Bowling Green State University Athletics
Softball Season Outlook
February 12, 2003 | Softball
Feb. 12, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The BGSU softball team travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to open the 2003 season with five games this Friday through Sunday (Feb. 14-16). The following is the Falcon softball season outlook...
In just four years, Leigh Ross-Shaw has built the Bowling Green State University softball program from a lower-tier Mid-American Conference team to a perennial contender.
After winning two consecutive East Division titles, however, Ross-Shaw's club fell shy of that goal last year. The Falcons barely missed qualifying for the MAC Tournament, missing the event for the first time since 1997.
Now, with a solid senior group leading the way, Ross-Shaw and the Falcons move to the West Division, looking to prove that last year's finish was just a blip on the radar.
"We just couldn't pull it together last year," said Ross-Shaw, the fastest coach in school history to 100 overall wins and 50 MAC victories. "Our hitting was solid, but we couldn't get the big hit we needed at key times. Or, the pitcher would be on, but our defense would be off, or vice-versa.
"As I look back, it was the lack of consistency that hurt us. As I sat and watched the MAC Tournament, I couldn't help thinking, 'We should be here.' On our good days, we were just as good a team as any of them. But, we were up and down all season, and it cost us in the end.
"This team is very focused, and very determined to do all the little things that add up to success. They are very good softball players, and very athletic. But, they're not thinking about the MAC Tournament. They are just focusing on getting better each day. We have some strong leadership, and I think that will only help us keep that focus."
That leadership starts with the five fourth-year members of the program -- seniors McKenna Houle, Kandice Machain, Libby Voshell and Crystal Wilson, and redshirt junior Liz Tuza. That group helped the Brown and Orange share the East Division title in 2000 and capture the outright crown the following spring.
PITCHER
At first glance, the Falcons would appear to have been hard-hit by graduation at the pitcher's circle. And, certainly, departed hurlers Jessie Milosek, Andrea Genter and Rebekah Tipton enjoyed their share of success in their four years. But, Ross-Shaw retains the services of two solid returnees, and welcomes three promising newcomers to her pitching staff.
Houle enters her final season ranked near the top of numerous BGSU career lists. Houle, after an All-MAC First-Team performance as a sophomore, had a down year by her lofty standards in 2002. She captured her last three decisions of the season after a 4-11 start, however, Ross-Shaw feels that Houle's struggles are behind her as she heads into the 2003 campaign.
"McKenna struggled last year. She just had one of those weird years, where she was in a funk and couldn't get out of it. But, she ended last season on a positive note, and has really worked hard on her pitches this year. I think we'll see her back to her old self this season."
Junior Jody Johnson, after earning 10 wins mostly in relief as a freshman, spent most of her time at third base a year ago. But, Ross-Shaw expects Johnson to see the bulk of her playing time in the circle in 2003.
"Jody, like McKenna, struggled a bit last year," said the head coach. "But, she has really improved her drop ball, her curve looks great and she also has picked up a rise. She will be one of our main pitchers."
The three newcomers include two freshmen and a transfer from one of BGSU's new divisional foes. Sophomore Kristen Anderson, who spent her first collegiate season at Eastern Michigan, joins Ross-Shaw's squad.
"Kristen really impressed me this fall," said Ross-Shaw. "She has good movement on her pitches, and is a very smart and well-composed pitcher. She likes the challenge of trying to outwit a hitter, rather than trying to blow it past them. Kristen will add another dimension to our pitching staff."
Ross-Shaw is also high on her two frosh, Liz Vrabel and Lindsay Heimrich. Vrabel, from Allison Park, Pa., helped her high-school team to a state title a year ago, and her collegiate coach expects her to make a contribution right away. Heimrich, a left-hander, is more of an off-speed pitcher, according to Ross-Shaw. She could see time at first base as well in her initial season.
"Liz is a very mature pitcher, and is very focused and aware of what's going on," said Ross-Shaw. "She threw a no-hitter in the fall, and throws very hard. She will be one of the main starters.
"I like the combination that Lindsay and Kristen bring with the other three. Lindsay, like Kristen, keeps the hitters off-balance. With four other pitchers on the team, she will also see time at first base as we try to groom her for the next couple years.
"I think that we have some solid pitching for the next few years. Liz will be one of those pitchers that everyone will know, and they (opponents) are not going to like seeing her out there. She'll probably get a lot more work than I've given a lot of pitchers in the past."
CATCHER
The on-field task of guiding the pitching corps will fall to junior Jenifer Kernahan. Kernahan, after seeing spot duty at catcher during her first two years, takes over the full-time job with the graduation of Holly Frantz. Kernahan led the Falcons with a .396 batting average in MAC games last year, and ended the season with a 13-game conference hitting streak. A pair of freshmen, Natalie Armintrout and Abby Habicht, will look for time behind the plate as well.
"We've kind of used 'Kerny' all over the place the last two years, but she will hold down the catching spot this year," said Ross-Shaw. "She has a cannon for an arm, and is just a great athlete. She's going to be a very strong catcher.
"Natalie is a very good athlete who will work her way into the mix. She just needs to learn the ropes and gain some maturity. Abby will be catching sparingly, and will also play in the middle infield. She could play all over the place, like 'Kerny' has in the past."
FIRST BASE
One trait of Ross-Shaw's Falcon teams is a strong bench. While some players step in and start as freshmen, many play sparingly in their first few years, learning the ropes from an established veteran and stepping in when their time comes.
