The Wittenberg University softball team had another strong year and plenty of encouraging results, despite the fact that the preseason North Coast Athletic Conference favorite fell a bit short of the ultimate goals for the season.

The Tigers led the NCAC for much of the regular season, but they lost three of four home games on the final weekend of the regular season to fall to third place, just one game back of co-champions Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny. Then in the NCAC Tournament, the Tigers dropped a heartbreaker in the first round, a 1-0, eight-inning defeat against OWU, and could do no better than split their last two games.

Wittenberg finished with a 20-15 overall record, including a 10-4 mark in the NCAC. After starting the season 5-5 on their annual Spring Break trip to Florida, the Tigers fell below .500 with a pair of losses to nationally ranked Muskingum. Wittenberg then put an outstanding streak together, sweeping four straight doubleheaders and winning 11 of 12 games between March 25 and April 18.

Then came the disappointing stretch run as the Tigers capped the season by winning just four of their last 12 games. It was a deceiving string of defeats, however, as five of those eight losses were by one run.

The Tigers placed four players on the All-NCAC first team - senior outfielder Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), junior pitcher Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), junior designated player Katie Carver (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and sophomore infielder Katelyn Beddow (Lexington, Ohio/Ashland). In addition, freshman shortstop Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) earned a spot on the second team.

In addition, Montgomery was the second straight Wittenberg player to garner NCAC Player of the Year honors. It was Montgomery's third all-conference honor, and her second straight season on the first-team after she batted .405 from the leadoff spot and committed just one error all season while playing multiple positions.

Gillam was on the first-team for the third straight season and Carver for the second year in a row. Beddow and Zorn were making their first appearances on the All-NCAC honor roll.

Zorn, Montgomery and Beddow made the NCAC All-Tournament team for their performances in the three tourney games the Tigers played at Allegheny.

Finally, Montgomery made first-team All-Great Lakes Region for a second straight year. Carver, Gillam and Beddow all made third-team all-region.

The 2004 roster included three seniors, and all were extremely important contributors to the Tigers' success.

Montgomery was the team's best all-around player in 2004 and will undoubtedly go down as one of the finest to ever don the Red & White at Betty Dillahunt Field. She finished her career with a .331 batting average, 83 runs scored, 34 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs and 63 runs batted in. All except the batting average rank in the top seven in school history in their respective category, in addition to her 474 at-bats, which ranks second in school history.

Catcher Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) was a four-year letterwinner and at least a part-time starter in all four of those seasons. She was a first-team All-NCAC honoree in 2003, her best season in which she hit .265 in 39 games (35 starts) and went 9-for-9 in stolen bases.

Pitcher/Utility Katie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) was the team's third senior. She lettered both years at Wittenberg after transferring from Ohio Northern. She appeared in 24 games, starting 20, in 2003 as a pitcher and a first baseman. In 2004, she made eight appearances on the mound, including four starts, and made 14 appearances total, starting eight times. She had a .304 batting average and a 5.63 earned run average.

The 20 players on the 2004 roster were evenly divided among class years, boding well for a team that will have some gaps to fill in 2005. The junior class is comprised of five individuals, all of whom play key roles on the team. Gillam is a three-time first-team All-NCAC honoree, Carver is a two-time first-team All-NCAC honoree, pitcher Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) is one of the team's top pitchers, outfielder Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) saw the most playing time of her career in 2004 and batted over .300 and outfielder Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) started 30 games in 2004.

The sophomore class numbers just four, highlighted by Beddow following her breakout season, her second as a full-time starter at third base. The other regular starter among the players in the class is Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon), who split time between right field and second base. She started 33 games in 2004, batted .287 and ranked second on the team with 19 runs scored. Infielder Lana Hobby (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) made 22 appearances, including 19 starts, in 2004, primarily at first base.

The freshman class included eight players by season's end, led by Zorn and her aforementioned accomplishments. Andrea Waldo (Columbus, Ohio/Ready) made 28 starts at second base and scored 10 runs on the season, while catchers Jamie Bockelman (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) both saw a great deal of action in their inaugural collegiate campaign.

Becky Hall (Urbana '97) took over the Wittenberg softball program in 1999. She is a two-time NCAC Coach of the Year and has led the Tigers to two NCAC regular season titles, one NCAC tournament crown and two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Hall has a career record of 130-106-1 as the Tigers' head coach.

Kelly Sasavicz