Felician Athletics - 3/1/07 SOFTBALL - Softball Squad Intense, Focused

Felician College head softball coach Kathy Hill has seen positive attributes from her team in preseason workouts, qualities that she hopes will carry throughout the 2007 season and create a better showing in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference standings than last season’s tie for fifth place.

“We’re intense – that’s the first word that comes to mind,” said Hill, entering her sixth season. We’ve also been professional and focused. I’m glad I can say that. Last year we lost a few conference games where the other team didn’t necessarily beat us – we just lost. We had to win our last game just to make the playoffs, and it made things harder in the tournament being the No. 6 seed.”

Felician was picked to finish in that same sixth spot by Hill’s peers in the CACC preseason coaches’ poll. But Hill is not an active participant in the game of predicting the future.

“I don’t give much thought or attention to the conference poll,” she said. “I give our kids a weekly goal sheet that they fill out with team and individual goals. A conference championship is the most common team goal they put down. But, publicly at least, I stay out of the process.”

BATTERY: The Golden Falcons will employ a three-headed pitching staff of junior Dara DeSocio (11-7, 3.12 ERA, 4 ShO in 2006), sophomore Nicole Broecker (3-4, 3.53) and freshman Sherry Flynn. According to Hill, they are all entering the season on equal footing and their performance will determine their usage.

Junior Heather Van Dyke (.285, 12 RBI) is the incumbent at catcher. She will be pushed by freshman Rebecca Dodd.

INFIELD: The entire infield could be patrolled by newcomers. Hill will entrust the middle to a pair of freshmen, Hope Van Dyke at second base and Nicole Degenhardt at shortstop. Transfers Brittany Taylor and Katie Spera will begin the season at first and third bases, respectively. Broecker (.188, 1 HR, 7 RBI) will back up at first base, and Dodd may split some doubleheaders with Spera at third.

OUTFIELD: Meredith Rainer (.284, 23 RBI), the team’s only senior, returns in left field. Sophomore Jenna Krowl (.297, 3 HR, 29 RBI) shifts from shortstop to center, and junior Cortney Gavin (.081, 2 RBI) is the frontrunner in right.

“Jenna did a nice job at shortstop, and she probably could also play third base,” Hill said. “But with our current personnel, and the strength of her arm, it just fits us best to have her in the outfield.”

Spera and Flynn will also see time in the outfield and freshman Erica Moore provides depth.

Flynn and Dodd are the leading candidates at designated player.