Orange Softball Begins 2005 Season at Kajikawa Tournament
2/10/2005 1:51:50 PM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Syracuse softball team opens the 2005 campaign with five games against ranked opponents at the Kajikawa Tournament hosted by Arizona State University from Feb. 11-13. The Orange plays 25th-ranked Cal State Fullerton in its season opener at 1 p.m. EST on Friday.
Syracuse will also face No. 1 California, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Texas and No. 18 Fresno State in tournament play.
In its sixth season of existence, the Orange softball program is as ripe with talent as it has ever been. Syracuse welcomes back four All-BIG EAST and two All-Northeast Region players to the roster as the Orange tries to reach its first BIG EAST Tournament since 2002.
The SU experience is spread all over the diamond. In the pitching circle, the Orange brings back third-team all-league selection Courtney Mosch who set the school record with 17 victories as a freshman last season.
In the outfield is second-team all-conference and first-team all-region performer Tanya Rose. Rose, a senior, set school records with 55 hits, 41 runs scored and 25 walks in 2004. She finished the season ranked second in the BIG EAST in runs scored, tied for 10th in total bases (90), fifth in walks and eighth in on-base percentage (.420).
In the infield is junior shortstop Alexis Switenko, a second-team all-league selection as a sophomore. She started all 54 games last year and led the Orange with a .327 batting average, while setting school records with nine home runs, 40 runs batted in, 94 total bases and a .580 slugging percentage.
Last, but certainly not least is designated player/outfielder Cassie Morales. Morales, a junior, was a third-team all-conference and second-team all-region performer last season. She started 54 games and hit .318 for the season. She also established a new Orange single-season mark with 18 doubles, which led the BIG EAST. Morales also rated among the BIG EAST’s top 10 in runs batted in and total bases (91).
In addition to the award winners, SU returns five other starters, including two veteran catchers, an outfielder and two infielders.
As with most teams, SU’s success will depend heavily on the pitching staff. The Orange hurlers are a young group featuring Mosch, a sophomore, and freshmen Alex Austin and Erin Downey. In addition to her 17 victories, Mosch led SU with a 1.81 ERA, five shutouts, a school-record 197.2 innings pitched and 126 strikeouts.
"Last season helped Courtney develop a presence on the mound," Firnbach said. "Courtney will be more effective if she uses her strengths to keep her opponents off balance. She also has to perfect a couple of pitches now that her opponents know her style. Courtney needs to be better for the team as a whole to be better."
Austin, a product of Alvin, Texas, posted a 0.57 ERA with 101 strikeouts in her final scholastic season. She struck out 406 with a 0.67 ERA for her career.
Downey comes in as one of the Orange’s most decorated recruits. She was named the California Small School Player of the Year as a senior after going 21-4 with a 0.04 earned run average and 404 strikeouts as a senior. She threw 14 shutouts, seven no-hitters and one perfect game in her final scholastic season. For her career, Downey struck out 1,144 hitters, while walking only 91. She had 34 shutouts, 29 no-hitters and three perfect games in her high school career.
"Erin and Alex have huge roles to fill," Firnbach said. "At this level, you have to have more than one number one pitcher and they all need to be able to fulfill any role that they are called upon to perform. They both add a new style to the mound which will give us many different looks."
Syracuse also has a new face in the dugout who will be working with the pitchers. Jodie Cox, an All-American and Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year at Cal State Fullerton, is in her first season as an assistant with the Orange.
"Jodie has been a great addition to the coaching staff," Firnbach said. "Jodie has competed at the highest level. Her best asset is the fact that she recognizes how she herself grew as a player and she demands the same from our players. She is a great role model for the team, especially the pitchers, and we are lucky to have her on staff."
The infield is chock full of veterans. At first base, senior Melissa Kelly is in her second season as the starter. An outstanding defender, Kelly was second on the team with a .984 fielding percentage. She set the SU single-season record for putouts with 463 and was part of a school-record 19 double plays.
"Mel has done a great job at first base," Firnbach said. "She has improved her footwork and her strength is in her glove. Mel does her job by making her teammates look good."
Switenko returns for her third season as the starting shortstop. She led the team with a .327 batting average and set a school record with 12 multi-RBI games. She was one of only three players to start all 54 games in 2004.
"Alexis has improved every year," Firnbach said. "She makes some phenomenal plays. She has worked hard to make herself more consistent and when the game is on the line, she needs to want the ball."
At third base is sophomore Erin Gray, who took over the starting job mid-way through her rookie season. Her 70 defensive assists ranked ninth on the SU single-season ledger.
