Boston College Athletics
Season Preview 2002
January 31, 2002 | Softball
Jan. 31, 2002
If head coach Jen Finley could pencil in all the strong bats in her lineup without regard to numbers, well, first it would be a considerate unfair advantage to her opponent. But more importantly, it would solve her problem of fitting every one of her players into a game, a dillema that any coach would love to have.
After breaking numerous school hitting records in 2001, the 2002 Eagle squad is looking to not only do some more damage to the record books, but also to their opponents. Facing their toughest schedule in school history, the Boston College softball team will aim to position itself among the nation's best while using its strengths - hitting and pitching - to get there.
Finley returns all but one starter from the end of last season. This year, she not only has eight returning starters, but also a strong group of veterans who have excelled in off-season training and conditioning, and an excellent crop of newcomers ready to join the fold.
Just ask Finley who will start the season at each position and there are only a few spots where a clear-cut starter has emerged. First base: "Elyse Meredith will see time there and Tekae Malandris will see time there." Third base: "It's between Lisa Fischer and Michelle Daly when she's not pitching." Outfield: "There are a couple of potential starters, but after the preseason, four have emerged: Erin Mackey, Sara Kellner, Jacqui Goodchild and Leah Kamataris." The only definites are at second base and shortstop where last year's stalwarts, Jen Asbury and Cara Blumfield, will return.
With the line-up still up in the air as the season approaches, according to Finley, players will make their way into the starting line-up by the weight of their bats. "We have so many strong hitters on the team that we'll decide who plays by who's on that day and who's hitting well."
BATTERY
Returning Lettermen Pos. ERA Other Erin Mackey, So. P 0.50 2-0 Tekae Malandris, So. P 1.32 166 K Kim Ryan, Jr. P 2.27 10-7, 136 K Brooke Shull, Sr. P 1.53 10-3
In the pitching circle, Finley expects more of 2001's success from her charges. Last season, the unit finished among the BIG EAST leaders in every statistical category. The young squad showed a marked improvement over the previous season with the addition of two new hurlers and a new pitching coach.
Finley wants the same upward movement in the group again this season as she expects the team's success will hinge on the development and ability of the entire staff to be ready to go at any time.
"Of the pitchers we have, we're expecting a lot from Kim Ryan and Tekae Malandris," Finley says. "Besides those two, we have Michelle Daly - an excellent addition who is improving every single day - Erin Mackey and Brooke Shull returning. I think the pitching staff will be strong - a lot stronger than it was last year.
"We didn't lose anybody to graduation and I think they all gained a lot of experience. And this year, with our schedule being as tough as it is, our battery is going to have to go a long way and do a lot of work. Every member of the staff is going to have to pitch for us to be successful.
"One of our pitchers needs to emerge as our number one ace, and right now that's up in the air. But as I said, in order for us to be successful with this tough schedule and for us to be successful this season, all of our pitchers need to contribute. Not just the number one or two."
After a mid-season bout with mononucleosis that affected her pitching early last season, Ryan got herself back on track and regained the form that earned her BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. She struck out 136 batters in 126.2 innings and won 10 games for the Eagles, most of which came after she recovered from her illness. She has been named one of the team's three captains this season.
A sophomore, Malandris came to the Heights as an unheralded, late recruit and surprised the league with her play. She was a unanimous BIG EAST All-Rookie selection after compiling a 1.32 earned run average, the second-lowest in school history, and the lowest for a pitcher who threw over 100 innings. She also led the team with 166 strike outs and 12 complete games.
Shull's performance in 2001 came out of nowhere. In 2000, she recorded a 6.33 ERA and appeared in just 10 games. Last season, she excelled with a 10-3 overall record and a 1.52 ERA - the seventh-lowest mark in school history. She became another reliable performer for the Eagles and picked up the slack when Ryan became ill. She also tossed four shutouts and five complete games. She is one of the Eagles' two-sport stars, as she wrapped up a four-year volleyball career at the Heights in the fall.
As a freshman last year, Erin Mackey stepped in as a part-time pitcher to go along with her full-time outfield duties. In her five appearances, he earned two wins and a 0.50 earned run average. All three of her starts were later combined shutouts for the Eagles. With her versatility, Mackey gives Finely another option in the pitching circle.
There will be two new faces behind the plate this season. With the graduation of four-year starters Summer Jarratt and Jenn Perrotta, Finley will rely on a pair of freshmen - Lisa Field and Jenny Calabrese - to carry the catching load and game-calling duties.
Field comes to the Heights with lofty credentials. A strong hitter who batted over .300 in each of her three high school varsity seasons, Field also threw out a remarkable 74-of-94 base runners (78.9 percent) in her scholastic career. Her high school team was consistently one of California's best and went on to win the 2000 and 2001 state championships. Calabrese comes in with three all-state selections and a career .538 batting average in high school.
