Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, February 26
Ft. Myers, Fla.
8:15 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Villanova
Softball Ready To Open 2010 Season At FGCU Invite
2/23/2010 2:30:00 PM | Softball
EMU will open the new campaign Friday against Villianova at the FGCU Invitational
Click Here for Game Notes (.pdf)
Click Here for Live Stats (For all games)
Click Here for FGCU Invitational Tournament Page
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With seven starters returning and just three letterwinners lost from last year's squad, the Eastern Michigan University softball team is hopeful in making a return to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time since winning it in 2007.
The Eagles showed signs of growth in 2009, beating a 22nd-ranked Louisville team early on. They also rattled off four straight wins and needed a fifth to close out the campaign in order to break a tie with Bowling Green to qualify for the final MAC Tournament spot, but fell just short on the final day of the regular season.
The days ahead look promising for the Green and White as they return several key components and add a few more, including Miss Softball in the state of Michigan in 2009, freshman pitcher Jenna Ignowski (Niles, Mich.-Niles), as well as EMU's career home runs leader, senior Jenny Scherer (Stow, Mich.-Stow-Munroe), and record holder for batting average in a single season, junior Stacie Skodinski (South Bend, Ind.-Washington).
The Eagles lost a four-year starter and solid leader in Heather Han, but return three seniors in Jenny Scherer, Michelle Hletko (Westmont, Ill.-Westmont) and Jessica Patterson (Ionia, Mich.-Ionia) who will lead a talented, young group of players with one goal in mind, the MAC Tournament.
“The seniors want to get this team back to the MAC tournament,” said Head Coach Karen Baird, who enters her eighth season at the helm. “Last season, we were growing. After beating Louisville and having a great stretch at the end of the year, they realized that we are a strong team.”
Jenny Scherer is having one of, if not the best career an EMU student-athlete has ever had in a softball uniform. Last season alone, she set a record for home runs in a single season with 14, giving her 36 for her career, shattering the old mark of 24. She holds three of the top four single season home run totals. Her 41 runs batted in were tops in the MAC and fifth all-time in a single year for EMU, while her 33 runs scored were tied for seventh-best in a single campaign.
“Every day you see her working hard. Every day she wants to improve her game,” Baird said. “That has helped the freshmen realize, 'There's a senior working hard. We want to work hard too'.”
Skodinski, showed that she could be following in her teammate's footsteps. Skodinski turned in the best single season batting average in EMU softball history with a mark of .425 (51-for-120) and nine of those 51 hits resulted in round trippers. She finished the season second on the team in hits, home runs, RBI, total bases and walks. Her on-base and slugging percentage were tops in the league at .486 and .767, respectively.
As a team, the Eagles finished with the third-highest batting average in the MAC at a .277 clip. EMU was second overall in hits (375 hits in 52 games) and led the league in home runs (38) and doubles (78). Hitting is not a concern heading into this year, pitching and defense are, but Baird and her staff have added some much needed depth in each department that should improve the team's weaknesses heading into 2010.
Going around the horn, Kaylee Tolliver (Amanda, Ohio-Amanda Clearcreek) started all 51 games she appeared in at first base in 2009. The sophomore turned in an impressive .983 fielding percentage, committing just seven errors in 403 chances. At second base will be freshman Katy Blaharski (Carleton, Mich.-Airport), who comes off a .453 batting average as a senior at Airport High in Carleton, Mich. Blaharski will assume lead-off duties in the batting order as well, utilizing her blazing speed at the top of the lineup.
Skodinski will play shortstop where she started all 41 games she played in 2009. Moving from second base to the hot corner will be Lauren Delapaz (Plymouth, Mich.-Canton), who showed great improvement over the off-season and proved to the coaching staff she could handle a move back to her old position.
“Delapaz at third should shore up the defense with not having to rotate at third like we did last season,” Baird said. “If everyone feels comfortable, it's going to be a lot easier for them to make the routine play.”
Doing the catching will be sophomore Sarah Gerber (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) and freshman Nellie Coquillard (Niles, Mich.-Niles). Gerber is no stranger to catching EMU pitching as she started in 19 games at the position as a freshman last season. When she wasn't catching, she was playing third base (26 starts) as she appeared in all 52 games. Both Gerber and Coquillard will battle for the starting job, but both will see significant time behind the plate.
In addition to her incredible offensive numbers, Jenny Scherer also turned in the best defensive season of her career in 2009 with a fielding percentage of .971. She'll anchor center field for the Eagles.
“Her offensive stats tend to overshadow her defense,” Assistant Coach Eric Oakley said of the Eagle captain. “She covers so much ground and is basically another coach in the outfield for us.”
