Outlook
2007 Rider University Softball Outlook
The 2007 Rider University softball team will look to reach the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
“I am excited about the season,” said 13-year head coach Tricia Carroll. “We lost seven letter winners, but we have a lot of solid players back and we have a strong incoming class of freshmen so we are excited.”
Rider returns 10 letter winners, led by seniors Ashley Boulden and Desiree Harbaugh.
“Ashley and Desiree are the designated leaders of the team,” said Carroll. “Their job is to make practices the hard part and the games the easy part. They are both up for it and because they played for three years with a group that was so successful and had so many great leaders on and off the field, they have been able to learn from the others and now they have to step up as leaders and have the younger players follow.”
Boulden started every game at second base for the Broncs in 2006. “Ashley will probably see a lot of time in the leadoff spot,” said Carroll. “She has speed, can put the ball in play and she also has power, something you don’t expect from a leadoff hitter. She has gap power and home run power as well as some short game skills. Ashley and Katy [Mills] work very well together in the infield. It’s taken Ashley some time to learn second base because she didn’t play all the time at second her first two seasons and now that she has had a full season at the position, she is starting to look like a second baseman. Ashley originally came out of high school as a shortstop and to learn the coverage of a new position is a testament to her great attitude and work ethic. Ashley is putting together a nice career and for her to be on the verge of career hit #100, that is a good accomplishment considering she has only played about two seasons so far.”
Harbaugh started 49 games in 2006, leading the team in home runs. “Desiree is at a different level this season,” said Carroll. “She works on getting better every day and we look for her to have a strong season.”
The junior class is led by letter winner Tiffany Day-Neutill, a 2007 Preseason All-MAAC selection in the outfield. Day-Neutill started every game in 2006 and led the team in runs scored.
“Tiffany has been the ‘go to’ player from the second she got here,” Carroll said. “The opposing coaches and players in the conference can’t wait until she graduates. She works very hard and is getting better, keeping in mind how good she is now. She can be very hard on herself and, in softball especially, you are going to have an off day once in a while. As an upperclassman, the younger players are looking for her to battle and get through the rough days.”
Other returning juniors include Mandi Sekly, Aimee Schiller and Jessica Holland.
Sekly, a left-handed outfielder batted .409 from the leadoff spot as a sophomore. “Mandi may lack some speed in the outfield, but she makes up for it with her instinct reading the ball off the bat,” said Carroll. “She stepped up last year and helped us to the playoff run, and she will surprise you. She gets on base any way she can, with a gap hit or beating an infield hit out. With almost every game a one-run game, a player like that is invaluable in the lineup.”
Schiller came off the bench a team-leading 11 times for the Broncs in 2006. “Aimee has been playing part-time at first base and defensively, she is solid,” said Carroll. “She has a good glove and plays with confidence. Her effort at first allows us to hide some mistakes that we may make in the infield and we are looking for her offense to come around as we head into the season.”
Holland pitched 23 innings as a sophomore and batted .333 and the Broncs will look to her to lead the young pitching staff. “Jessica is a hard working player,” Carroll said. “She has a good mix of pitches that will keep batters off balance. She is not a strikeout pitcher so we are going to have to make plays behind her. We graduated Heather Beintema who had a career record 726 strikeouts and we are going to have to adjust because we don’t have a dominate pitcher like that, at least not yet. We are going to have to make plays on the defensive side of the field. Five or six outs a game by strikeout is what I expect and I think we are solid enough defensively to have the pitchers let the defense do the work behind them.”
Also joining the softball team this season is junior Danielle Reardon who was a member of the Rider track and field team as a freshman.
“Danielle’s role is going to be pinch running,” said Carroll. “She was away from softball for a while and I am anticipating that Danielle will be the player off the bench that I can use when we need one run to win the game. It may be a boring role, but it is a big role. We don’t win without a player coming off the bench in her role.”
The sophomore class includes letter winners Lauren Brunner, Katy Mills, Laci Landrum, and Clarissa Ortiz.
Brunner pitched 82 innings in 19 games for Rider as a rookie. “Lauren looks like she has picked up some speed and some movement,” said Carroll. “She is coming back from left shoulder surgery and while she throws right-handed, the injury did affect her during the off season. She is a really good fielding pitcher and if she wasn’t battling the arm injury, she may have also seen some time in the infield.”
Mills started 50 games as a rookie shortstop in 2006 and scored 15 runs. “Katy is a natural shortstop. She is tough and has good range and knows the position. She is a competitor and while she had some moments that she looked like a freshman, she played well for us and defensively, she may be among the best that we’ve had at the position.”
Landrum led the Broncs in relief appearances as a freshman and batted .500 during her rookie season. “Laci is coming off foot surgery this past fall,” Carroll said. “We should know by March 1st whether she will be able to help us this season or if we are going with a two pitcher rotation. If she is able to return healthy, and I think she is on track to, she will give us a lot more flexibility having a three pitcher rotation.”
