The Austin College softball team fell just short of its goal of reaching the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in 2010, finishing with a record of 12-18 overall and 5-11 in the difficult SCAC West Division, but with most of the roster returning next season the ’Roos will be looking to take the SCAC West crown in 2011.
“Our season went well,” said Coach Edie Fletcher. “We improved statistically in many categories both offensively and defensively. However, there is always room for improvement and making the conference tournament is a must in the upcoming years.”
The ’Roos will be forced to replace only two seniors next season in second baseman Kali Gossett, who started every game at second base for the past four seasons and was a two time All-SCAC performer, and pitcher Ashley Johnson, who posted a 6-6 record on the mound this season with a 4.22 earned run average. However, the ’Roos will return four All-Conference honorees led by first baseman Stefanie Faith heading into 2011.
Faith, a three year starter at first for the ’Roos, earned 1st Team All-SCAC and 2nd Team All-West Region honors after finishing the year batting .381 with nine homers and 32 runs batted in. With her nine home runs, Faith finished the year tied for the SCAC career record and by the end of next year will have sole ownership of that record.
Also returning is 2nd Team All-Conference performer Carolyn Stone, earning that distinction as a utility player by spending time at catcher, shortstop and in the outfield. Stone drove in 13 runs and had a homer and three doubles on the year. Along with Stone, the ’Roos also return Honorable Mention All-SCAC honorees Heather Farquhar and Abbey Hayes.
Farquhar finished with a team best .440 batting average and drove in 10 runs on the year and Hayes posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage as the team’s starting left fielder. Next year the ’Roos will also return Suzanne Beltran, who has proven to be one of the top hitters in the SCAC in her first two seasons at Austin College. This year Beltran batted .379 with six homers, five doubles and 14 runs batted in.
Fletcher will also be looking for continued improvement from several first year players who made an immediate impact this season, including Charlotte Trudell, Cierra Wieghat, Katie Hendrickson and Chelsea Delaney. Trudell hit .323 and finished second on the team with 30 hits and Wieghat batted .320 and had a team-best seven stolen bases. Hendrickson and Delaney proved to be outstanding defensively and should make a big leap forward at the plate heading into next season.
With the returning talent and what Fletcher describes as a strong recruiting class, the ’Roos should be a definite threat to unseat the top teams in the SCAC West and make a return trip to the conference tournament in 2011.
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