Anderson Tops HCAC Pre-Season Softball Poll
January 30, 2008
GREENWOOD , IN – The Anderson University softball team has been selected as the favorite to win the 2008 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball title in a vote of league coaches. The Ravens claimed 74 total points and seven first-place votes in the Coaches Preseason Poll.
Defiance College , winner of the 2007 title, placed second in the poll with 69 total points and one first-place vote. Transylvania finished third in the poll with 67 total points and was followed by Rose-Hulman with 49 total points and one first-place vote. Bluffton University (42 points), Mount St. Joseph (36), Manchester College (35), Franklin College (22), and Hanover College (11) rounded out the poll.
Anderson finished the 2007 season in second place of the HCAC and will be looking for the school’s first title since the 2000 season this spring. The Ravens were 26-14 overall and 13-3 in conference play. AU earned the HCAC tournament championship by defeating Transylvania 8-4 in the final.
The Ravens return two key pitchers from last season’s team. HCAC Pitcher of the Year Kelly Thompson (Anderson, Ind./H.S.) and HCAC Freshman of the Year Gretchen Louzon (Beech Grove, Ind./H.S.) will look to pick up where they left off on the rubber a year ago. Thompson finished 9-5 last year with two saves and a 1.81 earned run average. The senior pitched 12 complete games and struck out 80 batters in 104.2 innings pitched. Louzon had a tremendous freshman season, finishing 11-6 on the year with two saves and a conference-best 1.34 earned run average. The sophomore struck out 93 opponents in 109.1 innings last spring and also finished with 12 complete games.
Anderson will have to replace their two top bats they lost to graduation. Seniors Lesli Randall and Dawn Hines combined for 54 runs scored, 55 RBI, 11 home runs, and 19 doubles a year ago. Junior infielder Julia Siefring (Celina, Ohio/H.S.) and sophomore catcher Erin Garrity (Fortville, Ind./ Mt. Vernon) will look to fill the void left by the two All-HCAC selections. Siefring, an All-HCAC selection as a freshman, hit .270 last spring as a sophomore and finished with four doubles, three home runs, and 19 RBI. Garrity also posted 19 RBI and hit .333 with two home runs.
Defiance won the school’s first conference softball title last spring. The Yellow Jackets completed last season 23-19 overall and 13-2 in conference play. Despite losing three All-HCAC selections from a year ago, DC returns two All-HCAC selections to their lineup. Sophomore infielder Aarika Davis (Canton, Ohio/McKinley) batted .331 with 35 runs scored, 12 doubles, three home runs, and 21 RBI last spring. Junior pitcher Justine Johnston (Wauseon, Ohio/H.S.) returns after leading the HCAC in innings pitched (138.1) and strike outs (119). Johnston finished 12-9 on the season with 16 complete games and a 3.90 earned run average.
Transylvania finished third in the conference standings last season with a 10-6 record. The Pioneers were 25-14 overall last spring and will be looking for their third conference title in the last four years. Key players for the Pioneers this season will be junior infielder Jessica Broadhead (Booneville, Ind./H.S.), senior catcher Melissa Sharpe (Lexington, Ky./ Dunbar), and sophomore pitcher Claire Lanham (Owensboro, Ky./Davies Co.). Lanham finished 10-7 on the mound with a 3.33 earned run average, 15 complete games, and 75 strike outs last spring. Broadhead hit .388 last season with 39 runs scored and Sharpe batted .333 with 29 RBI.
The 2008 softball season opens on March 1. The HCAC portion of the schedule will begin on March 15 with the HCAC Tournament slated for May 2-3.