Q&A with Softball Head Coach Ray Vander May
11/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall softball team has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming 2012 season.
The team will enter the new year without five seniors who held pivotal roles on the 2011 squad. Nalin Bennett, Stephanie Bontales, Jamie Gates, Michelle Reed, and Brittany Schillizzi graduated in the spring taking 65 of the team's 140 runs scored last season with them.
The new-look Pirates are poised to replace their high level of production. Reed ranked third in the BIG EAST in triples in 2011 and finished her career as Seton Hall's all-time stolen base leader with 67. Schillizzi led the team in home runs and runs batted-in from her spot at second base and Bennett tied for the team lead in walks and finished second in steals and doubles.
While the departed seniors played a large role, SHU returns a number of key players. Seniors Kristen Kaelin (Parlin, N.J.) and Nicole Loewenstein (Joppa, Md.) are ready to assume leadership roles. Other returnees in the field for SHU include sophomore third baseman Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.), and junior shortstop Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.). Senior Laura Canulli (Naperville, Ill.) also figures to play a prominent role for the Pirates this season and will be a frequent presence in the outfield.
Henze and Kaelin finished last season tied for second on the team in home runs and runs batted in behind Schillizzi. Loewenstein was one of six Pirates to record double-digit RBIs as was Hammer, who also hit at a team-leading .297 clip last season.
From the bump, Seton Hall returns three pitchers from last season. Sophomore Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) led the team with a 3.94 ERA and ranked ninth in the BIG EAST in complete games, going the distance in 13 of the 17 games she started. Junior Hannah Hill (Fryeburg, Maine) added 12 complete games and finished first on the team in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. Brooke Tull (Greenwood, Del.) started 10 games and registered one of two shutouts posted by the Pirates last year.
Joining the veterans will be a wealth of new faces as SHU has added nine freshmen to the 2012 roster. In the outfield, Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.), Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.), Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine), and Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz) will look to contribute in their first year. Kaylyn Sanbower (Etters, Pa.) will split time between the outfield and catcher while Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) will rotate between the outfield and the pitcher's mound. Also new to the hill for the Pirates is Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) who is joined in the infield by her sister, first baseman Jordan Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.). Allissa Kerr (Fairfield, N.J.) will provide added depth behind the plate.
In addition to training, the team completed a six game fall schedule as a part of their preparation for the regular season.
Entering his 16th season at the helm, head coach Ray Vander May recently sat down to discuss this year's team and the upcoming season.
Q: What is your approach to preparation during the preseason?
Vander May: It is a process. During the fall, we take advantage of the opportunity to get on the field and work extensively on defense. Our focus shifts to hitting when winter arrives. When we return from break we will continue to work on our offense, mixing in some live hitting and baserunning. We will also work on our defense when we can, but that is a disadvantage that a northern based team has early in the season. The weather often limits what we can do and makes it difficult to prepare defensively. I think with the veterans we have returning we will be able to play well in the field and I am looking for our offense to take strides this year.
Q: How do you forsee this year's team replacing the production of last year's senior class?
Vander May: Where we face a challenge is in the outfield. We are fortunate in that we return most of our infield and pitching. There are openings in the outfield and I think we have some healthy competition for those spots. We may even see some infielders shift to those roles and it becomes our job to develop those players and make sure they are ready when the season begins.
Q: With three seniors and nine freshmen on the roster, talk about how important leadership will be to this year's team.
Vander May: Our upperclassmen need to step up. Our juniors and seniors are experienced and experience is a key part of being successful at this level. Our freshmen have shown leadership qualities but it is something that is learned over time. During the seasons where we have made the BIG EAST Championship, we have always had a strong leadership presence from our veterans. We have a little saying this year, "It's your ship." That means that each player is responsible for being a leader and contributing.
Q: What are some of the strengths of this year's team?
Vander May: In softball or baseball, you want to have strength up the middle. We have a veteran catcher [Loewenstein] who has competed at this level for the last three years. I have seen a major change in her this year and I think she will be a difference maker for us. We have experienced pitching coming back and they are all working very hard. I have seen major improvement in all of them this fall, including our freshmen. The potential is there, I look for them to mature and pitch with more confidence this year. We have an excellent shortstop who led the BIG EAST in fielding percentage her freshman year. Overall, everybody is working extremely hard and in my time here, this is the most that I have seen players come in and work on their game on their own.
Q: What are the benefits of playing multiple tournaments and diverse competition early in the season?
Vander May: The benefit is we are preparing for BIG EAST competition. Ultimately, the road to the national championship is through the BIG EAST. Our conference has been successful on the national stage in recent years and playing a tough schedule early in the year helps us prepare to compete at that level. I believe in the players that we have and they believe that we can win.
Q: What are some of the goals you have set for the 2012 season?
Vander May: The main goal is always to get better. It is my responsibility to develop this softball program and I am looking to do the things to get us back on the road to being a successful team. We are taking no shortcuts. We are doing the things we need to do in order to get back to that level.
The softball team begins play on Friday, February 17, 2012 as a part of the Longwood Tournament in Longwood, Va. Over a three-day period, the Pirates will square off against Army, St. John's and hosts Longwood.
