HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - When all of the pieces of a puzzle come together, the finished product can be a beautiful sight to behold. And when the final piece fell into place for the 2009 Northern Kentucky University softball team, the results were brilliant.
The Norse became the lowest seed in Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament history to take the championship, doing so without losing a game and by defeating two of the nation's top teams in Indianapolis and Lewis. With the win, the Norse returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
A new puzzle presents itself for NKU softball in 2010, and as it goes with every season, the pieces are different. Some are missing, as seniors graduate and bid farewell to the program. Others have grown as players who started last season as reserves will be looked on as the foundation of the program. And others still will find their fit as the incoming class begins to carve out its legacy.
But as the picture reveals itself, head coach
Kathy Stewart sees within it the makings of another conference championship, and perhaps more.
Describing the 2010 squad with a single word, Stewart responded, “Complete. I say this because I think we have the talent, work ethic, attitude, competitiveness, leadership and 'oneness' as a team to have a very good year.”
Those qualities helped NKU bounce back from a pair of almost devastating losses at Saint Joseph's to win seven of its final eight regular-season games and earn a spot in the postseason.
“[After the Saint Joseph's games] we had a very long talk about where we were and where we wanted to go,” said Stewart. “The team responded and we went on a nice run.
“We played the way we expect NKU softball teams to play.”
It was the perfect storm of a crushing offense, a dominant pitching staff and a solid defense. In the final eight games of the regular season, NKU won four of them by run-rule, outscoring the opposition by a combined 60-13 in the contests. Over the span, the Norse hit .394 as a team with 15 doubles and nine home runs and clinched the No. 6 seed in the GLVC Tournament.
Many of the pieces from that team will return and will look to fit into familiar places, including everyday shortstop and GLVC Freshman of the Year
Jessica Farris. The Simon Kenton High School product hit .315 on the season and led the team with 31 runs scored, including the game-ending run in the GLVC Championship game. Joining her in the middle infield will be senior second baseman
Rose Broderick, who stands as NKU's all-time home run champion with 16 round trippers in her three seasons.
The pitching tandem of
April Ehlers and
Chelsie Roy return to strike fear in the hearts of opposing batters. Ehlers, who also looks to return to her part-time role at first base, racked up over 250 strikeouts last season and notched her first career no-hitter, taking GLVC foe Drury to task in an 8-0 victory. In addition, Ehlers set a new single-game strikeout record by fanning 18 batters in a win over Dowling, 7-0. Roy turned in another winning season and dropped her ERA from the previous season by nearly a point-and-a-half to 2.16 in 2009.
The outfield will look to another pair of talented hands from last season, starting with senior
Stephanie West, who saw her season cut short due to injury. Nonetheless, West led the team with 11 stolen bases and seven sacrifices and looks to be an offensive threat again this season.
On the other end of the offensive spectrum stands sophomore
Ashley Gates, who became the third player in as many years to break the team's single-season home-run record. She had 12 home runs and also led the team with 42 runs batted in.
However, three of the mainstays of that team –
Cara Parker,
Amanda Smith and
Shatona Campbell – have graduated, and replacing those puzzle pieces is a challenge in itself. Perhaps none more challenging than Parker, who served as NKU's third baseman for every game of the last three years, and only missed one game during her freshman season.
“
Gretchen Lorenz played third for us in the fall and did a nice job,” said Stewart of the junior. “We expect her to be there in the spring as well.”
Lorenz is familiar with filling needed roles. A versatile defender, Lorenz patrolled center field and hit .291 last season filling in for the injured West. Lorenz also provided one of the iconic images from last season, her hand stretched to the sky after hitting a towering home run in the sixth and final inning of the GLVC Championship game.
Senior catcher
Sam Del Vecchio is another player looking to step into a starting role. Del Vecchio's hard work over the course of her career was rewarded last season with an opportunity as an everyday player for the Norse, both behind the plate and at designated player. Del Vecchio responded with a .297 mark at the plate and was the only regular player on the team to play error-free softball in 2009.
Also looking to make a difference will be reserves
Jamie Raabe and
Rachael May, each of whom saw action primarily as pinch runners but will seek to contribute even further to the success of the Norse this season.
“The expectation of every player here is to leave an impact/legacy on the program,“ added Stewart. “This senior class has an opportunity to win consecutive GLVC championships, reach the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, win our third regional championship and our first national championship. Additionally, we expect them to step up and lead, which I believe they've already done and need to continue to do.”
But, as any coach will tell you, no one's job is safe, and with the new year comes the new recruiting class.
Emily Schwaeble, a two-time Cincinnati Enquirer All-City Player of the Year, will look to fill out the NKU pitching staff while fellow freshmen
Alesa Collinsworth,
Samantha Smith,
Chelsea Luessen and
Katie Sullivan will compete for positions in both the infield and outfield.
“Regardless of a player's year, we expect them to step up and get the job done, whatever that job may be,” added Stewart. “We are fortunate in that we have a fall season, so the freshmen have had an opportunity to experience playing at this level, see what they need to work on, continue to develop and to make the most of whatever they are asked to do.”
And as the team moves into the coming spring, when the wins and losses count, everyone will look to settle into their role and make the puzzle pieces fit into yet another beautiful picture.
