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Edinboro University softball coach Dan Gierlak
continues to look for the right combination to compete in the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
The PSAC has become one of the most difficult
softball conferences in the country, with California(Pa.) and Lock
Haven winning NCAA Division II national championships in this
decade. In fact, Lock Haven was the titlist a year ago.
Last season the Fighting Scots finished with a
15-123 record, and were 8-12 in the PSAC West, good for fourth
place. With a little bit of luck, Gierlak’s gang could have
posted the school’s first winning season since 2000. Edinboro
finished 3-8 in one run games, and lost 13 games by two runs or
less.
“It’s so hard to play in
this conference,” admits Gierlak. “I think we can
compete with everybody, but we need the consistency. Our goal is
to win the PSAC. But you have to play against everybody. You can’t
let games get away. Last year we were a little young. This year we
have a nice mix of older and young.”
The improvement was obvious as the 2006 edition
won five more games the the year before. The results were even
more impressive when you consider the roster featured six freshmen
and six sophomores.
Maturity is just one of the qualities Gierlak
likes in his 2007 squad as it grows into a winner. In reality,
this year’s team is still young, with just three seniors and
three juniors.
However, the top six batters in the lineup
return from last year, and that stability will hopefully lead to
more runs. A year ago the team scored over a half run more a game
from the previous year, and the team batting average jumped from
.254 to .267.
But what really has Gierlak excited is his
infield, along with an improving pitching staff.
“I think infield-wise we’re
going to be as good as we’ve ever had,” boasted Gierlak.
“Up the middle we’re very strong, from catcher to second
base to shortstop. Those are three kids who have played together
for two years. Leanne (Carmichael) is a three-year starter. She
has played a lot of spots. There’s a lot of leadership out
there in those kids.”
As for the pitching, Gierlak knows he has one
of the better hurlers in the PSAC in Vanessa Rose. Now a junior,
Rose’s 9-14 record hardly indicates her ability.
“Vanessa is our ace,”
pointed out Gierlak. “She makes the ball move. She’s a
horse.”
Now he hopes that seniors Jessica Lindamood and
Kim Kuchev, along with youngster Chelsea Bosak, can provide some
support.
Gierlak can see that the pieces are falling
into place for a winner. That includes the intangibles.
“I think this team believes in
one another,” he stressed. They are a close-knit group. The
win over California at the end of the year really left us feeling
good about ourselves.”
The Fighting Scots begin their season with the
annual trip south, heading once again to Ft. Myers, FL. They will
play 12 games down south, including games against
nationally-ranked C.W. Post, plus North Dakota and Bentley. The
trip ends with a doubleheader against Florida Gulf Coast, a new
Division II team on its way up to Division I.
Then comes the grind of the PSAC West, with
twinbills against the likes of Lock Haven, the defending national
champion who was 56-4 a year ago, California(Pa.), and
Indiana(Pa.).
Pitchers
In Vanessa Rose, Gierlak has an anchor to his
pitching staff. As a freshman the left hander finished with a 6-6
record and a 3.60 ERA. She lowered her ERA to 2.98 while posting a
deceiving 9-14 record. Deceiving in the fact that it was Rose’s
role to face virtually every powerhouse on the schedule, sometimes
throwing both games of a doubleheader.
Rose ended up appearing in 24 games, two shy of
the school record. Her 138 2/3 innings ranks seventh in a season.
The junior gave up 141 hits and walked 36 while striking out 139,
the fifth-highest season total.
Gierlak knows that she is his ace on the mound.
But Rose is also expected to see more time in the outfield.
“We really need Vanessa to come
up big,” he admitted. “She stayed healthy this fall. She
was sick the last two years. If she’s on, we have a chance to
win every game she throws.”
Seniors Jessica Lindamood and Kim Kurchev
complement Rose. Lindamood finished with a 2-5 record a year ago
with a 5.25 ERA, yet ended the season by defeating
California(Pa.).
“Jess has the ability,”
stated Gierlak. “She has to do it consistently. She has a
great changeup that can really fool batters.”
As a freshman Lindamood pitched a team-high 69
2/3 innings.
Kurchev is another pitcher who saw plenty of
action as a freshman, but a year ago threw just 31 2/3 innings,
with a 1-0 record and a 3.09 ERA.
“Kim has come up big in big games
in the past,” noted Gierlak. “She had a knee injury and
is just starting to feel good. We need her to throw well. She’s
another off-speed pitcher, with a tough knuckleball.”
“Jess and Kim have to step up,”
Gierlak emphasized. “We need them to come through.”
Sophomore Chelsea Bosak has had a year to
develop. Gierlak notes she is still young and a work-in-progress,
but she has worked hard. She did not see any time on the mound a
year ago.
Infielders
A year ago the infield was considered young and
inexperienced. Now it is expected to be the backbone of the team.
For starters there’s a pair of All-PSAC West second team
performers in Mandie Iorfido and Leanne Carmichael.
Iorfido is a junior who played basketball for
two seasons but now is concentrating solely on softball. She is a
versatile player who has played second base and shortstop in the
past, but she has settled in behind the plate as the Boro catcher.