"We're going to miss Summer Jarratt. She and Jen are going to be missed for sure. However, with Lisa coming in, we should be all set. She has already proven herself in the fall. She is so tough behind the plate and is a very smart player. She's certainly impressive. Lisa will take a hit and shes going to be a tough one behind the plate.
"Jenny surprised us by successfully walking onto the team. She's also fits right in with Lisa and is another tough player. Between the two of them, their work ethic and determination is going to carry both them and the team far."
INFIELD
Returning Lettermen Pos. GP/GS Bat Avg. Jen Asbury, Jr. 2B 55/55 .321 Cara Blumfield, Jr. SS 55/55 .389 Lisa Fischer, Jr. 3B 55/55 .224 Jennifer Lombardi, Sr. 3B 22/0 .125 Tekae Malandris, So. 1B 41/37 .213 Elyse Meredith, So. IF 32/12 .140
Finley anticipates competition will be the name of the game for her corners this season. At first and third, the job will go to the hottest hitter and best glove. While the middle is shored up with a pair of two-year starters, the infield looks to be one of the strongest areas returning for the Eagles.
At first base, two players - Elyse Meredith and Tekae Malandris - will vie for time. Three players divided the action in 2001, and each both players vying for playing time bring special attributes to the field.
Seeing time early in the season at first, Meredith played well in 2001 as a freshman. Her biggest impact came later in the season as she saw time off the bench as a pinch hitter. She played strong in that role, and the highlight of her season came with one swing of the bat against No. 22 Massachusetts when she won the game with a home run to straight-away center field in extra innings. In the fall, Meredith successfully walked onto the women's soccer team at BC, earned the starting goalkeeper position soon after and led the Eagles back to the NCAA Tournament with stellar first-year play.
"Elyse gained a lot of experience last year, and with how well she did with soccer, her confidence is as high as it can be," Finley says. "We need her bat in the line-up and she's developing into a great all-around player. She is a student of the game and a hard worker."
Malandris, who started the middle part of the season at first when she wasn't pitching, adds a substantial reach and height to the corner. Standing nearly six-feet fall, she gives the Eagles a greater defensive presence on close plays.
"The starting spot at first is going to be a fight," Finley says, "but it's going to depend on how they are swinging their bats."
At the other corner, Finley has two options headed into the season. Lisa Fischer and Michelle Daly will compete for the playing time at the hot corner.
Last year, Fischer started all 55 games at third and provided stability and reliability when defensive plays were needed. At the plate, she led the team in doubles, while also using her eye to collect 20 base-on-balls. One of the team's three two-sport athletes, Fischer sat out much the 2001 field hockey season with a leg injury.
Daly jumps into the fold after a storied high school career at nearby Concord-Carlisle (Mass.) High School. She was a career .495 hitter at CCHS while compiling a 71-4 record on the mound in her schoolgirl career.
"As long as she's not still ailed by her field hockey injury, Lisa will be a contributor," Finley says. "She has the best glove I've seen in the Northeast region - a quick glove, fast at third base. Her hitting is also coming along well. Another incentive is that she has Michelle pushing her along which can only made her play better.
"Michelle is a workhorse and can get things done at third base. It will be a battle, but a good battle for the overall outcome."
Jen Asbury - coming off her first team All-BIG EAST selection in 2001 - and Cara Blumfield, both juniors, will anchor the middle of the infield again this season. Last year, the team's two biggest power-hitters combined for 18 home runs, 73 runs batted in, 58 runs scored, 188 total bases and a .354 batting average. Again in 2002, the two infielders will be called on to anchor the team, both defensively and offensively.
"Jen has won the second base spot outright," Finley says. "She's very consistent there and working hard to get better everyday. Obviously, she gives us a big bat in the lineup. Coming back she has some pressure on herself, but she'll be one of our big bats again this season. If she's not batting fourth, she'll be batting fifth."
Blumfield set the record books on fire last year with her overall performance and, as a result, earned a captain's nod this year. She broke eight school batting records and ranked among the final NCAA leaders in four different categories. On the field, Blumfield gave the team great range up the middle and was frequently called on to make big plays. She also led the team in stolen bases with 13 in just 16 attempts.
"Cara is Cara: she's just a great player," Finley says. "I think by being named captain, her leadership will be even more of a factor. We just need Cara to keep challenging herself in order for the team to get better. We need her talent, her motivation and her leadership to make other players on our team better."
Other infielders who will look to make contributions this season are senior Jenn Lomabrdi, who has starting experience at third base, and sophomore Amy Swiderski, who was slowed by injury early on.
