University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Softball 2008 Season Preview: Part One
1/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
With the 2008 Gopher softball season set to get underway in just about two weeks, check out part one of gophersports.com's exclusive season preview. Minnesota will begin play Feb. 7 against Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla.
After showing marked improvement in 2007, the Golden Gopher softball will look to take another step forward this spring. However, the team will have to do so without a number of key players from last year Minnesota lost five players to graduation last spring, including four members of the starting lineup.
“We lost pretty much our entire starting infield, a lot of power and a lot of great people,” said co-head coach Lisa Bernstein. “You can never replace them as people, but we have other kids that will step up and get things done.”
Gone are Mandy Valadez, Katie Meyer, Lisa Parks, Rene Koderik and Megan Higginbotham from last year’s roster, a group that combined for two-thirds of the team’s RBI total and 24 of their 28 home runs. Higginbotham’s shoes in particular will be difficult to fill she finished her Gopher career amongst the team’s all-time leaders in nearly every offensive category, started all 204 games of her college career and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection.
“Megan was a tremendous athlete that could change the game with one swing of the bat,” said co-head coach Julie Standering about the former catcher/shortstop. “Her natural ability is definitely going to be missed, but it’s going to force some other ballplayers to step up to the plate.”
High personnel turnover is a constant in collegiate athletics and the Golden Gopher coaching staff is well prepared to handle the departures of last year’s offensive core. Minnesota will adopt a new and exciting offensive philosophy this year as they look to charge into the Big Ten’s upper echelon.
“Losing those five seniors has made us reevaluate some things,” said Bernstein. “We’re going to have to put together a new infield and replace some talented kids. We lost a lot of power from the middle part of our batting order from last year, which puts some pressure on the kids that have been waiting in the wings or are new to the program.
“It’s their turn to wear the Maroon and Gold and represent Minnesota proudly,” Bernstein said.
Log on to Gophersports.com next week for part two of the 2008 Minnesota softball season preview!
