SOFTBALL 2008 SEASON PREVIEW...
CLEVELAND, OH (February 7, 2008) - With cold temperatures, snow and ice battering Northeast Ohio, it is hard not to think ahead to the warmth of spring. For the Case Western Reserve softball team it has been hard to not think about this coming spring since last May when it posted its first winning season in five years.
The team (19-17 overall in 2007) returns just seven players, so Head Coach Jennie Amodio will need seven incoming freshman to develop quickly as a number of them will see significant playing time their first season as a Spartan.
Amodio expects that Teddi Jacobson (Solon, OH), a freshman outfielder and pitcher, will be thrown into the line-up from the beginning of the season. Amodio hopes to incorporate other players as well and develop their skills for a strong core of players in the future.
With a team that has a large amount of underclassmen, the veteran players will have an even more important role as mentors and team leaders. Senior Lauren Seeds (Pickerington, OH) will return for her third year as captain and continue to create plays offensively for the Spartans. In 2007, Seeds hit .353 with four home runs and 17 runs batted in (RBI), while ranking second in the league in doubles (13) on her way to earning second-team All-University Athletic Association honors. Adriane Lewandowski (North Royalton, OH), an outfielder who started 33 games without committing an error last season for the Spartans, is the only other returning senior.
Junior Ruth Sagartz (Albuquerque, NM) is the only returning pitcher. She appeared in 23 games a year ago, posting a 10-8 record and 3.59 earned run average (ERA). She struck out 103 batters in 103 1/3 innings. Sagartz had off-season ankle surgery, but is expected to be back at full strength in the circle for the Spartans.
While the team is very young, it doesn't lack experience and depth. Of the seven players returning, six played in more than 25 games in 2007. Sophomore Chelsea Poelking (Brecksville, OH) will look to make some noise with her bat again this season after posting the seventh best batting average in the UAA as a freshman (.423). Classmate Katie Svilar (Orange Village, OH) also returns. Svilar hit .292 in 34 games. Junior Angel Rice (Brunswick, OH) started 35 games in the infield last season and drew the third most walks on the team.
The Spartans 2008 campaign begins at the Centre College Tournament in Kentucky, March 1-2. The team will play four games there before participating in the UAA tournament during spring break in Altamonte Springs, Fla., March 11-15.
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