Senior co-captains create cohesive group for MLC softball team, seek to guide young team through successful season

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Youth, versatility and leadership are the key words for the Martin Luther College softball team this year.

Senior captains Erin Gray and Jill LaViolette are setting the tone for the team, ready to commit themselves to whatever role the team needs them to fill this year.

In the past four years, the women have developed from freshmen awed by both the competition and fellow team members into seniors ready to help ease those feelings in this year's freshmen.

"The nerves are always up with the young players, and with even us too, with a new team and a new season," Gray said during the team's first outdoor practice this year. "I think our team is really solid. I feel very confident in any freshman in any position they have tried out at, and the upperclassmen too."

After a season during which an inexperienced Knights softball team went 6-23, the still young women are looking to use their added experience and versatility to turn some of their close losses last year into wins this year.

"We lost a couple of games really close, and I think we defeated ourselves sometimes in one bad inning," Gray said. "I want us to really dominate in conference this year and show them what we can do."

"It's just putting everything together at all the right times, not just having some games where your bats are going but your defense falls apart," LaViolette said. "We just need to be more consistent all around."

Eight freshmen make up the largest portion of the team this year; the remainder of the team is comprised of four returning sophomores and one transfer, two juniors and two seniors.

The makeup of the outfield will be changed from last year, as center and right field will be filled by new faces, and LaViolette, who played right field last year will move to left. Last year, Renee Schiller was in the left field position; she contributed 21 walks and 17 sacrifice bunts as well as a .299 batting average. Angie Jastrow was quick in center field, and according to Leopold, Jana Benrud was solid in right field and added a .304 batting average.

But this year, much of the team's defense will be dictated by the pitchers, who are not only able to pitch, but also switch to infield, outfield, or both when they are not pitching.

"We've got lots of utility players," coach Barb Leopold said. "Our two returning pitchers are Rachel Zahn and Rachel Hering. They'll be our stronghold."

Hering threw to the most batters last year and finished with an ERA of 6.33, with 12 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings; Zahn had an ERA of 7.11 and seven strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. Leopold also said that sophomore transfer Beth Ebeling will be the team's third pitcher.

Other standout returners are junior catcher Rachel Kassulke, whom Leopold says is aggressive on the bases; junior Rachel Wilkens (3B), the team's leading hitter at .301 and a solid defensive player; and sophomore Terri Schroeder (1B, 3B), whom Leopold plays both offense and defense confidently.

The two seniors see good versatility in their team members, as well as a willingness to do what is best for the team -- a trait the seniors want to model for the rest of the team.

"I think this group will be really good at accepting their role, whether it's just being a runner, or just being a batter, or if they have a set position in the lineup," LaViolette said. "Their attitude is amazing, and they are talented enough that they can fill in wherever it's needed."

In light of their talent and flexibility, the team has set challenging goals for itself -- but goals that the women agree are not beyond their reach. The largest team goal is to take first at the conference tournament, and do well at NAIA sections.

"I think we've got the personnel to do that," Leopold said. "Getting experience from the newcomers will be a key. That's all part of the game, working with people around you."

That is one more thing that the captains would like to stress: togetherness on and off the field. LaViolette and Gray have been setting up group activities outside of practice to blur the class lines that they felt were present when they were freshmen.

"One of the things they may have experienced is that, I have two seniors and two juniors on the team, and in their freshman year, it might have been just the opposite," Leopold said, referring to the changes of the team in the last three years. "The other thing is probably the aggressiveness of the team. Especially in baserunning, I think we have become a much more aggressive team over the last couple of years."

Leopold likes the way the seniors are able to lead the team by example; the two women worked their way into starting positions over the course of two or three years.

"The thing with our seniors is the work ethic they provide ... and just knowing that no spot is ever yours -- you continue to work for it," Leopold said, emphasizing that it is good for the team to see that. "They are willing to sacrifice their playing time. They want to play, but they will do what's best for the team."

The Knights have been struggling to have a full, healthy team report to practice, and hope to have everyone well when they travel to open their season against Macalester, a similar team to MLC, Thursday.