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Red Hawks Look To Take Next Step In 2008
The Ripon softball team has qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament in three of the past four seasons, while also sporting a winning conference record for five consecutive years. They'll hope to continue that success this season, but this time they'll have high expectations of winning the conference tourney and earning their first ever NCAA Tournament berth.
"Each aspect of our game is going to be improved this season. If we can make one more big play in the field each game, that will help us a lot," head coach Kelly Witte said. "We win a lot of one-run games, but with the experience from last year and the freshman class we have coming in, I think we're going to have more opportunities to score."
That was one problem Ripon faced in last year's conference tournament, losing twice to Lake Forest in the double-elimination tournament by a combined score of 15-3. The Red Hawks will also focus on limiting their mistakes in the field, which turned into some unearned runs against the Foresters.
"Our mind set is that we want to pick up where we left off," Witte said. "We made a few crucial errors in the first round of the conference tournament after playing a real tight game and it just kind of snowballed from there. Lake Forest is just too good of a team to make mistakes against."
One of Ripon's biggest losses from last season will be pitcher Jen Mueller, who left her mark on the Red Hawk softball program as the school's all-time strikeout leader. She was also selected to the All-Conference team the past three years, while being named the MWC North Division Pitcher of the Year the last two seasons. She won't be taking the field again, but Mueller will still be back, in the dugout as an assistant coach, which will only add to the leadership already in place.
"We've got a combination of players who are hard working and players who are knowledgeable to keep the team composed," Witte said. "With Jen Mueller assisting as the pitching and catching coach, her leadership will carry over from last year and give us an added bonus."
Taking over as the team's ace will be junior Andrea Knorr (Neenah, Wis./Neenah), who has been in the rotation for two seasons already and has her own accomplishments to show for it. Knorr currently ranks fourth on Ripon's all-time strikeout list, just 12 strikeouts from moving into third-place. She is coming off a season that saw her go 6-6, including four shutouts.
"Andrea has been working hard and will be looked at to be a leader as the ace of our pitching staff after being the number two pitcher last season," Witte said. "We also have a great freshman pitcher, Brittany Peotter (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna), coming in, who will likely be the number two starter. Abby Richeson (Appleton, Wis./West) will also be doing some pitching, as well as playing some other positions in the field, while sophomores Bethany Mehlberg (Marion, Wis./Marion) and Stephanie Sumner (Essex, Ill./Reed-Custer) may also see some time on the mound, as well as in the field."
Ripon will have the advantage of having more experience behind the plate this season, which will only help the pitchers perform. Sophomore Jessica Goudreau (New London, Wis./Shiocton) will return after starting 24 games at catcher during her freshman year, while also gaining tremendous experience in the off-season.
"Goudreau had a fantastic season last year and gained a lot of experience over the summer playing summer ball, so we're looking for outstanding things from her. She really came on strong at the end of last year, so hopefully that experience will help her," said Witte.
Playing behind that battery, will be a middle infield that may arguably be the best combination in the conference. Junior shortstop Natalie Geenen (Appleton, Wis./East) and senior second baseman Krista Shafer (Oakfield, Wis./Oakfield) are both returning and poised to lead the Red Hawks to the promised land.
After just two full seasons, Geenen has already etched her name into the Ripon record book. An All-Conference selection the last two years, Geenen is the reigning MWC North Player of the Year, after a season in which she batted .306 with five home runs and 14 RBI, to go along with a team-high 10 doubles. She already ranks in the top five in school history for batting average (.352), home runs (7), and doubles (17).
"The great thing about Natalie is that she looks to hit the ball hard every time. Whether it's the line drive that turns into a double or triple, or that perfect pitch that goes over the fence, we know she's in there looking for that big impact hit. The interesting thing is that she originally caught the eye of coaches primarily because of her defense, but her offense is a very big plus," said Witte.
Shafer has also seen her name enter the career record book, ranking third in doubles (18) and tenth in runs scored (52). In addition to her play on the field, Shafer also brings a competitiveness and leadership that is unmatched on this Ripon team.
"Krista has already displayed tremendous leadership in the previous three years and is the voice of the infield," Witte said. "I don't even have to call plays most of the time because she just knows what defensive plays to call in each situation. She's just got a feel for the game."
As sure as the two middle infielders are, the corner infielders are just as unsure, after Sara and Tara Rabideaux were both lost to graduation. They will likely be replaced by a number of players, including sophomores Mehlberg and Jackie Reichhart (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) and freshmen Richeson, Ashley Kirst (West Bend, Wis./East), and Kylie Ainslie (Decatur, Ga./Decatur).
"The great thing about our team is that we have several players that can all play other positions. We just have to determine where to put them in order for them to succeed," Witte said. "Richeson will likely play a lot of third base, while Reichhart, Mehlberg, and Kirst could all be battling for first."
Another option in the infield could be Goudreau, who may have the opportunity to move from behind the plate to help at either first base or third base. In order to do that, Ripon will need to see some production from freshman Alli Jensen (Shawano, Wis./Shawano Community) at catcher.
The outfield will be led by senior Mary Friend (Waterloo, Wis./Waterloo), who returns as the team's centerfielder. Friend's biggest asset is her speed, which helped her steal a team-high four bases last season, while also helping her run down fly balls in centerfield.
"Mary is the spark in our outfield and she can cover a lot of ground on the defensive end," Witte said. "We'll be looking for her to provide a little more leadership this season, so we expect to see good things out of her."
The two corner outfield spots are just as uncertain as the corner infield spots entering the pre-season. Reichhart will play some outfield, a year after being named Second Team All-Conference while playing mainly in right field, where she batted .288 with six doubles and 10 RBI. Kirst will also see some action in leftfield, where Ripon lost Joelle Shady to graduation.
"Right now, outfield is the biggest concern for the team, as Friend is the only sure thing we have right now. Reichhart will be returning and Kirst will also see some time, but we'll need to have more performance out of the corner outfield spots," Witte said. "That's the key area we're going to look at during the pre-season practices. The good news is that we have a lot of talent for those two spots. It's just a matter of putting the right people in the right positions."
The Red Hawks will probably be one of the younger teams in the Midwest Conference this season, with just two seniors and two juniors on the squad, while also consisting of four sophomores and six freshmen. What the Red Hawks may lack in age, will be more than made up for in softball IQ, which is the defining trait that everyone on the Ripon team seems to share.
"The recruiting classes keep getting stronger every year, which is why we've been able to be competitive for a lot of years. This is a group of kids who love the game and know the game very well, which will do nothing but help our team," said Witte.
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