2008 Woodie Awards
Softball seniors look to lead team toward success
Brad Wilk
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: Sports
The Lakeland softball team, with six seniors and two outstanding sophomores, is ready to improve on its second-place finish in the Northern Athletics Conference last season.
The Muskies were 27-12 in 2007, and they finished second in the NAC with an 18-4 record, behind first-place Aurora. Lakeland is picked to finish second in the NAC preseason coaches' poll behind Aurora. The Muskies received four first-place votes.
Head Coach Chad Buchmann said that one of the goals this spring is to finish first in the conference.
"We have a number of bullets in the gun right now," Buchmann said. "We have three outstanding pitchers. We have players that can play all over place."
The NAC does not have an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament until next season, so if the Muskies want to advance they will have to have an outstanding record. Lakeland is facing some tough teams on its spring break trip to Arizona. Aurora is returning most of its good players from last spring.
Lakeland lost only one senior from last season, starting catcher Katie Yeager.
Returning sophomore pitcher Sara Roberts was 2007 NAC Rookie of the Year. She had a 19-7 record with a 1.67 earned run average in 29 appearances. She threw a perfect game and two additional no-hitters.
"She'll [Roberts] improve in the sense that hopefully her pitches will move more," Buchmann said. "Last year it was straight power. If we needed an out, she would just throw it by people. I hope she moves the ball more with a drop or curve or change. Get it a little slower sometimes and then she will be a real weapon."
Roberts was named All-NAC with two other Lakeland players, senior right fielder Rebecca Schuettpelz and sophomore second baseman K.C. Blahnik. Schuettpelz led the Muskies on offense last year with a .455 percent batting average, three home runs, and 31 runs batted in. Blahnik, who was a member of the NAC All-Rookie Team with Roberts, led the team in triples with seven and hit .442.
The Muskies were 27-12 in 2007, and they finished second in the NAC with an 18-4 record, behind first-place Aurora. Lakeland is picked to finish second in the NAC preseason coaches' poll behind Aurora. The Muskies received four first-place votes.
Head Coach Chad Buchmann said that one of the goals this spring is to finish first in the conference.
"We have a number of bullets in the gun right now," Buchmann said. "We have three outstanding pitchers. We have players that can play all over place."
The NAC does not have an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament until next season, so if the Muskies want to advance they will have to have an outstanding record. Lakeland is facing some tough teams on its spring break trip to Arizona. Aurora is returning most of its good players from last spring.
Lakeland lost only one senior from last season, starting catcher Katie Yeager.
Returning sophomore pitcher Sara Roberts was 2007 NAC Rookie of the Year. She had a 19-7 record with a 1.67 earned run average in 29 appearances. She threw a perfect game and two additional no-hitters.
"She'll [Roberts] improve in the sense that hopefully her pitches will move more," Buchmann said. "Last year it was straight power. If we needed an out, she would just throw it by people. I hope she moves the ball more with a drop or curve or change. Get it a little slower sometimes and then she will be a real weapon."
Roberts was named All-NAC with two other Lakeland players, senior right fielder Rebecca Schuettpelz and sophomore second baseman K.C. Blahnik. Schuettpelz led the Muskies on offense last year with a .455 percent batting average, three home runs, and 31 runs batted in. Blahnik, who was a member of the NAC All-Rookie Team with Roberts, led the team in triples with seven and hit .442.
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