University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Season Outlook
2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
With the graduation of six seniors, including the loss of their starting battery, the Golden Gopher softball team will turn to this season's five seniors, an exciting junior class, and a mix of youth in 2010 as it takes aim to rise in the Big Ten standings.
Gone are a school record 414 strikeouts and 22 wins from the graduated Briana Hassett. Hassett was a mainstay on the mound last season, starting 47 games and appearing in 51 of the Gophers 55 contests. Her departure leaves a major hole to fill as she pitched 14 shutouts in 307 innings a season ago, becoming just the second Golden Gopher softball player to throw more than 300 innings in a season.
Hassett's backstop all season, Shannon Stemper, is also gone after starting 158 games behind the plate in her career and graduating at the school's all-time leader in fielding percentage.
In all, the 2009 seniors accounted for 146 starts in the field and 47 in the circle. Five seniors will be looked to for leadership in 2010, including Heidi Carls (Villard, Minn.) and Tina Watts (Minneapolis, Minn.) who were everyday starters in their junior season. Also leading the charge in 2010 will be junior Malisa Barnes (Phoenix, Ariz.), who started every game in her sophomore campaign and led the team with a .333 average at the plate. Seven total juniors dot the roster this spring, including four with starting experience.
In addition to the upperclassmen are three sophomores - each with a full year of college softball under their belts - and six talented freshmen eager to start their collegiate careers.
Pitchers and catchers
The circle will be controlled this spring by a young but skilled collection. "They're a talented group," Co-head coach Lisa Bernstein said. "They complement each other well and continue to improve. They got their feet wet in the fall season and it will be exciting to watch them this spring."
Sharing the load for the Gophers this season will be sophomore Alissa Koch (Racine, Wis.) and freshman Lacey Middlebrooks (West Village, Tex.) In her debut season Koch started seven games, earning her first career win on March 19 over Butler, holding the Bulldogs to just one run through five innings. It was a beneficial first year for Koch who will step into the circle in her second season with gained confidence and experience. Despite her youth, her hard work and solid performance give the coaches reason to be excited.
"She's a very talented sophomore that has matured and has improved over the past few months," assistant coach Piper Marten said. "She has worked hard and gotten better and we expect big things from her."
Joining Koch in the circle will be a new face in Middlebrooks. In a standout high school campaign Middlebrooks pitched her team to a state championship on her way to earning All-State honors. Known as a fierce competitor, she is expected to contribute right away.
"She's a gifted pitcher," Marten said. "She wants to be successful, and she should be a strong addition right away."
An all around athlete, Middlebrooks is also a great fielding pitcher and possesses a great bat, which could be called upon during the season in pinch hitting situations.
Backstopping the Gopher pitchers this spring will be freshman Kari Dorle of North St. Paul, Minn. She comes to Minnesota with a pedigree of success, having won a high school state title while leading her team to two state tournaments. A young player who has already show improvement and maturity, Dorle should fit right into the middle of the line-up.
"She has worked her butt off and will be a great fit in our line-up." Co-head coach Julie Standering said. "She is a very fun player to coach and it will be exciting to follow her career and watch her develop."
Also in the mix behind the plate will be fellow newcomers Kim Hanlon (Ham Lake, Minn.), and Whitney Erickson (San Ramon, Calif.) A senior and junior respectively, Hanlon and Erickson have taken different routes to Gopher Softball.
Hanlon just finished up her four years of eligibility on the Gopher Women's Hockey Team where she was part of the 2009 WCHA Champions and was an All-Rookie Team pick in 2006. Erickson transferred to Minnesota to finish her career after playing three years at the University of Toledo. While playing for the Rockets, she was a starter throughout her career.
Infielders
After a breakout sophomore season that saw her lead the team across the board offensively, Malisa Barnes (right) returns to her post at first base in 2010. Barnes knocked out 57 hits for a .333 average, as well as seven doubles and five homeruns for a slugging percentage of .462, all team highs. Now as an upperclassman, and after an offseason spent getting even better, she is the center of the Gophers line-up.
