CHS taking nothing for granted: Greyhounds ready to work for another good season

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- For New Ulm Cathedral shortstop Nikki Fischer, the task that lies ahead of her for her senior season is really quite simple.

Fischer would like to end her senior year the same way she started it -- as a state champion.

"Of course, repeat last year," Fischer said. "I don't think there's an experience that anyone can experience something like that, especially with the younger kids on the team. They really like that."

Fischer has been a fixture in the middle of the infield since her freshman year, and she said that she's a lot more calm than she's ever been before.

"I guess I'm just relaxed out there now because it's my senior year, and not having so much of the pressure on you because you know the plays and you know more things that are going to be happening."

Coach Bob Mertz says he's been impressed by Fischer's ability to get to the ball since she was a freshman.

"She really is a natural," Mertz said. "Right away I could see she had natural instincts. She's got a soft glove and she's done everything she needs to do."

She also brings speed and a great bat to the lineup. She hit .437 with 26 RBIs.

Fischer is the key element to where Cathedral has its main strength -- right up the middle.

Jessica Stadick, a junior, returns as the team's catcher and is more confident this year according to Mertz. Stadick hit .391 with a team-high 16 doubles as a sophomore.

Senior Julie Seifert returns as the team's pitcher after moving from third base midway through last season. Seifert is also one of the top defensive pitchers in the Tomahawk Conference and her emergence as the staff ace was one of the reasons why the Greyhounds excelled at the end of the year.

"She led the team real well, and it helped too that there wasn't just one person, there was a whole team who carried each other, and I think that's what got us real far," Fischer said.

Seifert hit .488 last year with 31 RBIs and went 16-1 on the mound with a .92 ERA. She struck out 88 in 116 innings.

The Greyhounds also have a lot of speed in center with Kyley Hillesheim returning for her senior year. Hillesheim will direct the inexperienced corner outfielders in junior Jenna Schugel and sophomore Katie Stueber. Chelsey Beranek will back up Schugel and Becky Hosna will back up Stueber in right.

Hillesheim said the team isn't too overconfident and they know what they have to do to get back to Caswell Park in North Mankato, the site of the 2004 state tournament.

"I think we got a good attitude still and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," Hillesheim said. "We have good chemistry between the teammates again, and we're still going to work hard. We're not going to think that we just have it again."

At the other infield positions, Melissa Kraus returns at first. Mertz said Kraus won't have the added pressure of having someone looking over her back this season. Last year, Katie Gieseke was behind her and hit .419 as the DH.

Freshman Kristen Prunty is being developed as the possible future shortstop, but for now will start at second base, taking over for Liesl Genelin. Mertz feels that she too can be an asset in the infield for the Greyhounds.

"Kristen Prunty is looking right now like she's going to be our second baseman," Mertz said. "She's got a real nice glove -- [she] really looks nice in the batters box. We're only two weeks into it, but I really like what I see from her."

Junior Liz Prunty will play third. She was thrown into the mix last year after Seifert moved to pitcher and did a nice job after being called up from the "B" squad.

Despite losing four seniors that combined to hit .395, Fischer is confident their replacements will do well.

"There's a lot of talent out there that came up, and it's going to help with having four seniors leaving," Fischer said. "We have people who are able to come up and fill in the same position."

She also said that getting adapted to playing together will be a key to their success.

"I guess it could go both ways," Fischer said. "I guess it just depends on how people get used to their positions as well as hitting and things like that. I think just getting used to each other playing; like last year, we got used to each other and it went well, and I think this year it will end up well."

The Greyhounds figure to be in the conference race with Wabasso again. Both teams went 16-2 in the conference a year ago.

One change the Greyhounds have from last year is the possibility of running into perennial power Mankato Loyola, who will be in the same subsection as Cathedral this year. Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton is a favorite in the other subsection.

With her final year left with her teammates, Hillesheim is relaxed and wants to go out on top.

"Have fun and win state again would be a good way to end it," Hillesheim said.

Cathedral opens play Tuesday, April 6 at Buffalo Lake-Hector.