Contact: Jeff Sattora
CLEVELAND- The Cleveland State Vikings' softball program is looking to put a disappointing 2012 campaign behind them as they get ready to turn the corner in towards 2013. That process is starting this weekend when they head to East Carolina for the Pirate Classic.
CSU will have three days of games at East Carolina in the Classic. The Vikings will first take on Towson (10:00 a.m.) and East Carolina (2:30 p.m.) Friday, before then facing Towson again (9:00 a.m.) and Ohio (1:00 p.m.) Saturday, finishing the Classic with Rider Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
2013 SEASON PREVIEW
The Vikings, who finished last season with a 17-39 record, have high hopes this season with their 2013 group.
"We are anxious to come back after a rough year last year," said Head Coach Angie Nicholson. "It wasn't a very typical year for us last year at Cleveland State. We're looking forward to heading back to the path where we are competing for the championship."
"The girls are working extremely hard, they're very focused," she added. "We're a young team but we are very excited and can't wait to get going."
TEAM EFFORT ON THE MOUND
With only one pitcher (Sara Shields), returning to the Vikings that picked up a win last season, CSU will be looking for a balanced team effort on the mound in 2013. Nicholson mentioned four players who she expects to be factors for CSU in the pitching spot inSara Shields and Alex Radjen as returners, and Briana Combs and Susan Knight as freshman.
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"The two freshman have shown a lot of promise," Nicholson said on Combs and Knight. "But all four of them are different in many ways, and I think they're going to compliment each other very well."
Shields picked up a team leading 13 wins last season for CSU on the mound (and was also one of the Vikings' best offensive players),while Radjen hasn't thrown a high inning total in the green and white, Nicholson also noted how well she has performed in the early going
Combs and Knight both come to Cleveland State following stellar high school careers in the states of Michigan and Ohio respectively.
Combs, a two time Gatorade `Player of the Year' in the state of Michigan was a member of four district champion teams, and a state champion her senior season in high school. The Second Team All-American as a senior and four time All-State selection ended her career with a 146-9 record, 1,400 strikeouts, and a 0.21 ERA. She also has the potential to see time in the infield for CSU and had a .448 batting average over her four-year career high school career.
Knight also is heading to CSU following an impressive high school career. The freshman from Milan, Ohio was First Team All-State and All-District as a sophomore and senior, as well as a three-time First Team All-Conference selection.
BEHIND THE PLATE
The catcher position is looking to be one of the least experienced on the CSU roster this upcoming season, but in no way does that mean the position doesn't have talent.
Redshirt Freshman Erica McNew will be leading the way at this position for the Vikings this season. After starting the first seven games of the year last year in the green and white (batting .136), she went down to a torn ACL and is ready to bounce back in 2013.
"When an injury occurs it makes you respect the game a little more and how quickly it can be taken away from you," Nicholson said. Adding she believes any injury can make you come back stronger, which is exactly what she's expecting from McNew.
Freshman Lauren Look is also looking to compete for time behind the plate this upcoming year.
Look was a four time All-District and three time All-Region selection at Pinconning high school in Michigan. She was also named All-State as a sophomore and set the school single season home run record that same season.
AROUND THE INFIELD
When describing her 2013 infield Nicholson used two words, and those two words clearly show the expectations she has for the group.
"Very strong."
Dara Toman, a 2012 Horizon League First Team All-League selection, and Nena Doran, a 2012 All-Newcomer Horizon League selection will be returning in 2013 to lead a group with high expectations.
Toman led the CSU last season in batting average (.405), home runs (19), runs batted in (42), slugging percentage (.892), and on-base percentage (.553) and will be looking to do the same this season.
"Dara has just gotten stronger and stronger very year," Nicholson said. "I really think she's going to continue to do well and go out with a bang as a senior."
Doran was also very impressive in her freshman campaign. After starting the season at third base she moved to shortstop following an injury to Cynthia Woodard and was just as effective. Her 94 assists were the seventh most of all players in the Horizon League during the regular season, also hitting .229 (41-179) while tying for third on the team with four home runs.
