2007 Softball
Outlook

The Lake Erie College softball team is looking to improve upon the most successful season in program history, in which the Storm went 26-16-1 overall, finished in third place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with a record of 14-4, made it to the semifinals in the AMCC Tournament and earned a bid to the ECAC Tournament during the 2006 season.

In 2007, Lake Erie returns eight players from last year's starting lineup, including five all-conference selections, and is in prime position to not only repeat the success of '06, but to surpass it entirely. Fifth-year head coach Gary VanCauwenberge is already pleased with his team's progress in the preseason and is confident the team will only continue to increase its intensity level as the season progresses.

The Storm's offensive capabilities are endless considering the players who are able to fill the nine spots. LEC has four or five players able to put the ball over the fence on any given pitch, while also having another four or five able to slap and run. The mix of power and speed will keep opponents on their toes at all times, while allowing Lake Erie to consistently put numbers on the board.

Defensively, Lake Erie is extremely solid at every position with the left side of the field boasting an all-conference duo of sophomore short stop Jessica Hedrick (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) and sophomore third baseman Brittney Binko (Warren, Ohio/John F. Kennedy). All-conference first baseman Sarah Miller (Covington, Kentucky/Holmes) returns, but this time in the role of number one pitcher.

The outfield will be anchored by all-conference selection senior Jen Dodge (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) and junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard). The two combined for a .949 fielding percentage last season, while recording 67 putouts. As a team, LEC had a fielding percentage of .937 in 2006 with several freshmen in the lineup. Now with another year of experience under their belts, VanCauwenberge expects that percentage to improve.

The only area resembling any sort of weakness is the Storm battery and that's only because the team lost its top pitcher from last season due to graduation. LEC has several hurlers able to step in and take on the responsibility, but Miller is the only one with any collegiate experience. She earned 10 wins on the hill last season in 104 innings of work. Several freshmen will be counted on to pick up the slack and once they find their groove, Lake Erie will be a tough team to beat.

The Storm schedule this season is the toughest yet as LEC takes on Division III Mount Union College, who finished in the top 25 last year. Lake Erie also faces off with noted powerhouse Baldwin-Wallace College, as well as John Carroll University for the first time in program history. The team returns to the Sun West Tournament hosted by Chapman University in California for the third time, with an eight-game slate against competitive teams from across the country.

As far as conference competition is concerned, each opponent will be challenging with the AMCC being one of the most competitive softball leagues in the nation. Three of its 10 teams made it to the postseason last year, including Penn State-Behrend and Pitt-Bradford who made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Lake Erie made a trip to the ECAC Tournament. This season, Lake Erie is picked to finish fifth in the conference according to the preseason coaches' poll.