Northwestern University Athletics
The 2001 Softball Outlook
1/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 16, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern softball team enters the 2001 season expecting to further their success of 2000. But along with a new season comes new challenges. Six players enter the season recovering from injury, and though this team brings a lot of experience, there will be a lot of position changes on the field.
"I think what you try to do each season is what you try to do every day - get better," said Head Coach Sharon Drysdale, who enters her 22nd season with the Wildcats. "We do return quite a few people, and we have some freshmen who will be very strong and immediate contributors to our program. We have a lot of changes within the team, and we'll see how quickly we can begin to mesh and pull together as a unit.
"The optimism is high, and the team wants to get back to regionals and get to the College World Series," she continued. "This is not an immediate goal, because it's too far off and there are too many things we need to take care of first. We're not experienced enough to just go out there and expect these things to happen. We're definitely the underdog and our primary thrust is to pull all these new people together."
The Wildcats return 14 players from last year's NCAA tournament participant and add three highly-touted freshmen. Though only two seniors are on the 17-member team, there is a lot of depth and experience gained with the eight sophomores and four juniors.
"We've got experience because we return starters," said Drysdale. "But this year they will be playing different positions. Though we graduated starters at first base, second base and shortstop, we return backups at short and second and have a few people capable of playing first."
Co-captain Gretchen Barnes, who spent last season behind the plate, is the leading candidate to replace the graduated Jen Shull at first. Barnes was second on the team with five home runs, and her slugging percentage of .433 was fourth on the team.
"Gretchen will continue to gain experience and confidence," said Drysdale. "I expect her to get better and better. She's experienced and versatile, therefore she's capable of being used in many different positions."
Barnes will see playing time at both corners, as will Alyson Schulz. Schulz hit .283 last season with 48 hits, eight doubles, three homers and 24 RBI. Cindy Muran, who enters the season injured, is expected to be in the mix at first base when she returns.
At second base, freshman Carri Leto will see playing time along with co-captain Katie Gross, who walked on the team her freshman year. Leto, one of the top recruits in the country, will make an immediate impact. Drysdale said Leto can play any position except pitcher and catcher.
"Carri has very good range and a good glove," said Drysdale. "She has a good sense of the game, gets on base and makes things happen. She's got all the tools but just lacks experience on our level. Katie loves to play and it shows in the way she plays. She's always hustling."
Robyn Pettinger starts at shortstop. She played in 21 games last year, backing up Tami Jones.
Senior Brooke Siebel will join Barnes and Schulz at third. Siebel, who was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2000, led the team with a .362 batting average, six home runs and a .608 slugging percentage. She also saw action on the mound, making nine appearances totalling 25.2 innings last season. Siebel enters the 2001 season recovering from injury, which nagged her all last season.
"Brooke is an excellent hitter and lives to hit," said Drysdale. "She is a good pitcher and has all the pitches. She will contribute to the pitching staff, but to what extent relies upon her recovery. I have a lot of confidence in her and believe that she can get the job done."
The outfield returns all three starters from last season. Rane Gunderson started in left field last year, but is capable of playing left and center. She saw action in 53 games with 25 hits and 12 stolen bases.
"Rane is a good all-around player, improving offensively all the time," said Drysdale. "She can play defense with anyone. She's got a good arm, good technique, is quick and hustles."
Erin Jancic will play center field. She's coming off of a shoulder injury and will have to wait to see how quickly she can get back into the groove. She started all 56 games last year and led the team in hits, doubles, triples, RBI. She also tied for the team lead with Siebel, hitting six dingers.
Brett Nakabayashi rounds out the outfield in right field, where she started all but one game last year. She led the team in runs (33) and stolen bases (21) and was third in batting average (.303).
Sophomores Andrea Caruthers and Jessie Wellnitz will look for playing time in the outfield. Wellnitz runs well and will be a key pinch runner for the team.
Senior Stacey Austin is a lefty slap hitter and the team's premier base and pinch runner. She will be used primarily in that role.
Behind the plate, freshman J.C. Kira will hold most of the responsibility, while Barnes will provide depth.
"J.C. is going to be a strong player," said Drysdale. "She has very good defensive skills and an excellent arm. She has a great temperament for a catcher, but has a lot to learn in terms of pitch calling and selection."
Pitching will again be a strength for the Wildcats. Sophomore Lauren Schwendimann, who pitched a perfect game against Michigan last season, will take command on the mound when she returns from a shoulder injury. She posted a 20-11 record with a 1.76 ERA, three saves and 223 strikeouts last season.
"We expect Lauren to make a full recovery and be stronger than in the past come spring," said Drysdale. " I expect her to dominate. She is a power pitcher who throws hard, has excellent movement and a tremendous changeup. She did a good job shutting down Washington last year when they were ranked No. 1."
Another sophomore, Brie Brown, was the only healthy pitcher at the beginning of last season and carried the team well. She will be in the same situation entering 2001, as Siebel and Schwendimann recover from injuries.
"Brie will be a very important part of the pitching staff this year," said Drysdale. "She is a student of the game and has great off-speed pitches.
"Obviously, we'll start the season relying a great deal on Brie and hope that Lauren and Brooke come along quickly and assume their roles. It will then be a battle of who gets the ball when. The three of them complement each other very well, and if we can get them all healthy I think we'll have a good battery to throw at our opposition."
On offense, the Wildcats have a balanced attack with a mixture of slappers and sluggers. Nakabayashi, Leto and Austin are very capable slappers who can get on base, force errors, make things happen and generate runs. The power will come from Siebel, Barnes, Jancic, Schulz and Pettinger.
"I'm pleased with the balance we have in our attack," said Drysdale. "We are capable of playing the long ball and we can play the short game. We run well, have good game sense and play very aggressively on the bases."
