Softball: 2008 Ohio State Season Preview – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
THE DEFENDING BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
The Buckeyes are coming off one of their best seasons in program history. Last season, Ohio State went 40-18 overall and 14-2 in the Big Ten to win its second conference championship and first since 1990. The Buckeyes then swept through the Big Ten Tournament to win its first postseason title and came within one win of a trip to Super Regionals.
Five field starters and one starting pitcher are back from a year ago for 12th-year head coach Linda Kalafatis, who was named the 2007 Big Ten Coach of the Year and owns 647 career wins. She will have big shoes to fill in 2008, however, as five senior starters are gone from last season and another All-Big Ten standout will miss much or all of the season because of surgery.
But a talented freshman class has already shown it will contribute right away and a standout transfer pitcher could count as another returning starter for the Buckeyes, who have only two seniors and three juniors on their roster.
“You can’t lose five senior starters and not be kind of young,” Kalafatis said. “We know that coming into this year, but that hasn’t affected our confidence or work ethic. In fact, this is probably our hardest working team and that will help us develop. We have a lot of balance and we are excited about developing these kids and seeing what we can do.”
With two Big Ten trophies on display and after coming so close to Super Regionals, Ohio State’s young team has set high goals for 2008.
“Winning the title last year has absolutely helped fortify the mind set of our girls,” Kalafatis said. “But you have to leave last year as last year, although we learned so much from it. You talk about the lessons you learn and the experiences you have gone through. We understand that it was significant and we learned a lot.”
INSIDE THE ROSTER
When the Ohio State roster changed over from 2007 to 2008, five senior starters had to be removed, but seven newcomers have been added.
Gone are all-region pitcher/third baseman Jamee Juarez and third-team All-Big Ten selections Lauren Daykin (DP), Christina Douglas (first base) and Megan Schwab (left field). Also gone is shortstop Nycole Koyano, who was a Big Ten All-Tournament team selection and led the team in walks and runs each of the last four years.
On the roster but not in uniform as the season begins is junior Courtney Pruner, who was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree last year in right field and who was penciled in as the starter at first base this season. She had offseason hip surgery and her rehabilitation will determine if she will be able to play in 2008.
In addition to Pruner, returning starters include first-team All-Big Ten and all-region sophomore catcher Sam Marder, second-team all-region senior second baseman Brittany Vanderink, senior centerfielder Liz Caputo, junior pitcher Kim Reeder and sophomore third baseman Rebecca Schultz, who started 22 games last season when Juarez was pitching.
Sophomore pitcher Lindsay Bodeker is a newcomer to the squad but was the top pitcher at Akron last season and beat Ohio State in May.
Returning letterwinners ready to contribute are Cortney Cannon, a junior outfielder, Whitney Cooper, a sophomore shortstop, Tory Haddad, a sophomore infielder, Leah Ledford, a sophomore outfielder, and Megan Miller, a sophomore pitcher. Challenging them will be freshmen Brittany Goodchild (outfield), Dee Dee Hillman (second base), Rachael Shepherd (catcher/third base), Karisa Medrano (outfield), Kady Caughenbaugh (catcher) and Nic Perales (outfield).
THE COACHING STAFF
Kalafatis, who is Ohio State’s all-time wins leader, will be joined by third-year assistant Ali Viola and second-year assistant Eric Beach. Viola, who was an All-American shortstop at Nebraska, coaches the infield and hitting, while Beach, who was an All-American pitcher at Arizona State, coaches the pitchers.
Rona Dorsey will serve as the volunteer assistant coach this season and Tom Palumbo returns for this third season as the team’s strength and condition coach.
PITCHERS AND CATCHERS
Juarez, who now plays professionally for the Akron Racers, went 21-9 with eight shutouts last year and set four Ohio State career pitching records. She could be the hardest Buckeye to replace, but ready to take over as Ohio State’s No. 1 pitcher is junior Kim Reeder. Sophomore Sam Marder is back at catcher after having one of the best freshman seasons in OSU history.
“The different looks we have within our pitching staff are exciting,” Kalafatis said. “That will be the strength of our team pitching and catching because of the experience we have on the mound and behind the plate. We are young, we know that, so we’re just going to have to be prepared to battle and give it 100 percent every time we go out there.”
Reeder has already established herself as a big game pitcher and brings a 33-19 career record and 291 strikeouts into 2008 after two seasons alongside Juarez as Ohio State’s “1-A” and “1-B” combination. She went 17-8 last season with a 2.62 ERA, two no-hitters and 133 strikeouts in 162.2 innings.