"I think Erin got more comfortable toward the end of last season," Firnbach said. "I could already see a difference in her confidence this fall. She continues to work hard and wants to do well for the team."
The only new face on the infield is second baseman Shawna Norris. While she is new to the Orange, Norris is no stranger to high-level Division I softball. She spent two years at the University of Washington and one season at the University of Georgia. Norris has been at Syracuse since January of 2004. Norris hopes to get her SU career off to a similar start as her collegiate career. In her first at-bat for the Huskies, she belted a home run.
"Shawna is going to add range, a good arm, and knowledge," Firnbach said. "Shawna is a good player all around and I am excited to see her in an actual game. I expect her to jump right in and make an impact on both sides of the ball."
Also in the mix in the infield is sophomore utility player Jen Elderbroom. Elderbroom proved valuable off the bench last season, tying the school record with three pinch hits.
The catching tandem of seniors Jaime Grillo and Katie Kaempfer has combined to catch 186 of SU’s 191 games since the 2001 season. Last season, the duo was named the Orange’s Co-Defensive Players of the Year. Second-year assistant coach Kim Doran is back to work with the backstops. In her first season, she tutored SU’s catchers to a .984 fielding percentage. SU also threw out 14 runners attempting to steal and picked off another five.
Grillo, a fifth-year senior, started 27 times a year ago. She led the team in fielding percentage at .992 (min. 20 chances) and threw out 7-of-29 would-be base stealers. It was her first season back from a serious wrist injury that forced her to miss the entire 2002 season and most of the 2003 campaign.
Kaempfer started 27 games behind the dish in 2004. She was third on the team with a .977 fielding percentage and threw out 7-of-15 would-be base stealers. Kaempfer and Grillo combined to pick off another five runners.
"We have never had the luxury of two, healthy veteran catchers," Firnbach said. "Jaime and Katie both have different styles, but they are both very effective. Our battery is crucial to the success of our season so having their help in getting us started on the right foot by pushing the pitchers is of utmost importance."
Any talk of the SU outfield begins with Rose. The senior has played in a school-record 142 consecutive games and is SU’s all-time leader in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.336), runs scored (93), RBI (69), doubles (29), on-base percentage (.406), home runs (18), extra-base hits (40), multi-hit games (47), total bases (240), slugging percentage (.535), walks (46) and stolen bases (33).
"I think Tanya’s senior season will go right in line with the rest of her career," Firnbach said. "If anyone on our team doesn’t respect Tanya for her accomplishments and approach to the game, they are really missing out. They couldn’t ask for a better talent to follow and learn from. Tanya leads by example and has worked for what she has accomplished"
Junior Tiffany Robinson is back for her second season with the Orange. Robinson started 47 games last season and provided much needed speed at the bottom of the order. She was fourth on the team in batting at .312 (43-for-138) and finished 10th on the SU single-season runs scored list with 21. Robinson was 9-for-9 in stolen bases, the fifth-best season total ever at Syracuse.
"I, along with her teammates, am counting on Tiffany to carry over her momentum from last season," Firnbach said. "Tiffany is a very necessary aspect of our team and we will only be successful is she gets on base."
The third outfield spot will be up for grabs between Morales, freshman Chanel Roehner and sophomore Dani Delgado. Whether it’s in the outfield or as the designated player, Morales’ bat will be in the lineup. She hit six home runs and collected 36 RBI, while striking out just 16 times in 173 at-bats. Morales tied for 13th in the nation in doubles per game (0.33) and set a school record with 24 extra-base hits.
Roehner batted .350 with 10 steals as a senior at Simi Valley High School. She was one of four players from California selected by USA Softball to attend the final tryouts for the Women’s Junior Olympic National Team, and was named first-team All-Marmonte League three times.
Delgado played in 49 games last season, starting 27 times. She was one of eight players to score at least 10 runs and swiped three bases in five chances. A preseason shoulder injury may limit Delgado’s effectiveness, at least early in the season.
"We have good options to use," Firnbach said. "Their playing time defensively will depend on a lot of situations. The more cards you can play the better. Cassie will probably see most of her time as the DP, but we will see what happens. Whatever is best for the success of the team is what we will decide as a coaching staff."
The 2005 schedule reads like a who’s who in Division I softball. Syracuse will face four of the eight teams that advanced to the College World Series last season, including defending national champion UCLA for the second straight season. The Orange will also meet up with California, last season’s national runner-up, Florida State and Oklahoma. In addition, SU will square off with eight other teams that qualified for the NCAA Regionals.