Jessica Richards (Canton, Ohio-Jackson) and McKenna Russ (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) will flank Scherer in the outfield, covering left and right fields, respectively. As a freshman, Russ was third on the team with a .316 batting average in 2009. She hit four homers and drove in 22 runs in addition to leading the team in hits (54).
EMU lost nine one-run games last season, which could partly be attributed to the amount of walks allowed. As a staff, the Eagles walked 174 batters which equates to nearly four free passes per seven innings.
“We really did not have many pitching options last year,” Baird said. “When we started to struggle, we put the world on [Jaclyn Caro's (Chino, Calif.-St. Lucy's Priory)] shoulders. What I expect [this year] with the depth our pitching has the option of going to the bullpen more often. We have enough diversity in our pitching that we can show one thing one game and something completely different the next.”
Caro is coming off a year in which she won 13 games as a sophomore, striking out 135 batters in 187.2 innings pitched. She was relied upon often in 2009 as she appeared in 39 games, making 29 starts and going the distance in 19 of those instances. Baird insists she is the team's ace until someone proves otherwise.
Whether they're competing for that spot or not, Caro will be relieved to see that there are several capable arms that will be able to share the load in 2010. Ignowski, the most decorated newcomer on the staff has earned a high regard from the get-go as her story has been well documented in local papers around her hometown of Niles, Mich. She threw 18 perfect games and holds more than 19 school records for Niles. Following her senior season, she was named Miss Softball in Michigan after leading her team to the state title. She was also named the Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year in 2008.
“She is a very hard worker and wants to learn at the next level,” Oakley said. “She's already had to diversify her pitching and so far she's shown good results. She is very passionate about pitching.”
Jamie Melchert (Scottville, Mich.-Mason County Central-Muskegon CC) and Jillian Williamson (Sebewaing, Mich.-Unionville-Sebewaing Area) are two more arms added to the roster this year. Melchert joins the Eagles this season after spending the previous two with Muskegon Community College. She is the first junior college transfer in the history of the program, but she's taken to EMU as if she began her career here.
“She fit right away. It was as if she has been here three years,” Oakley said. “She is going to come in and give us some outs. She might not overpower anybody, but she is going to find a way to get people out. She possesses a lot of leadership on the mound.”
Another returner that saw quite a bit of action in 2009 was Hletko. She won seven games for the Eagles which included a no-hitter against Albany in the season opener. It was the 11th no-hitter in EMU history. Hletko finished the year 7-12 with a 4.24 ERA in 107.1 innings pitched.
“She was a little inconsistent throughout [last year], but when she is on her game and feeling confident, she is phenomenal,” Oakley said. “I'm expecting her to have the best year of her career.”
Allison Scherer (Stow, Ohio-Stow-Munroe), the sister of Jenny, was asked to pitch last season due to the lack of available arms and did so admirably, working on that skill while sacrificing in other areas for the betterment of the team. She compiled a 2-3 record, making four starts and 13 appearances spanning over 32.2 innings. To her delight, she will be able to focus more on her hitting, which is the main reason she was recruited. She is the front-runner for the position of designated player.
Baird and the coaching staff have already toyed with potential lineups this season. They hope to display a rare combination of speed and power this season.
“We have a little more speed to put up in the lead-off spot,” Baird said. “We're looking to be more aggressive on the bases this year. We have a lot of speed in our lineup and that's something that makes a big difference and puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
The schedule this year will be a bit demanding throughout as the Eagles will be away from Varsity Field for the season's first 20 games. They begin the campaign with Villanova to kick off the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational, Feb. 26, in Fort Myers, Fla. The first week of March they travel across the state to the Atlantic side to take part in the Miken Classic hosted by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. EMU will face No. 23 Florida State in the tournament opener in what will be the first of four games against teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top-25 Poll.
They meet No. 15 Northwestern twice, March 19 and 21, in a tournament hosted by Missouri and then face the ninth-ranked Tigers, March 20. The Eagles will play their annual game with No. 4 Michigan on the road, May 5. The schedule is finally kind to the Eagles towards the end of the year as they finish up with 14 of their last 19 at the friendly confines of Varsity Field.
“We love our schedule,” Baird said. “We always say, 'You have to play the best to be considered with the best'. To finish the last stretch at home is huge because that's when you're the most tired at the end of the season,” Baird said.
Despite the demand a collegiate softball schedule can have on a student-athlete, the Eagles still managed to rank 16th in the nation and third in the MAC among Division I softball programs in overall grade point average with a 3.384 GPA. Baird was happy with the achievement, but is hoping for a better result this year.
“We pride ourselves on academics,” Baird said of her program that has ranked in the top-20 nationally for six years in a row. “We want to be top five in the nation and have the best GPA in the MAC.”