OUTFIELD
Returning Lettermen GP/GS Bat Avg. Jacqui Goodchild, So. 55/55 .335 Leah Kamataris, Sr. 52/51 .105 Sara Kellner, So. 32/10 .182 Erin Mackey, So. 45/32 .179
With four players vying for three starting roles, competition will heat up. Jacqui Goodchild, Leah Kamataris, Sara Kellner and Erin Mackey will look to see the majority of the time in the outfield.
After splitting the 2001 season between second base and right field, Goodchild was a BIG EAST All-Rookie Team honoree. She came into the league and surprised many with her .335 batting average and set a school record with 62 hits during the season.
"Jacqui had a great year for us last year," Finley says. "She's no longer a surprise so she's going to have to work twice as hard to be as successful at the plate as she was. She's a great ballplayer. Jacqui always has information or comes up with ideas and loves the game. She's a great asset for us. When's she's out there she's always upbeat, which is what we need."
Kamataris will be the lone senior among the team's three captains. She has earned her role with an unflappable attitude and gutsy play in the outfield over the last two years. She made great strides after the 2000 season and, as a result, started all but four games last year. In 2001, she demonstrated the strength of her arm with five outfield assists from center field.
"I don't even know how to describe Leah because she's such a unique person," Finley says. "She came in as a walk-on, spotlighted as a pinch runner, and now has not only earned a starting spot on the field, but earned a captain's role off the field. She's come a long way. Her enthusiasm, excitement and drive for the game amazes everybody. She'll go through a brick wall for you. She's just that type of gutsy kid. With that leader by example, she could take the team a long way."
Finley has one word to describe Kellener - "speed." Kellner saw some time in the outfield last year, but a midseason collision on the basepath resulted in a broken jaw and some recovery time in the dugout. Fully ready to start the season, Finley is looking for Kellner to make a real contribution in 2002.
"Sara brings a lot of speed to the field and we need her get on base this year since stealing bases is going to become a priority," Finley says. "We just need her to be explosive on base. When she's playing center field, she covers a lot of ground and she's a dangerous weapon on defense."
Mackey showed glimpses of greatness last season as a freshman, but it was the 2001 fall ball season where Mackey began to make her mark. She had several strong tournaments and showed that her off-season work would reap benefits once the spring season kicks off. Described as having the team's most pure swing when she bats, Mackey will be looking make more of an impact not only at the plate, but also in the field and on the mound.
"Erin is one of the biggest improvements this year," Finley says. "Last year, she got a lot of time hitting-wise. This year, she has just come so far. The only thing more we need from her this year is for her to be able to pitch some more games this season. In order for us to be successful this year, all of our pitchers have to be able to take the mound on any day."
SCHEDULE
With seven games against Pacific-10 Conference opponents, including two against the reigning national champion Arizona Wildcats at their own field, the Eagles' schedule already has a air of difficulty to it. Then add in the rigorous BIG EAST schedule - the league sent two at-large teams to the NCAA Tournament in addition to league tournament champion Connecticut - and BC faces one of its stiffest challenges this season.
"This is the hardest schedule we've had to face since I've been here at BC," Finley says. "The team is definitely ready for it and they all have been working hard on the field, in the weight room, and in their minds. I think those last two are the two biggest parts for us to work on. We have to get stronger. We have to be able to take the game mentally. I think we're very talented, but the mental side of the game is what we have to work on
"Besides that, our tough non-conference schedule - we're playing seven games against Pac-10 teams, the number one conference in the country - will get us ready for the BIG EAST. We're traveling to different parts of the country, trying to get seen so we can get back into the national spotlight. It will be a challeng and it will be tough, but we'll be ready for it.
"The BIG EAST going to be as tough as it was last year. Villanova will be the team to beat. They have just about everybody back and they have the most dangerous pitching staff. But we're right there. I feel that we're going to push and make some noise. Our main goal is to bring the BIG EAST title back to BC."
Finley will take the team to tournaments at Texas A&M, Georgia State, UNLV (plus a five-game swing against Arizona and Arizona State), and Hofstra before opening the traditional doubleheader schedule in the Northeast region and BIG EAST Conference in mid-March.
"This year's team goal is to get back to the BIG EAST Tournament. We're just taking it one step at a time. Our long-term goal is to get to the NCAA Tournament, but the BIG EAST is going to be our goal, first and foremost.
"Overall as a team, we lost a lot of games last year by one run. This year, with the experience that we have coming back, we expect those games to turn our way.
"For the most part, our juniors will still lead the way, but we're getting some great leadership from the seniors as well. I think the sophomores are also starting to command more respect. Tekae is definitely leading by example on the mound. We'll have leadership coming from all around and I don't think it will be an issue with this team. I'm going to expect Kim, Leah and Cara as captains to lead this team to the BIG EAST Tournament.
"Team chemistry is great this year. I think the biggest thing to our success will be staying away from injuries, which has devastated us over the past couple of years. Everybody is going to contribute in one way or another. Overall, I think its' going to be a successful season."
