Softball Ready To Continue Legacy In 2007
SOFTBALL SET TO CONTINUE LEGACY IN 2007
CHICOPEE, MA, March 15, 2007 - Four straight North Atlantic Conference (NAC) regular season titles, two NAC Tournament titles, two NCAA Division III Championship berths and 108 victories.
That is what the Class of 2006 left as its legacy to the Elms College softball program.
This, however, is a new year and a new team as 21st-year head coach Cheryl Condon is quick to note.
"The reality is we lost a lot of amazing talent, but I'm very careful not to compare this year's team to those of recent years," Coach Condon pointed out.
Although eight new players will don the Blazer green and gold this spring, six starters return from last year's NAC Tournament championship team that earned the program's second-ever NCAA Division III Championship berth and posted its fourth straight 20-plus with season (27-12).
PITCHERS
Although Kristi Guzzo '06 - a four-time First Team All-NAC selection who recorded 83 of the team's last 108 victories has graduated, junior Tammie Tremblay (Springfield, MA) is ready to assume the starting role on the hill.
"Tammie has stepped up in the off-season and really come into her own," Coach Condon said of Tremblay, who recorded five wins, 40 strikeouts and a solid 2.34 earned run average in 2006. "She has the experience of pitching in the NCAA's last year and that will benefit us this season."
The return of Tremblay should allow ample time to allow Coach Condon to slowly work freshman Alyssa Skewes (Ellington, CT) into the rotation.
"Alyssa is a smart pitcher who knows how to work the hitters well, keeps the ball low, has a good mix of pitches and hits her zones," Coach Condon explained.
INFIELDERS
Familiar faces will line the infield, but in slightly difference positions this season.
The return of senior shortstop Jen LeDoux (Easthampton, MA), who missed the first half of last season due to injury, allows junior Karyn Palomba (Enfield, CT) to return from shortstop to second base.
As a freshman in 2005, Palomba started in 27 games at second and recorded a team-leading .989 fielding percentage that included just one error all season.
Junior Christina Giampetruzzi (Westfield, MA) also returns from an injury that ended her season after just five games last season. She will be moved from third to first base to replace four-year starter Jamie Parslow '06.
"Christina has great hands and can track the ball well," Coach Condon said. "The key for us is to get those groundball outs."
To do that, the Blazers will also have to improve upon last year's .942 fielding percentage.
"Our goal is to field the ball around .970," Coach Condon said.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Blazers' infield last season was sophomore Amanda DeSimone (Providence, RI), who replaced the injured Giampetruzzi at third base and registered 26 putouts and 44 assists in 33 starts.
Sophomore Jill Marchewka (Holyoke, MA), who appeared in 10 games as a freshman last season, will provide extra depth behind DeSimone at the hot corner, while freshman Allyson Graffum (Ipswich, MA) will vie for playing time at shortstop.
Though inexperienced behind home plate, the Blazers do possess a talented one-two tandum in freshmen catchers Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, MA) and Tiffany Williams (Berlin, CT).
The two will fill the gap left with the graduation of current assistant coach Joelle Smith '06, who started 37 games last season, committed just two errors and led the infield with a stellar .991 fielding percentage.
Freshman Gina Gilday (Hampden, MA) also brings high school varsity playing experience as a third option behind the plate for the Blazers this season.
OUTFIELDERS
There will be no shortage of speed and athleticism in the outfield.
Sophomore Danielle LaPlante (Randolph, VT) started 38 games in left field a year ago and will now be moved to center field with the graduation of four-year starting outfielder Lauren Stauch '06.
The Blazers will get an added boost with the move of sophomore Kerri Bowden (Chicopee, MA), who played most of last season at second base, into the outfield.
"She has speed, a good read of the ball and range," Coach Condon said of Bowden. "We also wanted to keep her bat in the lineup."
Junior Cassie LiPetri (Nashua, NH) hit .292 in 25 appearances last season and will also vie for playing time in the outfield with freshmen Danielle Gero (Holyoke, MA), Krystyna Gagne (Methuen, MA) and Tara Gianfrancesco (Burrillville, RI).
SCHEDULE
The Blazers will once again kick off their season at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida during Spring Break on the week of March 17-21.
The team will play eight times in five days, including a pair of games against Bethel, single contests against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) teams Bowdoin and Bates, as well as games against Plymouth State, Wisconsin-Superior, Hamline and Worcester State.
Upon their return north, the Blazers are slated to play three straight non-conference dates, including a doubleheader against WNEC (March 28), and single games against Westfield State (March 29) and Smith (April 2).
From there, the Blazers finish the regular season with 20 games in 26 days, including NAC West Division doubleheaders against Castleton, Johnson State, Becker and Bay Path.
WRAP-UP
The Blazers return plenty of experienced infielders and solid starting pitching. With the addition of an athletic freshmen class, defense should not be an issue for Elms College in 2007.
The question, however, will be its offense.
The Blazers return no .300 hitters from a year ago and producing hits and runs is something that is high up on Coach Condon's list of priorities for this year's team.
"We batted .288 as a team last season and this year I think we need to hit .350," she said. "Our expectations remain high for the program. The goal is to get back to the conference tournament championship game."