Softball 2013

[boomdad]

Its getting close to fall ball........ A few more weeks and the Girls will be back on the dirt.

[valpotx]

How do they look for this upcoming season?  It seems like we lose a lot of key players

[boomdad]

We did but with Joy returning on the left side that will be a tremendous help. Pitching /catching will be the biggest challenge for the team this season IMHO. Very young at both positions. Offensively you still have some good sticks. Missing Rutkowski and Srickland will defiantly mean he needs to cultivate offense from his freshman. The remaining line up should still be competitive. Doerffler came into her own at the end of the season, Joy, Jessie, and Britt should be pretty tough in the meat of the order, Wiz is always a threat with her long ball. Brown will add maturity to the out field with Sara gone. Duncan or Hermanson should slide to the right side at 1. Norway has the potential to be a really nice out fielder. Bridwell is still as fast as any kid I have seen run the base pads.

With what he has coming in If he can get production from his freshman pitchers. We should be competitive. Can we repeat? It would be nice wouldn't it? We will see how much gas the new pitching core has. And what the meat of the order can do without the senior leadership of Rutkowski and Strickland.

[FWalum]

but with Joy returning on the left side that will be a tremendous help.

I thought I had heard that Joy was not coming back for her 5th year. Do you have some different info?

[boomdad]

According to Britt shes there now.

[valpotx]

Well that's a good addition.  Each of the segments I watched online in the tournaments mentioned that Joy was not going to play her last year to focus on married life/school.

[boomdad]

What ever her reasons for Joy coming back were Im just glad shes here she can defiantly cement that infield with her leadership. It will be a young infield. And im sure she will play a pivotal roll in bringing it together

[VULB#62]

Lauren Ebstein was announced as a new assistant.  She's got a great resume and...........  she's out of New England!   

[setshot]

Is she for Scott Brown (Tufts) or Elizabeth Warren (Harvard)? Whatever,she sounds like a winner. Can she coach football too?

[VULB#62]

Can she coach football too?

Only if QBs throw underhanded.

[vu72]

Lauren Ebstein was announced as a new assistant.  She's got a great resume and...........  she's out of New England!   

Wait?  She left New England for Valpo??  She can't be that good, can she?? 

[historyman]

Lauren Ebstein's background:

"Her prior experiences at Tufts and Colgate, as well as her playing career, have prepared her well and we are fortunate to be able to call her a Crusader. Her ability to teach, plan and her championship mentality will do nothing but make our battery better."

In her two seasons at Colgate, Ebstein helped guide the Raiders to a 28-11 mark in Patriot League play, including the league regular season title in 2011. She coached the PL Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and three All-League selections at pitchers over her two seasons, as well as 10 total All-League choices. Raider pitchers earned league Pitcher of the Week accolades seven times as well.

Prior to arriving at Colgate, Ebstein served as an assistant coach for two seasons at Tufts, helping guide the squad to a fourth-place finish at the Division III College World Series in 2009. Part of the NFCA Division III New England Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2009, Ebstein helped coach a pair of conference championship squads and 14 All-Conference honorees over her two seasons, including the NESCAC Pitcher of the Year. A pair of players also earned NFCA All-American honors during her tenure as well.

Ebstein was a four-year letterwinner for the Tufts softball team, during which time the team won a NESCAC championship in 2007 and appeared in three NCAA Regionals. She also was selected as a team captain for her senior year. Ebstein graduated from Tufts in May of 2007 with a bachelor's degree in English and psychology, and received her master's degree in journalism from Boston University in January of 2009.

[boomdad]

Fall schedule announced

http://www.valpoathletics.com/softball/

[boomdad]

The Ladies are on the field tomorrow against Big 10 Illinois at 2pm cst. Good luck ladies

[crusadermoe]

Great to have such a great team representing Valpo.   !!

[boomdad]

Got some work to do after today. but we started last fall in much the same way. Next weekend at NW will be interesting

[VULB#62]

Got some work to do after today. but we started last fall in much the same way. Next weekend at NW will be interesting

Checked the athletic site, Twitter and FB -- no info.  From your comment they didn't do well, but what does that mean?  Lost badly? 

[boomdad]

Everyone was out of position, alot of new faces to look at. Was impressed by our freshman catcher, out field looked pretty good. Sticks diddnt show up , Besides a walk to Wiz I think that Illinois pitched a perfect game.  Should have the meat of the line up back together by next weekend when a few of the big sticks return. Expect a better showing at NW.

[valporun]

boomdad, do you think Coach Stevens used this game more to see what he has from the new players, and not what the returnees have improved on? I wasn't at the game, but maybe Coach Stevens was looking at players in a game situation, rather than just seeing what he had from everybody on the roster.

[boomdad]

Think your pretty much spot on

[valpopal]

Sunny and temperature in the 70s, it was a great day to play two and to win two. Congrats to the team! Here are a couple of quick pics I snapped:

[LaPorteAveApostle]

great as always--but the burning question--was she safe at home?  the suspense!!!

[valpopal]

"great as always--but the burning question--was she safe at home?  the suspense!!!"

Here is your answer:

[LaPorteAveApostle]

YES!!!!  well done.

[vuweathernerd]

"great as always--but the burning question--was she safe at home?  the suspense!!!"

Here is your answer:

not according to the replacement refs