Reeder will be joined by veterans Miller, a sophomore who pitched in 14 games and fashioned a 2-1 record with a 4.32 ERA last year, and the rehabbing Pruner, a junior lefty who did not factor into a decision last year but went 6-1 as a freshman. Bodeker looked impressive in the fall season and is coming off a rookie campaign at Akron in which she earned the win in 12 of the Zip’s 17 wins and struck out 119 batters.
Marder was the first freshman to be named Ohio State’s offensive MVP a year ago after batting .359 overall with 10 home runs and 49 runs batted in. Her 44 walks set an OSU record and her RBI total was an OSU freshman record. Joining her behind the plate will be freshmen Rachael Shepherd, who could also see time at third base, and Kady Caughenbaugh.
AROUND THE INFIELD
Graduation took first baseman Christina Douglas (.303 average, 26 RBI), shortstop Nycole Koyano (.302 average, 18 stolen bases) and Juarez (.290 average, 5 HR, 31 RBI), who played third when she was not in the circle, but all-region pick Brittany Vanderink (.333, 19 RBI, 16 SB) is back at second base and many choices are available for the other three spots.
“Brit is our infield anchor and even though we’re young there, we’re a little more experienced in our infield than what the years may say,” Kalafatis said. “Rebecca Schultz played half the games at third last year and Whitney Cooper started the first three or four tournaments at shortstop. The biggest question mark is first base. That will dictate how much moving around there will be in the infield, but Coach Viola is one of the best, so we are in good hands.”
Vanderink is a .338 career hitter and 46-for-49 in the stolen base department. Schultz started 22 games last season and played in 32 overall while Juarez was pitching. Pruner (.336, 7 HR, 37 RBI) will most likely be Ohio State’s first choice at first base when she returns to action.
Cooper, who is perhaps the team’s most athletic member, is penciled in to start at shortstop after starting there for the first 14 games of 2007. Sophomore Tory Haddad, who started 10 games last year and played in 18 overall mainly at third base, will challenge for the first base job while Pruner is out.
Freshmen Dee Dee Hillman is a natural second baseman but could see time at several other spots, as well.
ROAMING THE OUTFIELD
Six outfielders are on the depth chart entering the season, led by returning senior starter Liz Caputo (.272 average) in center. Two more Buckeyes were award winners in the outfield but are now at other positions, including Vanderink, who was All-Big Ten in 2006 in right field but now plays second base, and Pruner, who was All-Big Ten last season in right field but was penciled in to take over at first base this season.
Junior Cortney Cannon and sophomore Leah Ledford were backups last year behind Caputo, senior left fielder Megan Schwab (.259 average, 27 RBI) and Pruner (.336, 7 HR, 37 RBI). Those three returners will be joined by freshmen Brittany Goodchild, converted shortstop Karisa Medrano and Nic Perales in the competition for playing time.
“Despite the fact we have three returners in the outfield, only one has been a starter and we have three new players, so I consider our outfield group to be young and inexperienced,” Kalafatis said. “But they are a hard working group, for sure. Obviously, whoever is in the lineup will need to do the job defensively, but their offensive output will probably determine who is out there.”
Hillman could also see time in the outfield in addition to her natural position of second base.
THE SCHEDULE
The Buckeyes have 19 games scheduled this season against teams that played in the NCAA tournament last year and that number could grow in tournament play. Five early season tournaments on the road totaling at least 25 games will take the Buckeyes to Deland, Fla. (Stetson), Miami (Florida International), Palm Springs, Las Vegas and Sacramento.
Ohio State will then be home for 16-consecutive games, beginning with Houston March 18 and the Buckeye Invitational March 21-23. The Big Ten season then begins March 28-29 against Iowa at Buckeye Field, followed by visits from Illinois March 30, Michigan State April 4-5 and Northwestern April 6. A non-conference doubleheader with Marshall April 2 is included in that 16-game stretch.
The Buckeyes have only two Big Ten road weekends April 11-13 at Indiana and Purdue, followed by April 25-27 at Wisconsin and Minnesota. In between those road trips is a Big Ten home weekend April 18-20 with Michigan and Penn State. Non-conference home dates in that time frame include Kentucky April 16, Ball State April 23 and Ohio April 30.
Ohio State does not have a Big Ten travel partner this season and thus will not play the final weekend of the league schedule May 3-4. The Big Ten tournament will be contested May 8-10 at the site of the regular-season champion.
### OhioStateBuckeyes.com ###
