Softball Ready to Begin 2012 Season
2/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
As the calendar turns to spring, there is belief that the Seton Hall softball team is ready to begin a new chapter.
Head coach Ray Vander May's squad has a hybrid of hungry veterans ready to prove last season's struggles were just a fluke along with a group of underclassmen anxious to show off their talent.
"I think we'll have a much better season," the 16th year skipper said. "A year ago was a different story. We're a totally different team. A lot of players are gone; a lot of new faces are on this team. I think this team is motivated to have a good season."
The Pirates will welcome back a strong nucleus in the infield, losing just second baseman Brittany Schillizzi to graduation. Junior Brittany Hammer headlines the returnees at shortstop after batting .297 and posting 10 RBI, but she missed a good portion of the middle of last season with an ankle injury. Vander May likes Hammer's defensive intangibles and expects her to improve her power numbers.
At the corners, SHU has a pair of longball threats in senior first baseman Kristen Kaelin and sophomore third baseman Meredith Henze. Kaelin jacked three homers and had 16 RBI, but her average dropped to .238 after being named NFCA All-Region Second Team in 2010.
"Kristen has always been a great player," stated Vander May. "Last year, I think she watched too many good pitches. We'd like to get runners on in front of her and use the hit and run, which she really excels at, to make her more aggressive and bring her numbers back where they belong."
Henze hit .265 and matched Kaelin's home run and run production as a freshman. The Maryland native also is an aggressive defender that can shut down the threat of infield hits and sacrifices.
"Meredith's a heck of a third baseman," Vander May said. "She is such a confident player and not afraid to make plays. Meredith was tremendous defensively and I think the offense will continue to grow for her."
Sophomore Maria DeLuca will enter the lineup as the full-time second baseman after filling in at short during Hammer's absence. Vander May knew about her defensive prowess going into 2011, but DeLuca also proved the ability to lay down a bunt or hit one out of the park. In addition, she drew 15 walks to tie for the team lead, which makes her a prime candidate to bat leadoff.
For depth, Seton Hall will turn to junior Kirby Groves who can play both corner infield spots. Vander May also expects her to be consistently in the lineup either as the designated player or a defensive replacement.
For as much experience as the infield has, the projected starters in the outfield are wide open. Gone are staples Michelle Reed, Nalin Bennett, and Jamie Gates. Vander May has a lot of options and will spend much of the tournament portion of the schedule mixing and matching to find the right combination.
Senior Laura Canulli and junior Cashel Gaffey will most likely get the first crack in left and rightfield, respectively. Canulli can play both the outfield and infield and has shown flashes of being productive in the batter's box. Gaffey will be relied on for power hitting to take the lineup to another level.
"We're really counting on is Cashel and Laura since they have the most experienced of all of our outfielders," said Vander May. "Cashel has been looking really good in our scrimmages. Laura had the best winter of any player on our team. Because of her ability to bat and her outstanding ability to catch a fly ball we are moving her to the outfield for the time being."
After that, a quartet of freshmen are battling for the centerfielder job. Colltey Sheldon and Sam DeMasi are both lefty slap-hitting speedsters that Vander May can plug in at the top of the lineup. Sara Haefeli joined the team as a walk-on, but impressed the coaching staff with her strong arm and ability to hit for power. Another player that could emerge is Whitney Jones, who missed her entire senior season at Skowhegan Area High School in Maine after suffering a major leg injury last winter while playing basketball. Jones also missed the fall season, but will be active when the Pirates begin play in February.
"There's a lot of competition going on for that final spot," Vander May said. "The good thing is they all bring different things to the table. Colltey and Sam are very fast and cover a lot of ground and they balance our lineup by hitting left-handed. Sara is an aggressive outfielder and we think she can produce offensively. And Whitney, we weren't sure if she'd be ready to play this fall, but she has made tremendous strides. We still might have to bring her along slowly though, because she missed so much time."
Behind the plate, senior Nicole Loewenstein will handle the bulk of the catching duties. Loewenstein hit .262 last year with 11 RBI, but hopes to regain her power stroke which helped her total nine home runs in her first two seasons in South Orange. Kaelin, who was recruited as a catcher, will also fill in from time to time along with sophomore Bridget Constantino and freshmen Alissa Kerr and Kaylyn Sanbower.
"Nicole and her experience and her ability to play back there is great for our pitchers," said Vander May. "Nicole's confidence has grown immensely in the four years that she's been here. It's a huge honor when a coach trusts a catcher enough to let them call the pitches during the course of a game. She does a great job in studying scouting reports does what's necessary to learn how to call the game out there. I've never had a catcher quite like her."
The Pirates pitching staff has a good amount of experience at the top end and also brings in a wealth of potential with two freshmen hurlers. Junior Hannah Hill led the team with eight victories last season and showed flashes of what made her Maine's Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2009. Sophomore Jen Metzger emerged as the number two starter at the beginning of the 2011 campaign and posted a team-best 3.94 ERA, but battled through injuries for much of the rest of the season. Junior Brooke Tull also earned three victories a year ago, and will vie for some starts and work out of the bullpen.
"Our pitching staff is much more mature than they were last season," noted Vander May. "The three returning pitchers have all done a great job in leading the rest of the staff. Because of the depth of our pitching, we've opened up a lot of competition within ourselves, which is pushing them to do their best."
"The big thing Hannah is starting to conquer is her control," Vander May said. "She has great velocity, and now she is starting to consistently hit her spots, change speeds and move the ball. Keeping Jen healthy will be key. She has always had great control, but now she is throwing much harder. When we recruited her, she did not throw the way she throws now. That is a gift, we didn't expect that to happen and it did. Her upside is tremendous."
Danielle DeStaso should also get a good amount of work in after a strong showing during the fall season. DeStaso is known for her strong "circle-presence" and is no slouch with the bat.
"DeStaso has the potential to be big time," said Vander May. "She's got great movement on her pitches, throws with good velocity, and she's another one that hits her spots pretty consistently. She's a great athlete. I have to find a spot in the lineup her when she's not pitching. No one else has ever come out like that this early and been this good with the bat from what I've seen."
"We're much deeper in pitching right now," Vander May stated. "Everyone's going to get their shot at the start of the season and it's going to shake out a little bit based on how they do. I hope they all pitch well and rotate. I know every softball pitcher would like the ball every single day, but if they all pitch well they're all going to get the ball. Their performance will dictate how many innings they get."
After a disappointing 2011 campaign, Seton Hall comes into this season with a clean slate and aspirations of restoring the winning tradition of the past decade.
"It's exciting because the mix of players that we are returning and the new freshmen that we've added all bring this team up to a different kind of team," said Vander May. "They have a great work ethic and want to go out there this year and prove themselves. I think we're going to catch a lot of people by surprise."
