The Observer, March 10, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 20
Pitching, chemistry help softball team overcome change
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As the old saying goes, "out with the old, and in with the new." That adage is appropriate when looking at the Case softball team's roster entering the upcoming 2006 season. Nine players will be new to the team, including five freshmen, after seven players departed from last year's team.
Despite all the change, head coach Jennie Amodio believes her team has quite a bit of talent and that it will be successful. Much of that talent will be found at the center of the diamond this spring.
"Our greatest strength going into this season is pitching," Amodio, now entering her seventh season as Case's softball coach said. Amodio mentioned Ruth Sagartz and Amanda Bell as the core members of that stellar pitching staff. The fact that they are so young (Sagartz is a freshman, Bell is a sophomore) only adds to the excitement being generated regarding the talented duo.
The 2006 season will have a special feeling for Sagartz and her family. Sagartz, originally from Albuquerque, N.M., will join her sister, Laurel, as a softball star in the University Athletic Association. Laurel plays for the University of Washington.
"Her sister has done very well at Wash U," Amodio said. "It will be exciting to see them compete against each other at UAA's."
The UAA championships will take place next week in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The women will play eight games in just four days during the tournament. Last season, the Spartans went 3-5 in UAA's to finish in third place. This year, Amodio has no idea where her team will place.
"Right now, it is too early to tell," she said. "We haven't been able to practice outside yet. Fortunately, we have two doubleheaders scheduled prior to the start of the conference tournament."
Offensively, Bell will be at the forefront too. She is expected to occupy the cleanup (fourth) spot in the lineup this year after tying for the team lead in home runs last season with two. Amodio also expects strong performances offensively from Carrie Casden and Lauren Seeds.
"[Seeds] is very quick," Amodio said of her sophomore centerfielder. "I think we're going to see a lot more from her this year."
Bell, Casden, Seeds, and the rest of the ladies will look to improve upon last season's performance at the plate, where they hit only .218 as a team. If they don't, the pressure will be on Bell and Sagartz to keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
The offense and roster turnover are two of the biggest areas of concern heading into the season. One thing that will combat those is strong team chemistry, which Amodio cited as one of the team's greatest assets.
"The team's chemistry has been really good so far," Amodio said. "The girls are getting along great. Because of that chemistry, we have handled the lack of retention of players from last year very well. We have a lot of strong personalities here, but, again, only time will tell."
Two of the new players replacing the many departed players from last year are Dana Dempsey and Amber Hammell, who just helped the Lady Spartans complete a successful season on the basketball court.
"They've been practicing for about a week," Amodio said of Dempsey and Hammell. "They are both great athletes. They will help us out a lot."
Having a new home field will also help out the softball team. Two years ago, the team played all of its games on the road. Last year, the women played at Brush Field in Little Italy, which served as a home field, but was not nearly as nice as the new field they will enjoy this year.
"We're all really excited about having the new field," Amodio said. "By having less travel and a nicer facility, it's so much easier on the girls."
The Spartans will host their first game at the field on March 25 when they host a doubleheader against Bluffton College at 1 p.m. With many alumni expected to attend, it will surely be a festive home opener.
