Wittenberg softball opens a new era in 2013 as Head Coach Laura Matthews takes the reins. She inherits a team that returns six letterwinners after the Tigers posted records of 23-17 overall and 7-9 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) a year ago.
For a third straight year, Wittenberg’s offense will be anchored by junior Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who earned All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors following each of her first two collegiate seasons. Rose led the Tigers with four triples, four home runs and 11 stolen bases in 2012, while ranking second on the team in batting average, hits, runs batted in and runs scored while playing solid defense in center field.
Junior Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge), who hit .260 and bombed three home runs a year ago, also returns to the line-up. She will again split her time between third base and first base defensively.
Junior Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) also figures to get regular at-bats after finishing with a .268 batting average and driving in 14 runs in 2012. Ross has also been a mainstay on the pitching staff in each of her first two collegiate seasons, leading the team in wins, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts in both 2011 and 2012.
Ross and sophomore Julia Williams (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) figure to offer Matthews a formidable one-two pitching punch in 2013. Williams was impressive in her freshman season, finishing with a 7-6 record and 2.75 earned run average in 18 appearances, including 14 starting assignments. Williams also made 55 plate appearances, driving in nine runs and scoring eight more.
A trio of freshmen will provide pitching depth as Kaela Hughes (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), Lacey Eigel (Pickerington, Ohio/North) and Emma Ficke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) join the staff. Hughes also will see time at first base and Eigel will look to break into the outfield lineup.
Rounding out the list of returning letterwinners are sophomores Shelby Knapp (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield), an outfielder who appeared in 23 games in 2012, and Ashlee Wright (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), a catcher/utility player who started 19 games, scoring 13 runs and driving in seven more. Freshman Ali Newton (Dublin, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) will share time with Wright behind the plate.
Other freshmen expected to make an impact in the lineup are middle infielders Loren Combs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and Aubrey Mendez (St. Louisville, Ohio/Utica) and outfielder Shannon Lance (Loveland, Ohio/Kings). All three will add speed and athleticism to a lineup with returning power hitters, as will senior infielder Erica Ford (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Hawken), who appeared in 20 games as a freshman in 2010.