Last year, a relatively unknown player, Natalie Phillips, replaced the 2001 MAC Player of the Year (Nikki Rouhana) at first base, and the transition was a very smooth one. Now, Phillips has graduated, and junior Candace Fenton looks to be the next in line for the starting job.
"I have seen Fenton step into Natalie's role," said Ross-Shaw. "Last year, one of the other coaches asked me, 'Where the heck did Natalie Phillips come from? How can you have somebody just sitting on your bench that's that good?' The thing is, though, she got that good by maturing and learning from (Rouhana), and when her time came, she had the maturity and the confidence to get in there and prove herself.
"It's the same way with Fenton. She was stuck behind Natalie, but has matured and knows that it is her time. Fenton had a great fall, and has really improved her hitting. She has a good eye for watching the defense, and kind of picking it apart.
"Lindsay (Heimrich) will also play some first base. She is a very solid player."
SECOND BASE
Redshirt sophomore Marla Murphy, after missing nearly all of the 2001 season due to a broken hand, became a fan favorite last year. She moved into the starting lineup at second base and wound up on the All-MAC Second Team. One of the fastest players on the team, Murphy hit .340 in MAC games a year ago. Habicht will see some time at second base, too.
"Marla is always going 100 miles per hour," said Ross-Shaw. "She never lets up, no matter the inning or the score. Everyone likes to watch her play, and she is not afraid to get dirty. You look out at second base, and you see a big dust cloud and these white teeth. She just has so much fun and is so happy to be out on the field.
"She has very good wheels, and has improved her hitting, both her slapping and her swinging away. With Kandice (Machain) at the leadoff spot, and with Fenton such a good number-two hitter, we'll probably bat Marla ninth in the lineup."
SHORTSTOP
One constant in BG's lineup over the past three seasons has been Voshell at short. Voshell has started 141 games in those three years, and hit .319 last season, including .324 in MAC play.
"Libby will be our anchor in the infield," said Ross-Shaw. "Sometimes in the past, she has felt a lot of pressure on her shoulders. But, she really likes playing with the people around her in the infield. I think she has a lot of confidence in those guys, too, which will take some of the pressure off of her.
"She has always performed well in big games, and really rises to the occasion."
THIRD BASE
Ross-Shaw welcomes a number of solid newcomers to her 2003 squad, and one of those new faces could be in the lineup at the 'hot corner' from day one. Freshman Gina Rango, a native of Boardman, Ohio, earned all-state honors four times as the team posted a state championship and two runner-up finishes in her final three years.
"Gina Rango is just a natural third baseman, a very intense player," said Ross-Shaw. "She will be a mainstay in our lineup, and will probably bat in the cleanup spot this year."
OUTFIELD
In the outfield, Machain returns after a breakout junior season. The centerfielder led the Falcons in a multitude of offensive categories, including hitting, as she raised her batting average over 100 points from the prior year.
Wilson moved into the starting left-field spot last year, and led the team in two-out runs batted in. Junior Valerie Tipton could open the season as the starter in right, with Tuza rotating among the left- and right-field spots or holding down the designated-player spot.
Sophomores Stephanie Finkel and Sara Edwards should also see some time in the outfield. Edwards saw limited action, primarily at third base, last year, while Finkel sat out the season. Edwards could see time at second base this year.
"Kandice, obviously, was one of our top players last year," said Ross-Shaw. "She got us started at the top of the lineup, and played a solid centerfield. She will be our leadoff hitter again this year, and she has a lot of tools. She's fast, makes good contact at the plate and also can hit for power.
"We will rotate Crystal, Val and Tuza as we need. Val is a very good player, a solid contact hitter. She is another one of those good kids that have been waiting behind other good kids. We had to have Renee (Rosemeier) in the game last year, so it was tough to get Val in there. But, Val is as good as any other outfielder; it just so happened she had to wait her turn. Now, she has learned a lot by watching, and is a better player for it.
"Finkel has the right tools, but it can be tough to sit out a year. We just need to make some corrections and get her back to that spot where she gains some confidence and gets the job done.
"We have moved Sara to the outfield, but she may also get some time at second base. She will probably be all over the place. She's one of those kids that can fill in wherever she is needed."
GO WEST
The Falcons move from the MAC's East Division to the West in 2003. The West Division contains four of the six teams that qualified for the league tournament in 2002, including tourney champion Central Michigan. So, the road may be tougher in the West, but Ross-Shaw is not concerned.
"I think we just have to worry about ourselves. Last year, we got away from that a little bit. We put a lot of energy into trying to beat other teams, and it took away from what we needed to do. The East has gotten stronger, from top to bottom, but the big dogs are in the West.
"I am not going to worry about the rest of the league, though. We just need to focus on ourselves. We have very good chemistry, and these kids are so much fun. They work so hard in practice that it makes my job easier. They are very motivated, and we just need to keep our focus. If we can do that, the successes will come."
The Falcons open the season with a trip to Las Cruces, N.M., for five games in the New Mexico State Tournament (Feb. 14-16). Prior to the MAC schedule, the Falcons play in three other tourneys, at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 21-23), Louisville (March 8-9) and Virginia (March 14-16), with a doubleheader at Morehead State mixed in between the latter two tournaments.
Additionally, the Falcons will face Detroit, Oakland, Cleveland State and nationally-ranked Michigan in 2003 non-conference play. In the league, BGSU will meet five West Division foes (Ball State, CMU, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Toledo) three times each, and the Falcons face Western Michigan twice to open the conference slate on March 22.
Ross-Shaw's club will play a three-game series against Akron of the East Division, and will meet Miami and Ohio twice each. The MAC Tournament is scheduled for May 8-10 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
