SLU’s most effective power hitter. Her stats are impressive across the board.

Bogaars has started in 19 games and is second on the team with 19 hits. Her .679 slugging percentage, three doubles, one triple and 13 RBI lead the Billikens high-scoring attack.

Adrie has punished practically every pitcher she has faced. She hammered her team-high fourth home run against Louisville last night. The third inning blast was a solo-shot , which put the Billikens ahead 5-1. SLU was unable to claim a victory, but the damage had already been done.

Bogaar’s homer marked a team record 10th team home run. Her stats, however, only tell half the story. The 20-year-old from LaVerne, California is a hard-working, dedicated competitor on and off the field.

“I have high expectations for myself coming into the year. We all worked hard in the offseason in the wight room,” Bogaars said.

“We’ve worked hard at practice so far this season. Things are coming together. We set high standards for ourselves, and things are coming together better than in past years,” Bogaars added.

The hard work in the offseason has shown early, as Bogaars led the Billikens to a school record seven-game winning streak.

Bogaar’s technically sound hitting style and solid bat control helped her earn Conference USA Hitter of the Week honors during that winning streak.

“I’m seeing the ball better than in the past. I’ve worked on my swing, and it’s coming along. I’m getting more pop,” Bogaars said. “I make sure that I see the ball, especially the last three feet. I make sure I watch it hit the bat and I follow through.”

Despite earning the award for her dominating personal effort, Bogaars can’t give enough credit to her surrounding cast.

“I was surprised. But the whole team did well that week. I know that the team counts on me offensively to drive in runs and get people across the plate,” Adrie said.

Bogaars is no stranger to being a key aspect to the Billikens squad. This is her third year in the starting lineup for the Bills. Her experience shows that she has improved her batting each year.

She batted a modest .177 her freshman year, but quickly jumped to second on the team her sophomore year with a .286 batting average.

Bogaars credits her physical work ethic for the improvement.

“We all worked on weightlifting and strength training in the off season. We wanted to make some improvements, so we set some higher team standards,” Bogaars said.

The Billikens have faltered of late, losing seven of their first eight conference games. But the team’s early success has kept the work ethic and team confidence strong.

“The team is confident. We’re doing an excellent job defensively. Our bats are coming around. If we stay focused, we’ll have a great year,” Bogaars said.

Bogaars is in the midst of her best year yet.

Her offensive power is, indeed, the fuel for the Billikens’ fire, and she is sure to be the key to a successful 2002 campaign.