2008 season preview

February 29, 2008

NORTON, MA- As Gina Loudenburg looks around her office, she laments about how hard it will be to pack away two decades worth of mementos. With her swan song upon her - 2008 will be Loudenburg's final season at Wheaton College - the veteran softball coach has a positive outlook on the spring, as a driven group of returning players is joined by what she considers one of her top recruiting classes.

"The seniors have really stepped up, and success starts with their leadership," said Loudenburg. "I think all of them feel the sense of urgency being the only Wheaton class not to win a conference championship. We're trying to keep them grounded in the fact that winning the NEWMAC is the goal. But the freshman class has to provide a lot of the things that we're missing, and they're very capable of doing that."

Since joining a conference for the 1988 season, each of 20 classes of Wheaton softball players won at least one league title. Loudenburg enters her 19th season at the helm of the program, having led 10 teams to conference crowns, including five in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

Loudenburg hopes to see this year's freshmen get a league title out of the way quicker than their senior teammates. She said four or five first-year players could be starting on any given day, as the coach likens the cumulative abilities of the class to those of the Class of 2004, a group of players that Loudenburg considers her gold standard among recruits and reached a pair of College World Series. "We have all the tools to win the NEWMAC," said Loudenburg, who last year became the 15th coach in Division III history to win 500 games.

A trio of assistant coaches joins Loudenburg, as Bob Roscoe returns for his 13th season and former Lyon Cheryl Warren Powers is back for her second. First-year assistant Rachael Powers '03, a three-year all-region Wheaton player, was an assistant for the past four seasons at Framingham State College.

The Blue and White went 25-16 a year ago, winning 19 of its final 27 games, and posted an 11-5 NEWMAC mark before losing in the tournament semifinals. Lyons who hit 29 of a program-record 44 home runs have moved on, as has each player from a foursome that comprised the starting infield in 30 contests. To make up for the losses, Loudenburg expects the upperclassmen to carry much of the offensive load.

"I'm going to stack the top four or five in the batting order with seniors and juniors," said Loudenburg, "and then the freshmen, whoever is playing where, will fill out the bottom of the lineup. The starting lineup is probably going to change every day because of freshmen."

With four-pitcher staff, Loudenburg anticipates spending her final season juggling the hurlers in such a manner that opponents won't have an opportunity to get used to any one pitcher. "In the last three years, the pitching has broken down in the end," said the coach. "It's possible that we could use two, three or four in a game this year. I'm going to use them to the best of my abilities." Seniors Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) and Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional), sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) and freshman Courteney Collier (Bolton, MA/Nashoba Regional) comprise the staff.

Wheaton has three captains for the first time since 2002, as Moynagh and fellow seniors Alix Brozman (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) and Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) are each serving their first year as a captain.

In 2007, her first year as a college catcher, Brozman started more than half of Wheaton's games behind the plate and committed only three miscues while stealing a team-high 15 bases. A reserve outfielder when not catching, the converted lefthanded hitter is penciled in as the number-two batter and starter behind the dish.

Marini, who was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England selection as a freshman before committing only three miscues at third base during her sophomore season, returns to the hot corner after spending most of last spring in left field. Marini, who could bat leadoff, recorded career highs of six home runs and 25 RBI in 2007 and is the only Lyon with more than seven career games of infield experience.

Moynagh went 10-4 in the circle last year with a 2.43 earned run average and three shutouts, including a perfect game against Bridgewater State College on April 1. She fanned 119 batters and walked 43, recording nine seven-strikeout contests while placing second in the NEWMAC in strikeouts. Moynagh, who might also see time in the outfield, is third in program history in career strikeouts (332) and fourth in victories (35).

Poulton completes the Class of 2008 after a breakout junior campaign, when she hit .430 with a .483 on-base percentage while reaching base on a hit or walk in 28 of her final 34 games. Poulton earned all-region honors from both the NFCA and New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) in 2007, but last year's regular right fielder makes the shift this spring to first base, which she has yet to play in college. Loudenburg said Poulton immediately picked up the position but might still see time in the outfield in addition to pitching.

Three juniors return to the squad in Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord), Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) and Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton). Benton will reprise her role in center field, where she has started 45 of the past 46 games. In 2007, she batted .347 with five dingers, 27 RBI and 13 stolen bases. A converted third baseman, Benton has fielded at an .886 clip since a permanent move to center late in her freshman year and is slated to bat fifth. Cotto has provided a solid defensive presence behind the plate in her two seasons, handling 135 chances without committing an error while gunning down one-third of would-be base stealers. She will again serve in a reserve catching capacity.

Kelleher looks to get in her first full season of college action, as the .407 career hitter has appeared in just 37 games over two years due to injuries. As a sophomore, the lefthanded batter hit .418 and slugged .620 in 25 contests with three home runs and 21 RBI while displaying a discerning eye by drawing 11 bases on balls. For her efforts, Kelleher earned accolades from the NFCA, NEISCA, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC. This year, Kelleher could bat cleanup as the designated player while serving as a backup first baseman.

Bagley is the lone sophomore on the roster. After enrolling in time for the spring semester in 2007, she made an immediate impact, posting an 11-5 mark to lead the squad in victories. Bagley, who is also a goalkeeper for Wheaton's field hockey team, recorded a 3.39 ERA and spun three shutouts while striking out 51 hitters.

Collier, Nicole DeRosa (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich Academy), Marissa Hobocan (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph), Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law), Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic), Julie Murray (Canton, MA/Canton) and Katy Salka (Ayer, MA/Ayer) comprise a versatile freshman class.

Hobocan is in contention to start at second base, while Loudenburg expects Hunt, who set a school record for single-season digs on the volleyball court last fall, to put her strong defensive abilities to use as a starter at either second or third base or in the outfield. Merrick and Salka are competing for the starting shortstop job, while each is also capable of appearing in the outfield. Salka, a lefthanded hitter, could also see time at second base.

Murray will lend her talent to numerous positions, as she can play first and second base and the outfield after catching in high school. Collier missed fall ball while recovering from surgery but will be mixed into the pitching rotation early in the season. DeRosa, a reserve catcher who is learning to play the outfield, will spend time behind Brozman on the depth chart as a receiver.

Wheaton begins its season on March 8, as the Lyons kick-start a 12-game, six-day slate at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, where they will face squads from seven different states. The remaining 28 regular season contests are scheduled to be played in New England, as both the northern and home portion of Wheaton's schedule start on March 25. The double-elimination NEWMAC Tournament begins on April 23.

During the course of the regular season, the Lyons are set to face six teams that qualified for the 2007 NCAA Tournament, as well as a trio either ranked or receiving votes in the NFCA's preseason poll.

"We have a really great group of players, and I enjoy all of them," said Loudenburg. "We have a lot of heart right now. The most important thing this year is going to be playing like the Wheaton teams of old, having the mindset that it's not over until it's over, and that we have to give it our best shot every inning of every game."

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 2/29/08.
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