2012 William Penn Softball Preview
William Penn Women's Athletics
2012 William Penn Softball Preview
2011 record: 37-18 (15-6 MCC, 1st)
Starters returning/lost: 6/3 (2/1 pitchers)
Letterwinners returning/lost: 13/6
Notable returners:
Khyia Lewis, Sr., Ottumwa
(.317 BA, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 17 R)
Molly Miller, Jr., Kalona
(First-team all-MCC, .352 BA, 37 R, 12 RBI)
Ashley Stream, Sr., Chariton
(.265 BA, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 26 R)
Brianne Rowley, Sr., Hood River, Ore.
(First-team all-MCC, .377 BA, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 43 R)
Jennifer Whitehead, So., Oskaloosa
(MCC Pitcher of the Year, first-team all-MCC, 22-9, 3.25 ERA, 193 2/3 IP, 113 K, 49 BB)
Notable losses:
Brittany Labbe
(All-conference)
Ashley Nieto
(Letterwinner)
Andrea Rensberger
(All-conference)
Notable newcomers:
Diana Cassaro, Fr., Las Vegas, Nev.
Brailey Freed, Jr., Loveland, Colo.
KC Routos, Jr., Newcastle, Wash.
Mariah Trujillo, Fr., Arvada, Colo.
While five conference titles in the last ten years have been awfully nice, a third trip to the national tournament is what is really on the top of the goal sheet for the William Penn softball team as it enters the 2012 campaign.
Head Coach Mike Christner’s squad is coming off another impressive campaign where the Lady Statesmen finished 37-18 overall and 15-6 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference. Unfortunately, the team cooled off on the wrong weekend and was denied a berth to nationals. William Penn advanced to nationals in 2005 and 2007, but regular-season crowns in 2009 and 2011 did not result in trips back to the final tournament of the year.
“Our team surprised me a bit last year with how good we were,” Christner said. “We put it together well, especially late, but stumbled in the final weekend of the conference tournament. I was very proud of how hard our players worked and they were rewarded by claiming a conference title.”
“Last year proved that you will be much better playing as a team than as individuals,” Christner added.
With an abundance of talent back on the diamond, Christner’s offseason was not as busy as some from the past, but he still filled a few of the team’s needs as 2012 looks bright.
“We brought in a few great, impact players, but because we returned so much, we did not have to work as hard to get the team we wanted,” Christner said. “Our fall season was successful and we accomplished a lot. We are excited to get this spring started.”
Pitcher
Jennifer Whitehead (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) headlines the pitching staff after garnering MCC Pitcher of the Year accolades in her first collegiate season.
Whitehead was 22-9 with a 3.25 Earned Run Average last year. She tallied 113 strikeouts in 193 2/3 innings of work and shut out eight opponents.
“Jen has worked hard and really improved since joining our program,” Christner said. “She will be the cornerstone of our staff.”
Amber Daly (Sr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC), the team’s #2 pitcher from last year, and 2011 redshirt Nicole Danna (Jr., Boone, Iowa Central CC) have been in the system for a year and will have the inside track for the second starting spot, while newcomers Ariel Kirk (Jr., Albia, Graceland) and Mariah Trujillo (Fr., Arvada, Colo., Arvada HS) are also well-equipped for the battle ahead.
Daly owned a 14-8 mark (3.75 ERA) and threw 153 2/3 frames. The senior tossed 74 strikeouts and shut out a pair of foes.
“We brought in some fresh talent that will mix in well with our returning hurlers, so I expect it to be a very good battle for that second starting spot,” Christner said.
Kaylee Hutt (So., Albia, Albia HS) will vie for innings as well.
Catcher
With two years of experience behind the plate, Ashley Kingery (Jr., Knoxville, Knoxville HS) is ready for a break-out year this spring, but she will have to win the catching spot first.
Kingery hit .167 in 36 at-bats, including one home run, five RBIs, and five runs.
The sophomore’s coronation is in question as Christner has not ruled out moving 2011 starter Athena Rosario (Sr., Bremerton, Wash., Olympic CC) back to catcher.
Brailey Freed (Jr., Loveland, Colo., Otero CC) and Callie Henry (Jr., Earlham, Ellsworth CC) tote valuable skills onto the diamond as they seek to win the job as well.
Likely an outfielder, Mikayla Djordjevic (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev., NW Career and Tech Academy) will also be in the mix as a major theme of the 2012 Lady Statesmen squad is versatility.
“The starting job of catcher is up for grabs, but all five of these ladies possess strong defensive skills,” Christner said. “The nod will go to the person with the best offense.”
First Base
Seniors Brianne Rowley (Hood River, Ore., Blue Mountain CC) and Christine Gamble (Pahrump, Nev., Pahrump Valley HS) begin their final seasons in a battle for the start at first base.
Rowley was a first-team all-conference pick as she hit .377 with team bests in home runs (12), RBIs (47), and runs (43). She nearly broke single-season records for roundtrippers as well as doubles (20). Gamble produced a .286 batting average with one home run, 17 RBIs, and 22 runs scored.
