Page 8 - The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, March 6, /997 Softball team ready for Florida Young squad hopes for bright future by Brian Gregory Collegian Stat] With Spring Break just one week away, the Lady Lion softball team is preparing for their annual trip to Florida to begin the 1997 season. The Lady Lions have eight games in Florida in just five days. It will be a grueling start to the long season for the team. "There's an intensity in practice," said Lady Lion Head Coach Sharon Gregory. "We're coming together and really working well as a group...its fun to see." This year's Lady Lions will be a young team with just three juniors, im Penn State Behrend Lady Lion Softball 1997 1 10 Jennie Duchnowski So. 3B 11 Tammy Marsh So. OF 12 Steph Roberts Jr. C/2B 13 Beth Calhoun Jr. P/OF 15 Lisa Fox So. CF 18 Jeannie Dowdy So. SS 21 Melissa Bennett Fr. OF 22 Stacy Blass Fr. 2B 24 Casey Koza Jr. C 25 Tanya Deats Fr. IF 32 Leah Balmer Fr. 3B 33 Jen Mertz So. P five sophomores, four of which are Stranahan are gone trom me new to collegiate softball, and four outfield. Shannon Angel, Becky freshmen. Reed, and Marlesse Schlott leave New to the team this year is the infield, and Heather Norder is Tanya Deats. Deats will probably gone from the mound. see a lot of time this year at first With the loss of Stocker and base for the Lions. Reed the team will lose a lot of run "She does a really nice job at first production and hits as well as speed base and the plate," said Coach and fielding percentages. Gregory of Deats We're coming together and really working well as a group... it's fun to see Stepping out onto the collegiate "It's a totally new infield," said softball field for the first time this Gregory. "It's difficult to replace year as well will be Stacy Blass. senior experience and our returners s stootzo os Noooscoo. The H id, R • F y H p E Blass is a graduate of nearby McLane High School and should see time at second base this year. "She does a nice job up the middle for us," said Gregory. Taking over some of the third base duties for the Lady Lions this year will be Freshman Leah Balmer. Gregory says the Blackhawk graduate, "has an excellent arm and hits the ball well." The last freshman is Melissa Bennett who will be in the outfield. Lost from the Lady Lions are twenty-one years of experience. Julie Stocker, Erin Terry, and Amy --Coach Gregory are challenged with that task this year." With the loss of Heather Norder, the Lady Lions lose a solid, overpowering pitcher. Pitching in her place will be Jen Mertz. Calhoun will still be the ace, but Mertz will be counted on very heavily this season. This will be a lot of pressure for a pitcher with no college experience. Coach Gregory, though, likes what she has seen from Mertz in the practices. "She has excellent movement, throws hard and is comparable to Calhoun." The only returners for the Lady Lions this year will be the first string battery of Calhoun and Casey Koza, the back-up catcher and second baseman Steph Roberts, and centerfielder Lisa Fox. Coach Gregory has seen a lot of intensity from her young squad in practice sessions this winter. Overall she sees her team's defense to be their number one attribute. "We're solid all the way around," said Coach Gregory. "They are diving in the gym for the ball...there is no hesitation." We're solid all the way around. Also strong for the Lady Lions this year will be the pitching and catching. Calhoun and Koza and Mertz and Roberts all are very solid players and feature strong arms and smarts. Gregory also likes the diversity of the talent that Behrend will have this year. She said that, "each player brings something different that we can utilize. The Lady Lions will battle Mount Union and Ithaca on Monday. Tuesday they play Mary Washington and St. Ambrose. Wednesday they will play Anderson and Benedictine to complete six 1213 State St. Erie, PA 16501 452-4421 'THE THRIFT STORE WITH STYLE!" Leader of the Pack: Head Softball Coach Sharon Gregory (shown here during volleyball season) will lead young squad to Florida to start their season next week. --Coach Gregory games in three days. The team will have Thursday off, which means it will probably rain. And on Friday they play SUNY- Cortland and Trenton before leaving the sun behind to return to Erie. If it doesn't snow, the Lady Lions have a home doubleheader against Mount Union scheduled for March 22nd. &p /4 Xtiti, you attend Battle of the Bands 4 96? Y4u attend- Battle of the Bands this year? - prefeii the event to be 2 days? oft 0 ; the ,event were 2 days, would you atten d b ot h d a y s ? Dits,,you on,ramptis WAS the. best part of Battle of the Bands? . • , 4 . . , 's>r • - ;414/*# ite Improve about Battio of the Ban- ds? • , ?:r~i>~:`:: .. 5^5i::...... ...........: ~.x. ,••?.>...: • • •,• yid; ; ;, ,: <:.. ss; r I ■ t ■ J. 1 SATTILI 01P TIEIIII SANDS OPIIONAL INFORMATION . Box # rU IN HE REE L) IS SRVEY ro MI COLLEGIAN Keen • BOX 1610 . lOUCAN I WSIZiIetICIVM.4OIi COM ' I Lady Lion Softball Schedule 1997 Mount Union/Ithaca* 9/12 Mary Washington/St. Ambrose* 9/12 Anderson/Benedictine* 9/12 SUNY-Cortland/Trenton* 9/12 MOUNT UNION 1:00 Waynesburg 3:00 BETHANY COLLEGE 2:00 SUNY-FREDONIA 3:00 ST. JOHN FISHER 1:00 Allegheny College 3:00 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON 1:00 WESTMINSTER 3:00 Baldwin-Wallace 3:00 Geneva College 3:00 GROVE CITY 3:00 Buffalo State 1:00 Laßoche 3:00 Gannon 3:00 * not a doubleheader Home game in CAPS . . 51127117 mes Standin g . --. I i 143 I NO f 193 i to to YES YES YES YES YE
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