2013 Penn State Harrisburg Softball Preview

2013 Penn State Harrisburg Softball Preview

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – After back-to-back runner-up finishes in the North Eastern Athletic Conference's (NEAC) South Division standings the past two years, Penn State Harrisburg is looking to break through in 2013.  This spring is the Lions' final season as a member of the NEAC and the ladies would love to end their farewell tour with a division title.

The Blue & White lost seven players from a year ago to graduation and will look to fill the holes left by 2012's talented senior class.  Harrisburg will once again be led by NCAA record-holder and 2011 national statistical champion Kara Boyd (Alexandria, Pa. / Juniata Valley).  The senior captain will see plenty of time inside the circle.  She is also one of the team's best offensive weapons.  Boyd threw nine complete games last spring, striking out 93 batters while batting .394 and scoring a team-high 37 runs.

The squad's other captains include sophomore Gabrielle Wolfe (New Milford, Pa. / Blue Ridge) and junior Courtney Goodburlet (Garnet Valley, Pa. / Garnet Valley).  Wolfe is another of the ladies' best pitching options and she provides power at the plate.  She threw four complete games last year while also leading the team in batting average (.408) and hits (58).  Goodburlet saw time as the Lions' designated player in 2012 and will split time between first and third this spring.

"Each brings a unique personality to the team and we as a staff feel that together they will lead the team on and off the field," said Penn State Harrisburg Head Coach Tonya Dengler about her captains.  "That being said, you don't need to be a captain to demonstrate leadership.  There are several other players who have stepped up at times and provided leadership when it was needed."

Rounding out the returners are seniors Danielle Ringel (McKees Rock, Pa. / Sto-Rox) and Katherine Bernardi (Fredericksburg, Pa. / Northern Lebanon) and juniors Alisha House (Crownpoint, N.M. / Thoreau), Meghan Ackerman (Plymouth Whitemarsh, Pa. / Plymouth Whitemarsh) and Brittany Wesoloskie (Philadelphia, Pa. / Franklin Learning Center).

Dengler is also excited about her talented group of newcomers.  The skipper expects freshmen Riley Loch (Madison Township, Pa. / North Pocono) and Sydney Eelman (Lititz, Pa. / Warwick) to bring power to the batting order and leadership behind the plate.  Fellow freshmen Rachel Fisher and Jasmine Yanich (Harrisburg, Pa. / Susquehanna Township) bring much-needed speed to the outfield and sophomore transfer Erika Love's (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East) strong bat and solid defense are welcome additions.  Freshman Jennifer Bear (Lebanon, Pa. / Cedar Crest) and sophomore Alli Trutt (Halifax, Pa. / Halifax) complete the team's 2013 roster.

With so many new players joining this year's team, Penn State Harrisburg has been using its preseason practice time to create team chemistry and get back to basics.

"We have been focusing on fundamentals and fitness," said Dengler.  "Practice time has been a challenge but we are making the most of our opportunities."

With that limited practice time, diagnosing the team's strengths and weaknesses has been a bit of a challenge to this point.  But from what Dengler has seen so far, she thinks her team is equipped to succeed both offensively and in the field.

"I believe our two biggest strengths this year are our solid defense and our balanced offense," she said.  "We have both power and speed on this year's team.  We identified our lack of stolen bases last season as an area we need to improve upon and we saw a big improvement in that area just in our fall Play Day competition alone."

Now the real work begins.  With Harrisburg's season-opener less than one week away, the ladies are ready to continue the program's recent string of success while also leaving second place behind them.  The defending champs from Keuka should once again be strong, as will perennial South Division rival Wilson.  Still, Dengler expects her players to compete for the ultimate prize this spring.    

"Our main goal early on is to come together as a team," she said.  "We have quite a few new players on the roster so team chemistry is important.  It's what pulls a team through when things start to break down.  Ultimately, we want to win the Southern Division this year.  We have finished second behind Wilson 2 years in a row.  The team knows that we need to play together, be consistent and stay focused if we want to achieve this goal in our last year in the NEAC Conference."          

Penn State Harrisburg's 2013 campaign gets underway in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Monday, Mar. 4 when the Lions take on Penn State Hazleton.  The team's home-opener takes place on Tuesday, Mar. 19 when the Blue & White host Juniata.