2007 Season Outlook

Coming off a successful 2006 campaign, the 2007 edition of the Wittenberg Tiger softball team is hungry for more. For Head Coach Becky Hall, the return of nine letterwinners, including seven starters, is reason for much optimism.

After a disappointing 2005 season, the 2006 team turned things around to post records of 21-18 overall and 8-6 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), which was good for fourth place and a berth in the conference tournament. The 2007 unit appears to be in prime position for improvement.

Leading the charge in 2007 is senior Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), the 2005 NCAC Player of the Year and a two-time first-team All-NCAC honoree who has led the Tigers in almost every offensive category the last two years. Zorn batted .374 while starting all 39 games for the Tigers in 2006. She also led the team in hits (43), runs batted in (25), total bases (55), walks (12) and on-base percentage (.430).

She was the top offensive player on the NCAC's fourth-best offensive team as the Tigers finished with a .277 average.

Zorn will again have support in the lineup, starting with junior Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee), who earned second-team All-NCAC in 2006 for the second consecutive year. She finished the season just behind Zorn in batting average, hitting .350 for the season, and she added 13 runs batted in and 22 runs scored. Senior Lucy Huelsman (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington) enjoyed a breakout 2006 season, and the Tigers are counting on her impact in the lineup again this year. Huelsman earned Honorable Mention All-NCAC recognition after batting .323 with eight RBI and 24 runs scored. She capped off her outstanding year by earning a place on the NCAC Tournament team.

The Tigers will be led in the pitching circle by sophomore Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton). In her first collegiate season, Hatcher's success on the mound was one of the primary reasons for the Tigers' winning record as she finished with a 14-8 record and a 1.98 earned run average. Hatcher's success did not go unnoticed as she earned second-team All-NCAC recognition and a place on the NCAC Tournament team. For the year she compiled 86 strikeouts, compared to just 27 walks. Her continued development will be a key factor in the team's success in 2007.

Helping out Hatcher in the circle will be Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), who did a little bit of everything for the team last year, ranging from pitching to patrolling center field. A year ago, Wigton played in 33 games, including eight pitching appearances. She made 30 starts and ranked among the team leaders in putouts.

Four other returning letterwinners figure prominently in the team's 2007 plans, led by junior Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone), a second-team All-NCAC choice after batting .338 as the Tigers' primary designated hitter, and junior outfielder Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who appeared in 35 games and batted .240 a year ago. In addition, sophomores Erin Meredith (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) started 30 and 16 games respectively.

A quality recruiting class is the last piece to what the Tigers' hope is a contending puzzle in 2007. Freshman Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) looks to find time in the circle this year, while freshmen Haley Gerken (Logan, Ohio/Logan), Liz Roby (London, Ohio/London) and Emily Rudman (West Lafayette, Indiana/ West Lafayette) will all compete for catching duties. Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) and Tory Evans (Blue Bell, Pa./Ethel Walker School) round out the freshman class after enjoying success in their prep careers.

Written By: Sarah Fetters '08

Coming off a successful 2006 campaign, the 2007 edition of the Wittenberg Tiger softball team is hungry for more. For Head Coach Becky Hall, the return of nine letterwinners, including seven starters, is reason for much optimism.

After a disappointing 2005 season, the 2006 team turned things around to post records of 21-18 overall and 8-6 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), which was good for fourth place and a berth in the conference tournament. The 2007 unit appears to be in prime position for improvement.

Leading the charge in 2007 is senior Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), the 2005 NCAC Player of the Year and a two-time first-team All-NCAC honoree who has led the Tigers in almost every offensive category the last two years. Zorn batted .374 while starting all 39 games for the Tigers in 2006. She also led the team in hits (43), runs batted in (25), total bases (55), walks (12) and on-base percentage (.430).

She was the top offensive player on the NCAC's fourth-best offensive team as the Tigers finished with a .277 average.

Zorn will again have support in the lineup, starting with junior Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee), who earned second-team All-NCAC in 2006 for the second consecutive year. She finished the season just behind Zorn in batting average, hitting .350 for the season, and she added 13 runs batted in and 22 runs scored. Senior Lucy Huelsman (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington) enjoyed a breakout 2006 season, and the Tigers are counting on her impact in the lineup again this year. Huelsman earned Honorable Mention All-NCAC recognition after batting .323 with eight RBI and 24 runs scored. She capped off her outstanding year by earning a place on the NCAC Tournament team.

The Tigers will be led in the pitching circle by sophomore Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton). In her first collegiate season, Hatcher's success on the mound was one of the primary reasons for the Tigers' winning record as she finished with a 14-8 record and a 1.98 earned run average. Hatcher's success did not go unnoticed as she earned second-team All-NCAC recognition and a place on the NCAC Tournament team. For the year she compiled 86 strikeouts, compared to just 27 walks. Her continued development will be a key factor in the team's success in 2007.

Helping out Hatcher in the circle will be Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), who did a little bit of everything for the team last year, ranging from pitching to patrolling center field. A year ago, Wigton played in 33 games, including eight pitching appearances. She made 30 starts and ranked among the team leaders in putouts.

Four other returning letterwinners figure prominently in the team's 2007 plans, led by junior Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone), a second-team All-NCAC choice after batting .338 as the Tigers' primary designated hitter, and junior outfielder Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who appeared in 35 games and batted .240 a year ago. In addition, sophomores Erin Meredith (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) started 30 and 16 games respectively.

A quality recruiting class is the last piece to what the Tigers' hope is a contending puzzle in 2007. Freshman Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) looks to find time in the circle this year, while freshmen Haley Gerken (Logan, Ohio/Logan), Liz Roby (London, Ohio/London) and Emily Rudman (West Lafayette, Indiana/ West Lafayette) will all compete for catching duties. Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) and Tory Evans (Blue Bell, Pa./Ethel Walker School) round out the freshman class after enjoying success in their prep careers.

Written By: Sarah Fetters '08