Ortiz batted .200 in seven games for Rider in 2006. “Clarissa does some things at first base really well and will compete defensively for that spot,” said Carroll. “Her bat is getting better and depending on what we need, she will see more time than she did last season. She is a walk-on and all of our walk-on players should be that good.”
The freshman class of 2010 is expected to have an immediate impact for the Broncs according to Carroll. “With the freshmen class, the speed of the game coming from high school is going to be an adjustment,” said Carroll. “Their only experience pressure wise is what their teammates have told them and they have to go through the ups and downs of a long season themselves, working on time management, getting enough rest, dealing with the academic side as well as the athletic side and you can’t simulate that. They have to go through the experiences while listening to their teammates who have traveled the road that they are about to travel.”
The rookies include Laura Magliozzi, a 5-9 right-handed pitcher, Megan Kozlowski, a 5-5 catcher, Candice Harris, a 5-3 infielder, Derrin Minunni a 5-2 catcher and outfielder and Amber Affholter a 5-4 catcher.
“Laura is a solid pitcher and the good thing is that she doesn’t have to be the ‘go to’ pitcher as a freshman,” said Carroll. “That will give her time to grow into the role as a collegiate pitcher and get some innings under her belt. She throws hard and probably harder than anyone we’ve ever had. She doesn’t have the control just yet, but maybe that’s a good thing to keep hitters off balance.”
“Megan athletically may be the best player on the team,” Carroll said. “She can do anything. She is small but she is athletic. We brought her in to catch and with Amber [Affholter] coming off a knee injury, Megan will see the bulk of the time behind the plate. She doesn’t have a ton of power, but she is quick, she’ll hit a gap, she can play small ball. “I don’t worry about having a freshman behind the plate because that’s pretty much the way we’ve done it, bring a freshman in and let them play. She is a very coachable player and has made adjustments from the fall. She is vocal and not afraid to take charge. She is mature for a freshman. And she’ll play any other position if we need her to and she may see some time at third base.”
“Candice came in having played second base and outfield,” Carroll said. “With losing some of the players we did to graduation, she will step in at third base and didn’t have any problems during the fall season. She is a very talented player and willing to do whatever it takes. She is a solid team player.”
“Derrin is an outfielder and catcher,” said Carroll. “She is a player that may not look as fluid as some others, but she gets the job done. She has a strong arm and gets rid of the ball very quickly in the outfield. I expect her to see some time in the outfield as we move through the season. Her bat is a surprise. She has power, that kind of ‘play a step deeper’ power, but she is also not afraid to put down a bunt.”
“I’m not sure Amber will play this season,” Carroll said. “She hurt ligaments in her knee that I didn’t know existed. She is very talented and has been pushing the trainers to get her back on the field sooner than later. I expect that she will have a very good career here. If she gets back on the field, I expect her to start out as the designated player and depending on her knee she may see some time in the outfield. I don’t think she will catch this year. She has home run power and she is quick. She was a speed skater in Michigan and she was ranked in the state and she can do a lot. Even when she couldn’t do everything that the team was doing, she was still out there trying to get better at the things that she could do.”
“Overall, I think that the freshman class is very talented,” said Carroll. “They have some big shoes to fill. We do have 10 letter winners back however we lost six players that averaged playing in 41 of the 52 games in 2006 and that is a lot to replace in one season. Our strength and conditioning program is solid and has helped the younger players and I think it’s going to be more of how we deal with the mental aspect of the game that determines how successful we will be.”
“I think this is one of my stronger freshman classes,” Carroll added. “This class and the 2006 class that just graduated. We had a player like Jen Cullen who didn’t even start her rookie season and she bats .400 as a senior and makes all-conference and she did that through solid dedication and hard work and they were all very coachable. I think the 2010 class has a very good group of personalities. They have a love of the game, but they don’t over think. They are working along with you, thinking about the next play and getting the runner moved over and while they have some big shoes to fill, I see a lot of positives early on as we head into the season. This rookie class is probably in the top five in potential. I measure classes more by character and work ethic than physical ability. I enjoy working with players who come in every day trying to get better and I’ll take that kind of player over a player with pure talent because you need to have players working toward getting better each time they play the game.”
“We are going to have some talented kids sitting on the bench once we are healthy,” Carroll added. “That’s a good problem to have. We anticipate having different players being ready if they need to play out of position but the key is going to be keeping the pitching staff healthy. I have confidence in every person on the roster that when they are put in the game, they are going to do the job.”
The 2007 schedule begins with a trip to the Elon Tournament in North Carolina and includes 10 games in Florida as part of the Rebel Spring Games. Rider opens the 2007 home schedule in late March with the Rider Invitational playing against Villanova, Monmouth and Lafayette. The conference schedule begins at Siena on April 14.
