Softball

Softball 2011 Season Outlook

After a difficult 2010 season, the Wildcats look to rebound, and finally challenge for their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) championship. Last year’s squad went 20-24-1 (12-14 CACC) and fell short of qualifying for the CACC playoffs for the first time in the last four years.

The Wildcats enter the 2011 season filled with optimism, confidence, and a sense that they should be considered a threat in the conference. Head coach Erin Harvey, as well as assistant head coach Eric Zebley, along with assistant coach Melissa Koerner are back for their fifth season working together as a staff. They are very eager to begin what promises to be an exciting season. The reason for such a positive outlook is that the program returns ten players from last year, including seven starters, while eight new members were added during recruiting in the off-season.

The veteran, but extremely talented pitching staff, looks to be the backbone of the team. The infield, although young, is expected to be strong and brings a great deal of range and flexibility. In the outfield, the ‘Cats have several players who each bring a different dimension to the game. As a result, Wilmington looks to have a few potential combinations and the lineup will be adjusted to meet certain needs.

The strength of the ‘Cats this season should be the pitching staff, as the Wildcat rotation goes four deep. Each member brings a distinct repertoire of pitches, giving the team multiple options in the circle. Returning seniors Heather Karasek and Erin Tingle look to give the team needed veteran leadership on the mound. Karasek is coming off an 8-9 season with a 2.88 ERA, while Tingle looks to build off her junior campaign where she went 4-3 with a 3.46 ERA. Both hope to close out their careers with a bang, as they give the Wildcats experienced arms, which are needed in this difficult conference. Two newcomers give the staff considerable depth, as Katie Warrington (Red Lion Christian Academy/Townsend, DE) and Danielle Griffin (Woodbridge HS/Greenwood, DE) should assist in shouldering the workload. Warrington, a sophomore transfer from Division I Liberty University, was one of the highlights of the recruiting class. She appeared in 27 games for the Flames, compiling an 8-7 record with a 3.88 earned run average. A two-time first-team All-State and All-Conference selection for Red Lion, she tallied over 1,000 strikeouts during her high school career. Warrington brings a relentless work ethic, an undeniable drive to perfect her craft, and should be among the best hurlers in the conference at the end of the season. Griffin, a freshman, was a four-time All-Henlopen Conference selection at Woodbridge. She rounds out the rotation and gives the Wildcats another solid option on the mound.

Behind the plate, Wilmington returns two and adds two new faces to help handle the talented pitching staff. Junior Amanda Crockett returns, after handling the bulk of the catching duties last season. She was second on the team with three homeruns, brings a strong arm, and is extremely reliable defensively. Senior Amanda Cordrey, a two-time All-CACC pick at the designated player position, also returns. The coaching staff hopes she can regain her confidence in the field, as they look to her to improve upon her team-leading .352 batting average, 23 RBIs, and 14 doubles. Two newcomers look to give the ‘Cats depth behind the dish for the foreseeable future, as freshmen Allison Bittner (Perry Hall HS/Baltimore, MD) and Rachel Painter (St. Elizabeth’s HS/New Castle, DE) give the team multiple alternatives. Bittner, a catcher/utility player from Perry Hall High School, was a three-time All-Baltimore County selection. A two-time All-Baltimore Metro award winner, she helped lead the Gators to the second round of the state tournament. Painter, who will red-shirt this season after undergoing elbow surgery in the fall, is a former All-State selection and showed great promise in an injury-shortened fall ball season.

The infield was both solid offensively and defensively last season, and they will be relied upon to contribute heavily on both sides of the ball again this year. They are young, and look to replace two, four-year starters. Leading the way is senior first baseman Nicole Gebhart. She was third on the team in hitting last season (.310), and is one of the best defensive infielders in the conference. Gebhart has a great glove, but also brings a big bat to the lineup, and looks to close out her career with another solid season. Also returning is sophomore Lauren Szymanski, who had her freshman campaign cut short due to injury. Szymanski looks to occupy the second base spot, and brings a great deal of power and aggressiveness to the lineup. She hit .307 last season, and the coaching staff is expecting her to continue right where she left off before getting hurt. Fellow sophomore Brooke Berger also returns, after a freshman season that saw her lead the team in sacrifice bunts (16) and walks (15). A utility player, she can play numerous positions in the infield as well as the outfield. Berger looks to improve after gaining a valuable year of experience at the collegiate level, and will be counted upon to use her offensive skills to advance base runners into scoring position. The Wildcats add two new faces to the infield in freshmen Christin Headley (Sussex Central HS/Georgetown, DE) and Kayla Carrow (Smyrna HS/Smyrna, DE). Headley, a transfer from the University of Delaware, is a shortstop who was a two-time state champion with the Golden Knights, where she was awarded All-Henlopen Conference honors three times. She brings a great deal of speed and versatility to the lineup, and the coaching staff is expecting her to make an immediate impact. Carrow, a true freshman, is more of a utility player who can play multiple positions both in the infield and in the outfield. An All-Henlopen Conference selection, she led the Eagles to the semi-finals of the state tournament last year. Carrow brings an aggressive bat and a sound glove, and gives the team a great deal of flexibility with her multi-faceted game.

The outfield will be led by a core group of returners. Juniors Kinsley Parker, Jessica Hassman, Kristin Garvin, are all back for their third year of service. All three saw considerable time around last season, and the coaching staff is hoping for an improved effort both offensively and defensively this time around. Each can bring a different dimension to the Wildcat lineup. Garvin, who was second on the team in RBIs (21) last year, is a solid defender who has the ability to hit to all fields. Parker is the vocal leader of the group, and puts the ball into play with a high contact percentage. Rounding out the group is Hassman, who has a great work ethic and is willing to sacrifice her body to record an out for the team. She put in a ton of work in the off-season, and the coaches are hoping for her to have a breakout season. Also new to the team are Kelly Bowen (Delaware Military Academy/Wilmington, DE) and Meghan Logullo (Caravel Academy/Middletown, DE). Bowen, a junior transfer from Mount Olive College, gives the ‘Cats much needed speed and depth, while Logullo, a freshman from the state champion Buccaneers, brings a great set of fundamentals and a strong arm.

Overall, the Wildcats believe their offense is more than one-dimensional this year, a fact that they are very proud of. “This team is much more oriented on run-production than our teams have been in the past. We will not rely on only one way to score,” states Coach Harvey. “On paper this is by far the most talented team we have had at Wilmington in quite some time, and the coaching staff feels that they are more of a "team" than in the past. We are expecting great things from this squad and hope to have quite a run in early May.”

Over the years, Wilmington has been a competitive program, but the ascension gets more difficult each year as the sport continues to flourish. CACC play has now become a springboard to elite play in the region, as the conference has made its move to NCAA Division II. Armed with an offense that boasts speed, consistency, and power, coupled with strong pitching, and a defense to match, the Wildcats are out to prove that they are a contender.