The journey begins Friday, Feb. 26, at 8:15 p.m. when the Eagles open the season with Villanova at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational.
Click Here for Live Stats (For all games)
Click Here for FGCU Invitational Tournament Page
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With seven starters returning and just three letterwinners lost from last year's squad, the Eastern Michigan University softball team is hopeful in making a return to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time since winning it in 2007.
The Eagles showed signs of growth in 2009, beating a 22nd-ranked Louisville team early on. They also rattled off four straight wins and needed a fifth to close out the campaign in order to break a tie with Bowling Green to qualify for the final MAC Tournament spot, but fell just short on the final day of the regular season.
The days ahead look promising for the Green and White as they return several key components and add a few more, including Miss Softball in the state of Michigan in 2009, freshman pitcher Jenna Ignowski (Niles, Mich.-Niles), as well as EMU's career home runs leader, senior Jenny Scherer (Stow, Mich.-Stow-Munroe), and record holder for batting average in a single season, junior Stacie Skodinski (South Bend, Ind.-Washington).
The Eagles lost a four-year starter and solid leader in Heather Han, but return three seniors in Jenny Scherer, Michelle Hletko (Westmont, Ill.-Westmont) and Jessica Patterson (Ionia, Mich.-Ionia) who will lead a talented, young group of players with one goal in mind, the MAC Tournament.
“The seniors want to get this team back to the MAC tournament,” said Head Coach Karen Baird, who enters her eighth season at the helm. “Last season, we were growing. After beating Louisville and having a great stretch at the end of the year, they realized that we are a strong team.”
Jenny Scherer is having one of, if not the best career an EMU student-athlete has ever had in a softball uniform. Last season alone, she set a record for home runs in a single season with 14, giving her 36 for her career, shattering the old mark of 24. She holds three of the top four single season home run totals. Her 41 runs batted in were tops in the MAC and fifth all-time in a single year for EMU, while her 33 runs scored were tied for seventh-best in a single campaign.
“Every day you see her working hard. Every day she wants to improve her game,” Baird said. “That has helped the freshmen realize, 'There's a senior working hard. We want to work hard too'.”
Skodinski, showed that she could be following in her teammate's footsteps. Skodinski turned in the best single season batting average in EMU softball history with a mark of .425 (51-for-120) and nine of those 51 hits resulted in round trippers. She finished the season second on the team in hits, home runs, RBI, total bases and walks. Her on-base and slugging percentage were tops in the league at .486 and .767, respectively.
As a team, the Eagles finished with the third-highest batting average in the MAC at a .277 clip. EMU was second overall in hits (375 hits in 52 games) and led the league in home runs (38) and doubles (78). Hitting is not a concern heading into this year, pitching and defense are, but Baird and her staff have added some much needed depth in each department that should improve the team's weaknesses heading into 2010.
Going around the horn, Kaylee Tolliver (Amanda, Ohio-Amanda Clearcreek) started all 51 games she appeared in at first base in 2009. The sophomore turned in an impressive .983 fielding percentage, committing just seven errors in 403 chances. At second base will be freshman Katy Blaharski (Carleton, Mich.-Airport), who comes off a .453 batting average as a senior at Airport High in Carleton, Mich. Blaharski will assume lead-off duties in the batting order as well, utilizing her blazing speed at the top of the lineup.
Skodinski will play shortstop where she started all 41 games she played in 2009. Moving from second base to the hot corner will be Lauren Delapaz (Plymouth, Mich.-Canton), who showed great improvement over the off-season and proved to the coaching staff she could handle a move back to her old position.
“Delapaz at third should shore up the defense with not having to rotate at third like we did last season,” Baird said. “If everyone feels comfortable, it's going to be a lot easier for them to make the routine play.”
Doing the catching will be sophomore Sarah Gerber (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) and freshman Nellie Coquillard (Niles, Mich.-Niles). Gerber is no stranger to catching EMU pitching as she started in 19 games at the position as a freshman last season. When she wasn't catching, she was playing third base (26 starts) as she appeared in all 52 games. Both Gerber and Coquillard will battle for the starting job, but both will see significant time behind the plate.
In addition to her incredible offensive numbers, Jenny Scherer also turned in the best defensive season of her career in 2009 with a fielding percentage of .971. She'll anchor center field for the Eagles.
“Her offensive stats tend to overshadow her defense,” Assistant Coach Eric Oakley said of the Eagle captain. “She covers so much ground and is basically another coach in the outfield for us.”
Jessica Richards (Canton, Ohio-Jackson) and McKenna Russ (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) will flank Scherer in the outfield, covering left and right fields, respectively. As a freshman, Russ was third on the team with a .316 batting average in 2009. She hit four homers and drove in 22 runs in addition to leading the team in hits (54).