“I think the schedule is tough,” Carroll said. “13 years ago when I started, there were certain teams that you could mark as a win and those days are long gone. There is so much parity across the country. There are games you consider reaches and others that are toss-ups. I believe that on any given day, any team can beat another. A ball bounces the right way or you get a call in your favor, things can happen for you and you have to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities. I want to play the better teams each season because that is how we get better. Playing Rutgers (April 10), Villanova (March 24) and St. John’s (March 28), three BIG EAST teams, should help us. The tournament at Elon in North Carolina will be tough as well as playing Ohio and the University of Delaware, they are very good. I think we play as competitive a schedule as anybody in the conference and it should help us get ready for the MAAC games.”
Rider is scheduled for 27 non-conference games before the MAAC schedule begins and is scheduled to play 38 non-conference games overall.
“The conference schedule is a whole other animal,” said Carroll. “Everyone shows up every game and it’s like that in every sport. Those are the days that you need to show up and battle through the travel and rainouts and makeup games. If you handle all of those things, you have a good chance to come out in the top four and qualify for the MAAC’s. You don’t focus on winning the conference necessarily because the number one seed hasn’t won the conference tournament since 1997, but you still have to focus on playing every inning and every pitch with the mindset that you are playing conference games. You will have four very strong teams make the tournament and five very strong teams not make the postseason and one game usually makes the difference.”
“The conference seems like it will be even,” Carroll said. “Fairfield has a solid senior and junior class and they find a way to make the top four every year so you have to watch out for them. In terms of experience, Canisius graduated some players, but they have some players that no one saw because they had upperclassmen playing so they will be in the mix. Marist has the pitcher of the year back. Siena graduated some players, but has a lot of talented players left. They were a team that looked very strong on paper and had some weird plays happen in 2006. In the deciding game against Fairfield to qualify for the playoffs, they had a player picked off second base. In our game, we made at least two exceptional catches of foul balls over the fence. They had that kind of season. So I think they will be itching to get back and will surprise some people. I think Saint Peter’s will have some talent and Niagara also has some talent and could make some noise. Iona and Manhattan will also be in the mix. I was a little surprised we were picked to finish fourth this season by the coach’s poll. I think it shows how much respect our program has around league, considering the number of players we lost to graduation. It will take us a few games before we get into conference to gel and figure out the different roles so we can be set going into the conference schedule.
As the Broncs head into 2007, expectations are high and for Carroll, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “I want a team that has pressure and expectations on them,” Carroll said. “Every individual player has expectations and if you don’t have that pressure, it means you haven’t done anything. I want to be part of a program that has that pressure, where other teams say well, Rider graduated a lot of players, but they always play tough and battle. Last year’s team experienced so much success, but they had to battle back and win eight straight to make the playoffs because we didn’t play up to those expectations early in the conference schedule. I don’t want to coach a team that doesn’t have expectations. People say we are young, but we won the conference in 2003 starting five freshmen and in 1997 we had to win the NCAA Play In series starting six freshmen or sophomores so I don’t buy into the inexperience excuse. It’s nice to sneak up on teams that think we are young. In our program, we expect that every time we take the field, we expect to win.”
Like a proud parent, Carroll takes the most pride in the performance of the softball team off the field and in the classroom. In the fall of 2006, the team finished with the highest team GPA of Rider’s 20 varsity teams, accumulating a 3.44 GPA. This was the third time in the last five semesters that the softball team had the highest team GPA.
“In our recruiting, I probably talk more about the academics than about athletics,” said Carroll. “Having the top team GPA and having all ten eligible players on the 2006 roster named to the MAAC All-Academic team, those are very important aspects of our program. We recruit players who want to be successful. You have two jobs, academics and athletics and the expectation is that you are going to do both of those things well. The players take pride in having the highest team GPA and we stress that non-stop. We bring in players who want to achieve at the highest possible level that they can achieve. Some of the players, it might be a B or a C+, and as long as they are working to achieve to their highest potential, that’s all I can ask them to do. The second they get on campus as a recruit, that’s the primary focus of what Rider softball and Rider Athletics is all about. They have a good time, but they know the sacrifices that they have to make. It is extremely hard and is not for everybody. The effort that our Academic Support Coordinator Sonya Hurt has done with the team has been phenomenal. The department has made a commitment to academics and it shows.”
This season also marks the 10-year anniversary for the 1997 team that won the Northeast Conference Championship, won the NCAA Play-In series and advanced to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
“I have been so blessed over the years to get good players, but also good people who were willing to make the sacrifices for the team and believe in the things I was trying to do,” said Carroll. “And the 1997 team got into the situation where we had one healthy pitcher and had to win four straight games. It was similar to the 2006 season and it was a great group of kids. We had two eventual Rider Hall of Fame athletes on that team (Jen Dahl ’97 and Colleen Fox ’99) and everyone worked hard and had a blast doing it. They didn’t make themselves bigger than the game and having to go through the play-in makes that team a little more special because the tournament was only taking 32 teams at the time. As many things as that team accomplished at Rider, their accomplishments after Rider are pretty impressive as well. They believed that they could do it and we had fun while they were doing it.
Collectively, the 1997 team has been very supportive of the program, coming back to games and supporting the team financially and we are appreciative of that. That team started us on the path of what Rider softball is today.”