Iorfido led the Fighting Scots with a .343
average with eight doubles, a homer, and 11 RBIs. Her average
actually went down from her freshman campaign and led the team
with a .377 average.
“We need Mandie to have a great
year,” stressed Gierlak. “She has the ability to be an
all-conference, an all-region player. She’s a leader and
comes up with big hits. She has to be a leader behind the plate.”
Carmichael, meanwhile, was chosen as the second
team All-PSAC West performer at first base. Like Iorfido, she has
proven a versatile player, previously seeing time at third base
and catcher.
The senior settled in at first base a year ago,
hitting .250 with three doubles, a triple, and 12 RBIs.
“Leanne is a great kid and an
exceptional leader,” commented Gierlak. “She has worked
very hard to get herself on the field. She hits the ball hard,
just too many times right at people. Leanne is a stabilizing
force. And no one outworks her.”
Sophomores occupy the rest of the infield
positions. Dana Webb and Katelyn Gurgiolo are the double play
combination at second base and shortstop, respectively.
“Dana is the best second baseman
in our region,” boasted Gierlak. “She has a great glove,
great bat speed, and is a pleasure to coach.”
Webb enjoyed an outstanding freshman campaign,
finishing second on the team in batting at .333, and displaying
plenty of power. She finished with nine doubles, five triples,
three home runs, and 18 RBIs -- all team-leading figures. In
addition, she committed just six errors in 144 chances, a .958
fielding percentage.
Gurgiolo is one of the key performers for the
Fighting Scots, both in the field as the team’s shortstop,
and at the plate, where she serves as the catalyst while batting
leadoff. A natural right-handed hitter, Gierlak switched her to
the left side a year a ago to turn her into a slap hitter to take
advantage of her speed.
“Katelyn is a pure athlete,”
noted Gierlak. “”She really worked hard to understand
how to slap. I think she can really develop into a force. She will
be running.
“Defensively, she has a great
glove and a quick release. She made some errors as a freshman, but
she learns quickly.”
Gurgiolo ended the year hitting .240 while
adapting to the slap hitting. She led the Fighting Scots with 15
stolen bases in 16 attempts.
While Gurgiolo represents the speed, Arno
complements Webb with a power bat. The third baseman hit .289 with
six doubles, a homer, and 11 RBIs.
“Danielle has the ability to hit
whether she’s playing third or in the outfield,” Gierlak
commented, noting that she may ultimately be a better outfielder.
“She developed mentally at bat, and has the ability to go
long on every swing.”
Outfielders
A year ago Gierlak entered the 2005 season with
the outfield as one of his team's strengths. Now it is his biggest
concern.
When not pitching, Jessica Lindamood and
Vanessa Rose will see time in the outfield or at designated
player. Both are accomplished hitters. Rose ranked third on the
team in hiting with a .308 average, and was second in runs batted
in with 16. Lindamood only hit .207 a year ago, but in 2005 she
hit .271. She drove in 10 runs a year ago.
The rest of the outfield is very inexperienced,
with three sophomores and three freshmen.
“A couple kids need to develop
out there,” admitted Gierlak. “We need two more.”
Ashleigh Smith has impressed in preseason
drills. The sophomore saw limited action a year ago, appearing in
20 games and going 3-for-11 for a .273 average.
“Ashleigh looks great right now,”
Gierlak pointed out. “She has made huge strides with her
swing. She runs well, and has a good arm.” Gierlak noted she
will likely see time in either left field or center field.
Abby Goetschius is another little-used player
from last year who is battling for time. She did not have a hit in
five at bats as a freshman.
“Abby is a very smart ballplayer,”
emphasized Gierlak. “She worked on her speed and will push to
play.”
Gierlak noted that Goetschius will likely see
time in right field or left field, and the player with the hot bat
will between Smith and Goetschius will play.
The third sophomore is Alicia Gordon, a
transfer from Jamestown(NY) Community College. Gordon is a natural
infielder who could take over in left field or center field, along
with possibly seeing time in the infield.
“Alicia can play all the
position,” commented Gierlak. “She’s really an
infielder who will play in the outfield right now. Most of all,
she’s an athlete and she knows the game. If someone gets hurt
in the infield, she’ll go there.”
Of the three freshmen, Ashley Holmes is likely
the most advanced at this stage. A former performer at Butler(Pa.)
High School, Gierlak noted that she has done a great job with her
bat.
“If her bat is hot, she will
play,” he stated.
Amanda Weeman and Melissa Conrad are also
first-year players seeking playing time in the outfield. Weeman is
a versatile player who can play a number of positions and
possesses a strong arm. She is working on her performance at the
plate. Gierlak noted that Conrad will add depth in the outfield.
The final player on the roster is Kim Koricich,
who in the fall is a key player on the women’s soccer team.
The junior, in her first season on the softball team, is listed as
an outfielder, but her biggest contribution will come as a pinch
runner.
“Kim runs very well,” stated
Gierlak. “She’s learning how to slap the ball. Her value
comes as a pinch runner, and we’re working with her to
understand base running. She’s getting better at putting the
ball in play.” |