"Malisa is a dynamic, dominant hitter that just cuts the ball in half," Bernstein said. "She also took pride in her defense in the offseason and will be an improved fielder at first base. She has a winning mentality, and is a leader on our team."
Barnes was named Third Team All-Big Ten after her sophomore campaign, was the Gophers' Offensive MVP, and big things are expected from her this spring.
To Barnes' right, Sammie Howard (Shoreview, Minn.) will also retain her post, holding duties as the everyday second baseman. Playing in 49 games last season, Howard was a starter in 46 and was one of six players with over 100 at-bats. Howard solidified her spot at second in the order last season and finished fourth on the team in batting average.
"She is solid and steady," Bernstein said. "She has knack for being in the right place at the right time, and gives us a very strong right side of the infield."
With great softball instincts, Howard has continued to improve and is one of the anchors of the infield as she begins her second season as a starter.
Contrasting the veteran faces on the right side of the infield, the left side will feature some new ones. Set to step into the opening at shortstop is newcomer Abby Rehberger, a transfer from the University of North Dakota. A native of Brainerd, Minn., Rehberger was a three year starter at shortstop for UND, missing just eight starts in her career. In her final season she led the team with 26 runs scored while finishing second on the team with an average of .317.
In the maroon and gold she will step in for Colleen Conway who was a started in all 55 games in 2009, and was second on the team in batting. Conway posted a .955 fielding percentage on the left side of the Gophers infield, and Rehberger should make a smooth transition to the spot as she is a past winner of North Dakota's Golden Glove award.
Finally, in the hot corner, freshman Alex Davis (Harbor City, Calif.) will step into the top spot. Davis is an exciting young player that gained the reputation as a dangerous power hitter after finishing among the league leaders in slugging percentage in high school.
"She has already matured and has proven to be very coachable," Bernstein said. "She has great instincts, a good arm and should hit in the middle of our line-up."
Also in the mix at third is Mallory Mitchell (Forney, Tex.), another part of the exciting junior class and an improved player from a season ago. "She is a knowledgeable player, and knows the game well," Bernstein said. "Her defense has improved and she's developing, at second, as well as at third."
Mitchell appeared in 14 games last season, earning her first four career starts. She collected two hits and knocked in her first two career RBI.
Tina Watts was a starter in 25 games last season, while appearing in 35. The Minneapolis, Minn. native will again be in the infield mix in her final season. "Tina is a versatile player who has continued to improve," Standering said. "She really knows the game and is comfortable with her role. She definitely comes to work every day and is a pleasure to coach."
Another returner from last season, Natalie Neal (Frisco, Tex.), was a starter in 28 games while appearing in 43 overall. Her 15 RBI and three homeruns last season were each among the team leaders, and the potential is there for an even better season this spring.
"She has all the tools," Bernstein said. "She can really be an explosive hitter and just pick out her pitch and go for it. She'll help us win."
After playing in the outfield last season, Alison Murphy will move back to the infield as a junior. The native of Rapid City, S.D. appeared in nine games in the 2009 campaign, and will be the primary back up to Barnes at first base in 2010. Murphy has improved every year since becoming a Gopher, and brings a business-like approach to the park every day.
A player who can play a lot of positions is newcomer Jessie Hathaway, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii. Hathaway was a .400 hitter in high school, where she led her squad to a league championship. With a strong arm and good instincts, Hathaway spent the fall improving and could work her way into the line-up this spring.
"She has continued to improve and is becoming a quality utility player," Standering said. "She has gotten stronger on offense and developed, and this year will be a great experience for her as she learns the college game."
A pair of exciting athletes that will make their mark on the base paths this spring are Chonquita Jones (Chicago, Ill.) and Kelsey Klucas (Aitkin, Minn.). Jones, a senior, appeared in eight games last season, her first with the team. She stole one base and scored one run. An already fast player who has improved her speed, Jones is expected to be dangerous on the bases yet again.