“Bri was one of our best hitters from last year and I expect her to put up big numbers again this spring,” Christner said. “Christine has improved so much since coming to William Penn and she is ready for a break-out year.”
Diana Cassaro (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev., Liberty HS) has yet to play a single inning in college, but Christner is confident she will be an impact player this year, either as a starter or off the bench.
“Diana is really good and will only get better with time,” Christner said.
Second Base
A battle will ensue at second base as Ashley Stream (Sr., Chariton, Chariton HS) and Cassie Lohman (Jr., Burbank, Calif., Providence HS) go head-to-head.
Stream will look to improve on her .265 batting average from last season (5 HR, 39 RBI, 26 R), while Lohman hit .344 with 19 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
“Ashley is moving over from third to second and has had a lot of previous success, but so has Cassie,” Christner said. “Second base is a big question mark for us with two potential all-conference players going after the start.”
Depending on various factors, including matchups and how the team is gelling, Molly Miller (Jr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) may return to second base.
Shortstop
While Stream’s move from the hot corner is noteworthy, Rosario has done her one better by leaving her crouch behind home plate to work the field at shortstop.
Rosario managed a .235 clip at the plate with one home run, 16 RBIs, and 15 runs.
“T is athletic and can make plays that other shortstops cannot,” Christner said. “She will solidify the middle of our infield.”
Once again, matchups may necessitate another move, this time returning Stream to her former shortstop role.
Newbie Sydney Edwards (Fr., Galesburg, Ill., Galesburg HS) will push for time as well.
Third Base
The hot corner will have a new face as K.C. Routos (Jr., Newcastle, Wash., Pierce CC) joins the navy and gold. Nicole Ohnmacht (So., College Springs, South Page HS) and fellow returner Alyssa Biery (So., Marion, Marion HS) will challenge her.
Left Field
Miller has played various positions (second base, shortstop) thus far in her Lady Statesmen career, but now her versatile nature will be put to the test as she moves to the outfield.
Miller had a successful sophomore campaign, hitting .352 with 30 RBIs and 37 runs en route to first-team all-MCC honors.
Challenging Miller in left field will be Trujillo (when she is not pitching) and Rikki Picariello (Sr., Port Coquitlam, B.C., Olympic CC).
Picariello possesses great speed which was utilized in 2011 as a pinch-runner. She scored six runs off the bench.
“Both Molly and Mariah can be utilized in a lot of ways,” Christner said. “They are the start of a very solid outfield for us. Rikki has made the move from first base to the outfield in hopes of fighting for a starting spot.”
Center Field
Khyia Lewis (Sr., Ottumwa, Ottumwa HS) enters her final season on the diamond as again the frontrunner for the center field position.
Lewis notched a .317 mark at the dish, including three home runs, 26 RBIs, and 17 runs.
“Khyia has loads of talent,” Christner said. “She has the potential to have a great season if she works hard every day.”
Returner Polly Bustos (So., Montezuma, Montezuma HS) and newcomers Ashlee Dennis (Fr., Loveland, Colo., Mountain View HS), Solita Lucero (Jr., Denver, Colo., Otero CC), and Aylissa Tyler (Fr., Des Moines, Des Moines North HS) expect to give Lewis a fight for the starting job, or at the very least, provide great depth in the middle.
Right Field
The final fielding position will be a good three-way battle between incumbents Amanda Christenson (Jr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) and Brittni Reyes (Sr., Vacaville, Calif., Solano CC) and newbie Djordjevic.
Christenson hit .180 (2 RBI, 7 R) last year, while Reyes was a bit better at .262 (7 RBI, 16 R).
Designated Player
The designated player position will be a battle between Lohman, Rowley, and Cassaro with the determination dependent upon how the defensive spots work out.
Schedule
Never one to pass on a challenge, Christner will conduct a ‘baptism by fire’ of sorts by putting his team up against some of the best in the NAIA to open this spring.
The navy and gold begin 2012 with a trip to Mississippi. The Lady Statesmen are slated to face #3 Belhaven (Miss.) and #4 William Carey (Miss.) as well as top programs Mobile (Ala.) and Faulkner (Ala).
Bellevue (Neb.), Saint Xavier (Ill.), and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)–all top-25 teams–are also on the schedule.
“We are going to have our work cut out for us in the early part of our season,” Christner said. “It will not be an easy schedule, but it will definitely make us stronger and prepare us for the league slate.”
Conference
The Lady Statesmen have been picked by the league’s coaches to defend their title, but Christner knows it will be a dogfight each time out.
“I think our conference will be very even this year with a lot of teams in the mix to win a bunch of games in the MCC,” Christner said.
“We have the ability to be very good, but only if our players are dedicated to our program and work hard,” Christner said. “We will again have a target on our back, so our players need to be prepared to show up every time we hit the field.”