Filling out the infield at shortstop and second base is expected to be Cynthia Woodard at shortstop and Janessa Rivera-Keahi at second.
Woodard, who started the first 25 games of last season for CSU, will be looking to bounce back from a season-ending injury, while Rivera-Keahi, a transfer from Monterey Peninsula College is ready to make her mark in the Horizon League for the first time. Rivera-Keahi picked up All-American honors last season at Monterey Peninsula College, ending the year with a .451 average.
"With Woodard and Janessa up the middle I think that's the finest middle infield you're going to see," Nicholson said, clearly excited about what this group can become.
Nicholson also mentioned Susan Knight could see some time at third for Doran when she isn't on the mound.
TALENT IN THE OUTFIELD
High expectations aren't only in the infield this season, as the outfield for the Vikings is just as ready to go.
"This is the fastest outfield I think I've ever seen," Nicholson said on the group as a whole. "We're going to be able to play around with some things (with all the talent the group has) and see what works best for us."
Senior Caila Ferro is expecting to lead the way this season for the Vikings in the outfield. After hitting .266 in 52 games last season she unfortunately went down with an injury, but similar to McNew, Woodard, and others, she is ready to go.
"I look to her, she's a huge leader, she's one of our hardest workers," said Nicholson. Who is very excited about having the girl they call "Crash" back in the outfield.
While Nicholson is expecting big things in Ferro coming back, she also has high feelings on the rest of a young outfield group.
Alisha Silva is one player who came right to Nicholson's mind as someone who could step in and play right away as a freshman.
"Alisha is going to start, whether it's second base, right field, or center," she said. "When you have a freshman coming in to play center that says a lot right there."'
Alyson Broschk, a high school teammate of Silva's, is another freshman that could come in and start for the Vikings this season.
Silva and Broschk teamed up as a dominating duo at Keystone High School in Ohio. As seniors last season they led their team to a perfect 22-0 record and Ohio state championship. Silva was a three-time All-Conference selection, two-time All-District selection, and two-time All-Country selection, while Broschk joined Silva on the All-County team as a senior.
Other players who could contribute and see time in the outfield include Katelind Phillips and Darien Ward as freshman, and Nena Doran (when she is not in the infield), Afton Allred, and Hannah Yoe as returning players.
Phillips comes to CSU from the state of Indiana after helping her Monroe Central team win both a regional title as a sophomore and sectional title as a senior. She was a four-time All-Conference selection and also brings speed, setting her high school `s stolen base record as a junior with 32.
Ward, high school infielder from Elyria, Ohio, will be moving to the outfield for the Vikings this season. She was a four time All-Conference selection, and finished her senior season with a .492 batting average, a school record.
"She's the fastest kid we've got on the team as far as speed is concerned so we're looking for a lot from her," said Nicholson of Ward.
Doran, who was already mentioned by Nicholson as a potential impact player in the infield, looks like she could be just as effective in the outfield as well.
"The thing about Nena we have seen is she should probably be in the outfield, she reads balls and gets to balls so fast, it's amazing," Nicholson said. "But she's also a great infielder."
Allred, a senior, and Yoe, a redshirt sophomore, will be both be looking to bring experience to the Vikings, with potential to see time in the outfield or infield. Allred played in 41 games last season for CSU, batting .200 with five RBI's and one home run, while Yoe hit .183 for the Vikings last season, including two doubles and a home run.
VIKINGS PICKED SIXTH
The Cleveland State Vikings were recently selected to finish sixth in the standings in the Horizon League's preseason poll.
Looking at the vote in total, Loyola leads the way with 48 points and six first place votes, they were followed by two other teams who received one first place vote each in UIC with 39 total points and Valparaiso with 37 points.
The rest of the list includes Youngstown State (30 points), Green Bay (22), Cleveland State (20), Wright State (19), and Detroit (9).
2013 Horizon League Preseason Poll
Team Points (First Place Votes)
1. Loyola- 48 (6)
2. UIC- 39 (1)
3. Valparaiso- 37 (1)
4. Youngstown State- 30
5. Green Bay- 22
6. Cleveland State- 20
7. Wright State- 19
8. Detroit- 9