News FeedTruman State University Softball Head Coach Erin Brown stepped into her office with a purple sheet of paper with “Truman Softball 2009” scrolled across the top.
Three team missions are listed in a big black box: “MIAA Regular Season Champions, win close games and come to play”. There are 16 signatures from coaches and players signed the goal sheet, “totally committing” to these missions.
The Bulldogs struggled to a 22-21 record in the 2008 season, going 8-10 in the highly completive MIAA. Brown said that the 2009 team has the potential to be better than last year’s.
“I think every team probably has the national championship as an overall goal,” Brown said. “Basically, we have gone through and specified specific goals for what we want our team to accomplish.”
Most of these goals emphasize the importance of giving maximum effort and keeping a positive mindset over the course of the season. Brown said that if the team accomplishes these goals, it will put them in place to complete the three team missions.
Brown said she didn’t think this team had a weakness, but needs to be consistent in order to contend this season.
“I feel like the ability is there,” Brown said. “If everyone is playing to our potential we can compete with anyone.”
Despite these high aspirations given on the mission sheet and by Brown, junior catcher Erica LaCombe said that the team should start off with more modest goals.
“I think we put our goals to be top three in conference and we should be,” said LaCombe. “Once we get there, we’ll reevaluate the goals and hopefully go further.”
LaCombe said the team will have to fill a hole on the pitching staff left by graduate Katie Noski. In 2008, Noski went 10-4 with a 1.34 earned run average. Despite the departure of Noski, LaCombe said that pitching should be strong thanks to a newcomer, a transfer and a returning senior.
“We did get a freshman pitcher, Ashley Rotkvich,” said LaCombe. “She should be a huge addition on the mound.”
According to Truman’s Athletic web site, Rotkvich was a three-time all-conference player at
Richelle vanGennip, a junior transfer form the , posted a 10-4 record with a 1.73 earned run average at
“She’s a junior transfer, which is big because she has experience coming in,” said LaCombe.
Senior Stephanie Johnson provides MIAA experience that the staff needs to be effective. Last season, Johnson had a record of 6-10 with a 3.34 ERA.
Senior centerfielder Dani Mayer hit .350 and led the team in both home runs with three and runs batted in with 31 in 2008. She said that speed will be important to this team.
“We have quite a few fast girls so we’ll steal a lot of bases,” said Mayer. In 2008, the Bulldogs finished second in the MIAA in stolen bases with 99.
LaCombe said the 2009 team will have to use team speed to win games because of other offensive problems.
“We are a small team, a really small team,” said LaCombe, “and we’re extremely fast … but we lost a lot of power at the plate. So kind of like give and take, we gained a lot of speed but we lost a lot of power.”
Johnson and Mayer hit home runs in 2008, belting one and three, respectively. The Bulldogs hit an MIAA low eight home runs last season. That trailed the second worst home run hitting team,
Once the team gets on base, the team will be difficult to stop, LaCombe said.
Both Mayer and LaCombe said the loss of MIAA Player of the Year, Christen Belcher, will hurt this team.
“There is no way around it, that’s a huge hole to fill,” LaCombe said about losing an All-American.
In 2008, Belcher hit .418 and stole an MIAA record 42 bases.
“We have some girls,” Mayer said, “A couple of younger girls who are slappers so I think with some practice and more experience they’ll be good too.”
Brown said that Freshmen Katie Pitts will try to fill the void left by Belcher as a slapper and right fielder.
When thinking about the purple mission sheet, Brown said, “If we do everything that we can do, we will put ourselves in a situation to compete at regionals and then compete at the World Series if we do well.”
To view the photo gallery, click here: http://tmn.truman.edu/gallery/view_album.asp?gallery=224
