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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Ask any athlete and they'll tell you the key to a team’s success is a strong core and a good work ethic. Ask Northern Kentucky University softball coach Kathy Stewart, and she'll tell you that her 2007 squad has both. The core of the squad is the 15 freshmen and sophomores who dominate the roster. “This is probably the youngest team I've ever coached,” Stewart said of a team that includes just one senior, “but this team has a lot of softball skill. They're a very versatile bunch that we can use a lot of different ways.” After the loss of All-Americans Ricki Rothbauer and Sarah King, All-GLVC standout Heather Cotner and two other seniors - a group which combined for more than half of NKU's runs scored and hit a combined .330 in 2006 - Stewart must look to her team's youth to step up this year. “You can't replace them,” she said of her outgoing class. But Stewart points to Shatona Campbell and Amanda Smith as two players she expects to step up offensively. Campbell and Smith made an impact in 2006 as well. Campbell, who hit .250 last year, led all returning players with five home runs as a freshman. “Offensively, she's going to be a real spark for us,” Stewart said of the Fairfield, Ohio, native. “She's a solid defender for us as well, and she'll likely see some significant time in right field.” Smith stepped into a role no one expected last season when she took to the circle and led the Norse with a 24-12 record and a 2.27 ERA in 46 appearances. On top of that, she was stellar at the plate, hitting .317 with 32 RBI and 22 runs scored. “She had a tremendous year for us in 2006,” Stewart said. “She will pitch for us again this year, and when she's not pitching she'll be at first base.” Smith is the only returning Norse who started all 62 games last season. Becky Napier returns to the Norse as the team's only senior and only upperclassman. The Lexington native looks to rebound from an injury-shortened season in which she saw action in just 12 games. Stewart recognizes the need for her leadership both on and off the field. “Becky has stepped up in all regards. She leads by example with her work ethic, dedication, perseverance and positive attitude. She's her teammates' biggest fan and harshest critic,” Stewart said. “She's taught this team what being an NKU softball student-athlete is all about.”
Napier hopes to return to her shortstop post this season, where she hit .356 with 38 RBI during the 2005 campaign, a season that saw the Norse go an unprecedented 55-2. Sophomore Jenny Weis returns to the Norse and will assume catching duties, something she picked up mid-way through the 2006 season. “Jenny got her chance when our regular catcher went out with an injury, and she really proved herself in that time,” Stewart said, “so much so that we moved our original catcher to the outfield when she came back in order to keep Weis behind the plate.” Weis is also a solid presence at the plate, leading all returnees with a .403 on-base percentage in 67 plate appearances last season. All-Region honoree Katybeth Coode also returns for the Norse after a solid season, hitting .321 with 17 RBI while rotating between first base and designated player. The Louisville native will play first base when Smith is pitching. Third baseman Cara Parker will anchor the left side of the infield for the second straight year. The Maineville, Ohio native returns to the squad after hitting .240 with a team and conference high three sacrifice flies. Parker returns after posting a .927 fielding percentage as a freshman in the hot corner. Jessica Feldhaus could see her role expanded greatly this year. The sophomore appeared in 35 games last season, primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Segille Melton also saw limited time in 2006, appearing in just 18 games. But, as Stewart points out, the bulk of those were when it really counted. “Segille played first base for us during the Great Lakes Regional last season, having not seen a lot of time all year,” said Stewart. Candace White rounds out the eight-member sophomore class. White will be a part of a pitching rotation that posted a 3.05 ERA and recorded eight shutouts in 2006. Work ethic is a strength of her incoming class that Stewart takes pride in. “We created a standard five years ago for success, and it's an expectation of our team each year. These freshmen are learning exactly what is expected of an NKU softball student-athlete, they're very hard working, and we'll need them to make an immediate impact on this team.” This work ethic is shown in the “commitment contract” that each of the players signs prior to the season. The team sets goals for itself, such as winning the conference and regional, winning all home games, and maintaining a team grade point average of 3.3. Seven new players have signed the contract this year, and they appear to have the credentials. Between them, the freshman class boasts 15 all-district or all-conference awards.
Rose Broderick, a graduate of Oak Hills High School, had a solid fall and hopes to continue her improvement. Broderick was a two-time All-Greater Miami Conference selection and maintained a .425 batting average over her high school career. She can play shortstop, second or first base. Sam Del Vecchio will stand in as a backup catcher and should also get time as a designated player this season. Sydney Doyle is a solid utility player who was named all-conference three times during her high school career and was a mainstay at second base for Stewart during the fall. Kelly Greer is a third baseman by trade, but could see some time at first base for the Norse this year. The Louisville native took all-district honors twice during her time at Mercy Academy and played on the Jaguars’ 2003 state runner-up squad. Amber Gregory could find herself playing anywhere this season. Gregory was a big bat during her high school career, breaking an Ohio high school record with a .609 batting average during her junior year. Karen Simmons, a three-time all-conference selection at Loveland High School who struck out 622 batters in her career, will round out the pitching rotation. Krista Smith, a graduate of Valley View High School in Germantown, Ohio, comes from the two-time Southwestern Buckeye league champions and looks to be a key player for the Norse this season. Smith played shortstop in high school, but will move to the outfield this year. Stewart says she expects big things from Smith. Despite the team’s youth and inexperience, NKU was picked to finish fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll. “The GLVC has a lot of parity,” said Stewart of the league. “Regardless of who's ranked where, each game is a battle. Four teams in the Great Lakes Regional were from the GLVC, which I feel speaks for the strength of our conference.” NKU's schedule features five schools that ended 2006 ranked or receiving votes in the NFCA Top 25, including GLVC opponents Southern Illinois at Edwardsville (No. 7), Southern Indiana (No. 22) and Lewis (receiving votes). Non-conference foes Georgia College & State (No. 6) and Alabama-Huntsville (No. 10) also dot the schedule. Stewart says the team makes no qualms, though, about what it expects in 2007. “Ultimately, we want to make our sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. We expect it every year.” And with a strong core and a solid work ethic, the Norse can accomplish that goal. |
