MSOE softball 2011 season preview
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Published: 02/26/2011 |
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The MSOE softball team took a big step forward during the 2010 season and prospects for this year's team are looking even better.
"Our expectation is to be in the hunt to make the conference tournament," said head coach Jessica Ott. "This is my third year as head coach and our team made huge strides from year
one (6-22) to last year (15-17) and I expect us to continue improving. We have a young team with no seniors again. With the returners having a year under their belt, they are hungry to
improve on what they have started. The returners are going to be key setting the tone for our freshmen."
Leading the way on the mound for the Raiders will be junior Jessica Iversen, who pitched 30 complete games last year and struck out 164 batters. Iversen will be backed up by sophomores Kate Klaubauf and Lianna Campos. Campos will spend the majority of her time behind the plate as the starting catcher while Klaubauf will man the hot corner at third base. Klaubauf led MSOE with four home runs last season while Campos recorded a batting average of .319 in 2010. Junior Elise Pinkerton is one of the few players in her third season on the team and will play shortstop this season. She drew 13 walks last season and scored 16 runs.
"I expect Klaubauf, Iversen, Pinkerton and Campos to be key leaders of this year's team," Ott said. "These players have been key in the turnaround of the softball program. They work hard and I have high expectations for them."
The other expected starters in the infield are sophomores Samantha Herold at second base and Julie Windish at first base, who paced MSOE with a .414 batting average, 14 doubles, 22 RBI, 27 runs, a .458 on-base percentage and a .616 slugging percentage in 2010. In the outfield, sophomores Courtney Leaf and Rebecca Gardner and freshmen Kalyn Harvat and Alyssa Brueser will battle for playing time. Leaf batted .313 last year while Gardner recorded 16 RBI. Sophomore Brittany Leis and freshman Kimberly Fritz are in their first season with the team and will provide depth for the Raiders.
"We need to have a solid defense," said Ott. "We have a great foundation but just need to tighten up a few areas and make routine plays. Being able to hit in clutch situations and execute what we want to do on offense will also be key."
MSOE's season will begin at the Tucson Invitational Feb. 27-March 3 in Tucson, Ariz. The Raiders start the Northern Athletics Conference portion of their schedule March 30 against Edgewood at the MSOE Athletic Field in Milwaukee. The NAC Tournament will take place May 5-7.
"Our fall season went very well and I was impressed with our freshmen group," Ott said. "They will be looked upon to contribute right away. We have the pieces to be very good but we just need to put it all together and continue to work hard."
