Aggie softball anxious to prove doubters wrong
Motivation.
It is something the Utah State softball team will not have a problem using to its advantage heading into the 2003 softball season.
Despite closing the 2002 Big West Conference season by winning four of their last six games, the Aggies were picked to finish eighth in the league — out of eight teams — in the Jan. 19 Big West Coaches’ Poll.
Then again, being the underdogs is something both USU Head Coach Debbie Bilbao and third baseman Stephanie Vasarhely said they relish. It just gives the Aggies even more reason to disprove their nay-sayers, Bilbao said.
“We feel that we are the most talented that Utah State has been in about five years,” she said. “I’ve seen a better improvement just in will and sheer grit to just get out there and want to do well. I think this team is going to surprise a lot of people.”
If the Aggies want to “surprise a lot of people,” they will have to do so with a lineup that consists of eight newcomers, including two freshmen pitchers.
However, USU’s seven returning players started a combined 298 games a year ago. Perhaps even more important, Vasarhely said the newcomers and veterans have gelled together nicely.
“I think we’ve meshed pretty well,” she said. “I think everybody’s doing a good job playing their roles on the team, and so I think team chemistry is pretty good.”
In addition to developing team chemistry, Bilbao said the Aggie veterans have done a good job guiding the young players along — especially at the plate.
After finishing second to last in the BWC in batting average (.204) last season, Bilbao said USU made tremendous strides in that department during fall competition.
“I certainly think it helped out to have the same hitting system and coaching staff, and the players were able to really grab hold of it,” she said. “A lot of the drills we’re doing are the same … and they [the veterans] can help teach the young kids. The girls that are returning have really set a standard, leadership-wise with hitting.”
Here’s a position-by-position look at this year’s team:
Pitchers
While the infield and outfield have returning experience, the pitching staff is as green as it gets.
Utah State was dealt a big blow when sophomore ace Lindsay Janssen was diagnosed with a heart condition in October. Janssen, who pitched in 36 games a year ago, chose not to take the risk of returning to softball, Bilbao said.
“It was a blow for us to lose Lindsay, but they’ll [the newcomers] get a lot more exposure as freshmen with this situation than if Lindsay was here,” she said. “So, I think for our future and their future, it’s going to bode well.”
The freshmen Bilbao is referring to are Leslie Higley and Carli Baumgartner. With the loss of Janssen, and Kristin Hommel to graduation, Higley and Baumgartner will be USU’s only pitchers.
However, Bilbao said she is confident her two freshmen pitchers will be up to the challenge. Both enjoyed successful high school careers, with Baumgartner recording a dominating 0.50 ERA her senior year.
“Our young pitching staff as far as Leslie Higley and Carli Baumgartner, I’m very pleased with the progress they’ve made, not only in the fall but this spring,” Bilbao said.
Catchers
Gone is four-year starter and Aggie emotional leader Breanne Smith.
This does not mean that USU is lacking experience behind the plate, however. Junior Amanda Carlson has started 40 games the last two seasons, albeit the majority of them were at the designated player position.
Having Carlson behind the plate will be a big help to USU’s young pitching staff, Bilbao said. Having a healthy Carlson, who has had minor knee problems in the past, is an added bonus, she said.
Backing up Carlson is freshman Sara Fleming. Fleming finished her senior season at Woodcreek High School (Roseville, Calif.) with a whopping on-base percentage of .610, and is “a tremendous hitter,” Bilbao said.
Infielders
With two freshmen pitchers on the mound, Bilbao said it is imperative the Aggie infielders are sound defensively, and are capable of consistently turning double plays.
Both Bilbao and Vasarhely said they are confident the USU infield will be able to do just that. Most of Bilbao’s confidence stems from USU’s ability to turn the double play during fall competition.
Vasarhely agreed, and said strong defensive play has always been a constant at Utah State.
“We’ve always had a solid defense,” she said. “If we field the ball clean, and throw to who we need to throw to, of course double plays are going to come.”
Anchoring the Aggie infield are Vasarhely, who will be a four-year starter at third base, and first baseman Kelly Leos. The two combined to start 105 games last year.
Vasarhely and Leos are also the team’s top two returning hitters from a year ago, with Leos leading the team with a .302 batting average during conference play.
While the Aggies lack experience in the middle of the infield, Bilbao said she expects them to be stronger than they were a year ago.
Junior college transfer Haven Vance, a junior college All-American nominee at Salt Lake Community College, will start at shortstop, with Quela Henderson and Michell Vlahos competing for the right to start at second base.
Regardless of who starts at second base, Bilbao said both Henderson and Vlahos will see a lot of playing time, and will be instrumental in USU’s ability to turn double plays.
When talking about Henderson, Bilbao said she “probably has some of the best hands in the middle infield that I’ve seen in a long time,” while she called Vlahos “one of the hardest workers on our team.”
Smithfield native Candice Hatch will back up Vasarhely at third, and will see time as a designated player.
Outfielders
Unlike the pitchers, USU returns a wealth of experience in the outfield as two of its starters are seniors, and the other has started 106 games her first two seasons.
Seniors Marcie Neff (left field) and Aimee Johnson (right field), and junior center fielder Casey Smith combine to give the Aggies a formidable unit, Bilbao said.
Unlike Johnson and Smith, this will be Neff’s first season in the outfield. Neff started at second base for USU last season, but the transition to the outfield has been an easy one for the former Box Elder High School outfielder, Vasarhely said.
“It hasn’t really been a difficult transition [for her],” she said. “She’s played a little bit of outfield prior to playing here, and she has a lot of speed for the outfield, so I think that will be a positive asset for the outfield.”
Sophomore transfer Ashley Neff, Marcie’s younger sister, and freshman walk-on Kristin Edman will add depth to the outfield. Bilbao said Vlahos’ versatility will also be used in the outfield.
Big West Schedule
With the Aggies fielding a relatively young team, both Bilbao and Vasarhely said they hope USU’s preseason schedule will adequately prepare them for league play.
Improvement heading into BWC play was evident during the 2002 season, as USU (12-44 overall) went 8-16 in a conference that consistently sends at least three teams to the NCAA Tournament.
“In the preseason we didn’t really show what we could do, so when it came to Big West we wanted to show the conference we could play, because they always rank us last,” Vasarhely said. “And we didn’t come in last.”
No. 10-ranked Cal State Fullerton, which has won the last three conference titles, is the overwhelming favorite by the league coaches to repeat as champions, while No. 21 Pacific was picked second. CSF was a game away from qualifying for the College World Series a year ago, falling to eventual National Champion California, 1-0.
While Bilbao said she expects the BWC to be even more well-rounded this year, she feels the Aggies are capable of finishing in the top three.
“I certainly think that [the players] feel like they can get into the top half easily if we do what we need to do,” she said. “We need to take the games we should take, and we need to win a few that we shouldn’t.”
–jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu