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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Softball Will Look To Repeat As East Division Champs In 2002
August 22, 2001 | Softball
Aug. 22, 2001
By BARTT DAVIS, Sentinel Sports Writer - Bowling Green's softball team may have a different plan of attack this season.
After setting the school record for home runs last year, the Falcons may try to out-run their opponents, rather than out-slug them.
"We've got a lot more speed this year, so maybe we'll change our game a little bit," said BG coach Leigh Ross-Shaw, who begins her fourth season. "Maybe it's not power now. We'll make a few adjustments."
Still, the Falcons are hoping to repeat as Mid-American Conference East Division champions. BG went 35-19 last season and won the division title before a disappointing finish in the MAC tournament ended the season.
"After the tournament, I was pretty down for a couple of weeks. I had all these high hopes," Ross-Shaw said. "It made me not even look at how well we did all season. We did very well. We had a great season. It just happens that way sometimes."
Part of the Falcons' change is due to the loss of four seniors who were BG's top offensive players. First baseman and MAC player of the year Nikki Rouhana, second baseman Angie Domschot, third baseman Lynsey Ebel and center fielder Jen Domschot were the only four seniors on last year's team.
But the quartet combined for more hits (205) than the rest of the team (181). The foursome also combined for 12 of BG's 21 homers and had 109 RBI. They hit .323 as a group.
The Falcons' returnees combined to hit just .219 with 93 RBI. Of the players with at least 10 at bats, only outfielder Renee Rosemeier hit above .233.
"Every year, somebody steps up," Ross-Shaw said. "The kids realize those four are gone and we can't rely on them. We have kids that have just been waiting for their turn. We'll miss the four seniors that left, but somebody else will step up."
Rosemeier, a senior outfielder, should be among BG's top hitters this season after posting a .289 average, five homers and 39 RBI. Rosemeier tied for second on the team in round-trippers and was second in RBI, both figures were one behind Ebel for the team lead.
"She can be a big hitter," Ross-Shaw said. "She can hit home runs and that's something we didn't know until last year."
Junior shortstop Libby Voshell also has the potential to hit well.
"I can guarantee Libby will step up," Ross-Shaw said.
Still, the Falcons' most potent offensive weapon this season may be their speed, something they lacked last year.
As a team, the Falcons stole only 17 bases in 54 games. They also had only 31 sacrifice bunts.
"Last year, I couldn't pay them to bunt," Ross-Shaw said. "They were big hitters. This year, maybe we can focus on the shorter game. We can do a little of both."
Ross-Shaw said redshirt freshman Marla Murphy, who missed last season with a broken hand, could add a lot of speed to the lineup.
"Marla is going to make an impact, not just on our team but in the whole MAC," Ross-Shaw said. "She's got great speed. People will hate her immediately, because she's so fast."
Freshman Sarah Moore, from Arcanum High School, could also add speed.
"She's a small kid, but she's strong and pretty fast."
If the offense struggles, BG's pitching and defense are certainly strong enough to pick up some of the slack.
The Falcons return all four of their pitchers. The pitching quartet -- seniors Andrea Genter and Jessie Milosek, junior McKenna Houle, and sophomore Jody Johnson -- combined for a 35-19 record with a 1.62 ERA last season. Any of the four can start and any of them can be a reliever.
"The pitching staff keeps me calm, knowing they're all coming back with another year of experience," Ross-Shaw said. "It's nice to have that to brace yourself with. We have four very strong pitchers."
The four will also be more familiar with senior catcher Holly Frantz. The Otsego High School graduate was BG's everyday catcher last season after playing sporadically at the position her first two years.
"It's hard to call for four different pitchers," Ross-Shaw said. "Holly learned a lot last year. She knows what each pitcher can do."
Perrysburg High School graduate Jenifer Kernahan will also see time behind the plate as a sophomore as she continues to adjust to the college game. She can also play the outfield or at third base.
"With a year of experience, she's starting to understand the whole college game," Ross-Shaw said. "She'll come around."
The Falcons committed 72 errors in 54 games last season, but only one returnee -- Voshell, who faces plenty of tough chances at her position -- had more than four errors.
Voshell is the only member of BG's infield back from last year. She'll likely be joined this season by senior Natalie Phillips at first, while second and third base are up for grabs. Jess Jenkins, a junior, could fill the second base hole, though Murphy or Moore could battle for time there.
Rosemeier and junior Kandice Machain return in the outfield, with the center field spot still to be decided.
Stephanie Finkel, a freshman from Columbus Bishop Ready, will compete for that spot, along with Murphy.
"I want to win the division again this year," Ross-Shaw said. "The rest of the division is pretty even, so we have a shot at it. We have a bunch of kids who will go out there and bust their butts for us."