"She's a threat to steal when she's out there," Bernstein said. "And she's a great person and a role model to the younger players."
Klucas is an athletic young player who will also get on the base paths as a pinch runner. A quick and explosive player, she will only get better as she develops.
Outfield
Back to lead the Gophers in the outfield this spring is Dannie Skrove. The Zimmerman, Minn. native started 48 games for the Gophers last season while appearing in 49 overall in her freshman campaign. She was one of just six players to log over 100 at-bats on the season, finishing with 109, while also finishing second on the team with 19 runs scored. Skrove was one of the top performers in the field for the Gophers as well, posting a .966 fielding percentage. Always a top defender, her focus in the offseason was on offense and her hard work has paid off.
"She is an outstanding outfielder, just a standout defender," Bernstein said. "Her focus now has been on her offense and she has improved. She is a team leader and a great role model to the younger players."
Beside Skrove in right field will be another returning starter in Heidi Carls (right). A native of Villard, Minn., Carls started 54 games last season pounding out 28 hits in her 144 at-bats. Her 12 walks were one of the top marks on the team, as was her .973 fielding percentage.
"Heidi is an example of hard working paying off," Standering said. "She is a fifth year player who is utilizing all five years. She has great character and really takes pride wearing the maroon and gold."
Carls won the Maroon and Gold Severson Award after last season, which recognizes outstanding dedication to the program, and she finished as one of only four players to start over 50 games.
Allie Siu and Aubrey Davis will vie for the final spot in the Gophers 2010 outfield. Siu, a native of Maple Grove, Minn., is a speedy dynamic player with lead-off potential. "Allie is fast, aggressive and very smart at the plate," Bernstein said. "She can read a defense, work to pick it apart, and then steal bases once she gets the chance."
With a great deal of talent and the ability to make an immediate impact in the Big Ten, Siu will have the opportunity to learn on the field as she will be alongside a pair of veterans in the outfield.
Davis can play any outfield position and was a starter in 41 games in her sophomore season, collecting 14 hits in her 79 at-bats. A slapper at the plate, she has good speed and the ability to put the ball in play.
"Aubrey worked hard in the fall on adding a few offensive options at the plate," Standering said. "She will only get better with each practice and each opportunity."
"The Big Ten will be talented again," Bernstein said. "There will be a lot of good senior pitching and it will be a challenge week in and week out. We have a tough schedule ahead of us, but it will be good to see our kids play with the best. We have a young team, and we'll be young on the mound, but it gives everyone a chance to step. That youth looks bright, and they have a never give up attitude, which will be important to our success this season."
Schedule
The season will open on Thursday, Feb. 11 when Minnesota hosts Western Illinois for a doubleheader in the Metrodome. A day later, the annual Metrodome Classic kicks off with games through Sunday Feb. 14, including Drake, Iowa, Iowa State and Arkansas in addition to Western Illinois and Minnesota.
In the non-conference portion of the season, the Gophers head to five spring tournaments, starting with the Florida Atlantic Kick-off Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., Feb. 19-21. The following weekend, they stay in Florida for the Florida Gulf Coast Spring Break invitational in Fort Meyers from Feb. 25-28. Next it's down to Georgia Mar. 4-7 for the Georgia Bulldog Invitational in Athens. From Mar. 12-14, the Gophers make the trip to the southwest, to Tucson, Ariz. for the Arizona Wildcat Invitational, and they then close their tournament barnstorming session with the Spring Hill Suites Invite in Boise, Idaho Mar. 19-21.
The Big Ten season begins on the road at Penn State on Mar. 27, with the Gophers first home Big Ten game on Apr. 10 against Michigan at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The regular season wraps up on May 15 at Illinois with the NCAA Tournament set to start on May 20.
It will be another exciting season of softball as a new look Gopher line-up takes aim at the Big Ten.