EMU lost nine one-run games last season, which could partly be attributed to the amount of walks allowed. As a staff, the Eagles walked 174 batters which equates to nearly four free passes per seven innings.
“We really did not have many pitching options last year,” Baird said. “When we started to struggle, we put the world on [Jaclyn Caro's (Chino, Calif.-St. Lucy's Priory)] shoulders. What I expect [this year] with the depth our pitching has the option of going to the bullpen more often. We have enough diversity in our pitching that we can show one thing one game and something completely different the next.”
Caro is coming off a year in which she won 13 games as a sophomore, striking out 135 batters in 187.2 innings pitched. She was relied upon often in 2009 as she appeared in 39 games, making 29 starts and going the distance in 19 of those instances. Baird insists she is the team's ace until someone proves otherwise.
Whether they're competing for that spot or not, Caro will be relieved to see that there are several capable arms that will be able to share the load in 2010. Ignowski, the most decorated newcomer on the staff has earned a high regard from the get-go as her story has been well documented in local papers around her hometown of Niles, Mich. She threw 18 perfect games and holds more than 19 school records for Niles. Following her senior season, she was named Miss Softball in Michigan after leading her team to the state title. She was also named the Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year in 2008.
“She is a very hard worker and wants to learn at the next level,” Oakley said. “She's already had to diversify her pitching and so far she's shown good results. She is very passionate about pitching.”
Jamie Melchert (Scottville, Mich.-Mason County Central-Muskegon CC) and Jillian Williamson (Sebewaing, Mich.-Unionville-Sebewaing Area) are two more arms added to the roster this year. Melchert joins the Eagles this season after spending the previous two with Muskegon Community College. She is the first junior college transfer in the history of the program, but she's taken to EMU as if she began her career here.
“She fit right away. It was as if she has been here three years,” Oakley said. “She is going to come in and give us some outs. She might not overpower anybody, but she is going to find a way to get people out. She possesses a lot of leadership on the mound.”
Another returner that saw quite a bit of action in 2009 was Hletko. She won seven games for the Eagles which included a no-hitter against Albany in the season opener. It was the 11th no-hitter in EMU history. Hletko finished the year 7-12 with a 4.24 ERA in 107.1 innings pitched.
“She was a little inconsistent throughout [last year], but when she is on her game and feeling confident, she is phenomenal,” Oakley said. “I'm expecting her to have the best year of her career.”
Allison Scherer (Stow, Ohio-Stow-Munroe), the sister of Jenny, was asked to pitch last season due to the lack of available arms and did so admirably, working on that skill while sacrificing in other areas for the betterment of the team. She compiled a 2-3 record, making four starts and 13 appearances spanning over 32.2 innings. To her delight, she will be able to focus more on her hitting, which is the main reason she was recruited. She is the front-runner for the position of designated player.
Baird and the coaching staff have already toyed with potential lineups this season. They hope to display a rare combination of speed and power this season.
“We have a little more speed to put up in the lead-off spot,” Baird said. “We're looking to be more aggressive on the bases this year. We have a lot of speed in our lineup and that's something that makes a big difference and puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
The schedule this year will be a bit demanding throughout as the Eagles will be away from Varsity Field for the season's first 20 games. They begin the campaign with Villanova to kick off the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational, Feb. 26, in Fort Myers, Fla. The first week of March they travel across the state to the Atlantic side to take part in the Miken Classic hosted by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. EMU will face No. 23 Florida State in the tournament opener in what will be the first of four games against teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top-25 Poll.
They meet No. 15 Northwestern twice, March 19 and 21, in a tournament hosted by Missouri and then face the ninth-ranked Tigers, March 20. The Eagles will play their annual game with No. 4 Michigan on the road, May 5. The schedule is finally kind to the Eagles towards the end of the year as they finish up with 14 of their last 19 at the friendly confines of Varsity Field.
“We love our schedule,” Baird said. “We always say, 'You have to play the best to be considered with the best'. To finish the last stretch at home is huge because that's when you're the most tired at the end of the season,” Baird said.
Despite the demand a collegiate softball schedule can have on a student-athlete, the Eagles still managed to rank 16th in the nation and third in the MAC among Division I softball programs in overall grade point average with a 3.384 GPA. Baird was happy with the achievement, but is hoping for a better result this year.
“We pride ourselves on academics,” Baird said of her program that has ranked in the top-20 nationally for six years in a row. “We want to be top five in the nation and have the best GPA in the MAC.”
The journey begins Friday, Feb. 26, at 8:15 p.m. when the Eagles open the season with Villanova at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational.
Thank You, Team 38
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