Athletic Conference in 2004
BEREA, OHIO -- The 2004 Baldwin Wallace College women's softball team's number one goal this season is to get back to where they were a year ago -- in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title game.
"We have the talent and ability to play well," said veteran Yellow Jacket Head Coach Joe Yocabet, who is the winningest fast-pitch softball coach in B-W history with a 159-137 career record, including 85-51 versus OAC opponents. "We lost some very key members of last year's team, but we still have a lot of talent back. We will be a little faster and hopefully can play better defense."
The Yellow Jackets lost the OAC title game last year, 3-2, and finished with a strong 25-16 season record. This year's team returns eight players who started at one time or another in the field a year ago, and three starting pitchers.
Back to lead the team this year will be junior first baseman and pitcher Jeanette Brezina(Parma Heights/Valley Forge), junior pitcher K.C. Young (Olmstred Falls) and sophomore catcher Nicole Loudin (Sheffield Lake/Elryia Catholic).
Brezina was selected as a member of the OAC Torunament all-tourney team last spring. She started all 41 games for the Yellow Jackets. In 16 starts at pitcher, she finished with a 9-4 record and had a 1.74 earned run average. Brezina also has outstanding control and walked just eight hitters in 92 and one-third innings pitched. At the plate, she hit .236 with 20 runs scored, seven doubles and 13 runs batted-in. In the field, Brezina had 136 totaol chances and compiled a .934 fielding average.
"Jeanette is one of the most versitile players in the OAC," said Yocabet, a member of the Greater Cleveland Fast-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame. "She can help you on the mound, at the plate, in the field and with her quickness. She is multi-faceted.
"As a pitcher, Jeanette limits the opposition's opportunities," said Yocabet. "She only walked eight hitters in almost 100 innings pitched. That's pretty good."
Loudin returns as an offensive force and was named as the OAC Freshman of the Year and as a second-team NCAA Division III All-American by the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA). She was also named to the OAC Tournament all-tourney team. In 2003, Loudin finsihed with a .388 batting average and led the team with an outstanding .702 slugging percentage. She finished with six doubles, a triple and set B-W single-season records with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. In addition, Loudin stole eight bases in eight attempts to lead last year's team.
"Nicole returns as one of the best hitters in the OAC and Division III," said Yocabet. "She has the ability to dominate a game. She has a great eye at the plate. Nicole also has outstanding athletic ability. She can play shortstop or catch. She fools a lot of opponents with her ability to run. She is definitely one of the best players in Division III."
Young had a solid year on the mound in 2003 after seeing limited action as a freshman. She compiled a 7-5 overall record with a 2.53 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 96 and two-thirds innings pitched.
"K.C. had a strong sophomore year and we are hoping that she can improve as much this year as last," said Yocabet. "She emerged as a solid pitcher."
Another player that Yocabet is hoping can regain her form is senior hurler Liz Fries (Columbus/ Bishop Watterson). Last year, Fries was 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 49 and one-third innings of work. As a sophomore, she was 9-4 with a 1.90 ERA and earned All-OAC honors, and as a freshman, Fries was 11-9 with a 2.45 ERA as B-W tied the school-record with 28 victories. Her 25 career wins rank fourth all-time in school history.
"If Liz returns to form, and I think she will, it will solidify our pitching staff even more," said Yocabet. "Having Jeanette, K.C. and Liz all healthy and pitching well will be a key to our success this year."
A big key this year for Yocabet and assistant coach Bob Cochrane will be rebuilding a hitting attack that lost five .300 hitters from a year ago, including three of te best to ever play in the Brown and Gold in Evie Evans, Amanda Opperman and Stacey Floom. And, due to academic requirements, Yocabet will not have the services of senior All-OAC outfielder Emily Krile this spring. Krile batted .300 or better her first two seasons at B-W and batted .284 last year with 15 runs scored, two doubles, 10 RBI and six stolen bases in six attempts.
This year's leading returnees include sophomore outfielder Nikki D'Amore (Painsville/Perry), junior outfielfer Mary Farrell (Middelburg Heights/Holy Name), sophomore outfielder Lindsay Kaya (Oberlin/Firelands), sophomore infielder Casey Ward (Amherst/Marion Steele) and junior outfielder Jackie White (Cleveland/Holy Name).
Kaya returns to the outfield in 2004 after batting .250 last season with 13 RBI and having a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage. Ward contriubuted with a .316 batting average, 31 hits, five stolen bases and a .937 fielding percentage. White batted .222 last season in 17 games and Farrell returns to Yellow Jacket softball after missing her entire sophomore season due to injury.
"We need to gain a level of consistency on offense so we are not entirely relying on our pitching and defense to win games," said Yocabet. "The key will be getting people on base and getting key hits when we need them. It would also be nice to have plenty of folks on base when Nicole is at the plate!"
In addition, look for junior infielder Julie Durkot (Parma/ Normandy), junior outfielder Scarlett Gemm (Perrysburg/ Notre Dame), junior outfielder Samantha Gougler (Garfield Heights), sophomore third basemen Bonnie Rice (Glenmont/ Danville) and junior infielder Beth Rubosky (Roaming Shores/ Grand Valley) to all compete for playing time on the varsity this season.
Newcomers to the Yellow Jackets are junior second baseman Amy Gladieux (Northwood/ Owens Community College), freshman outfielder Lori Schmidt (Brunswick) and freshman third baseman Lauren Helowicz (Williamsville, NY/ Clarence).
"Our new players have been working hard and I believe this will be a big help to the overall success of the team," said head coach Joe Yocabet. "The players moving to the varsity level will have a lot of imput as to the way our season will go."
The Yellow Jacket season begins with their annual spring break trip to Ocoee, Florida and the annual Rebel Spring Games. The first game is Sunday, March 7 when the Yellow Jackets play Simpson (Iowa) College at 8:50 a.m. and then play Ohio Wesleyan University at 10:40 a.m. On its spring trip, B-W will play 10 games in five days. The first northern game is Saturday, March 20 when they face OWU in a home doubleheader at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field at 1:00 p.m.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.
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