2006 Softball Preview Part 6 - Cleveland State Vikings

Feb. 8, 2006

Cleveland State's preseason quick facts are a little misleading. They list the Vikings as returning seven position starters and three pitchers from last season. What they don't take into account are the return of fifth-year seniors Kortney Spidell and Michelle Nicholas.

The duo sat out last season with injuries, but both had standout junior campaigns in 2004. Spidell went 10-9 with a 2.26 ERA in the circle, including a 5-2 record with a 1.40 ERA in league play. She also hit .241 in 40 starts at first base. Nicholas started all 53 games in right field, finishing second on the team with a .280 average out of the lead-off spot in the lineup.

Add in the fact that CSU also returns the reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Year in senior Grace Luginbuhl as well as second team all-league selection Amber Lowe and all-newcomer pick Whitney Willard in the outfield and the Vikings are loaded headed into 2006.

"I'm not sure how many coaches around the league know that Kortney and Michelle are coming back," head coach Julie Jones said. "When they both went down with injuries last year, there was a little bit of doom and gloom and it showed in our slow start. The team rallied though and with their return this year, I think from top to bottom, this may be the strongest team we've had here.

"Last year was important because we learned to play with a bulls-eye on us. In 2004, we were picked second and bowed out early in the league tournament. Last year, we played at a high level right up until the last pitch of the league championship. I would expect nothing less out of this year's team -- with one difference -- we want to be the team celebrating at the end."

Strength Lies In The Circle

In Luginbuhl (16-13, 2.12 ERA, 178K ) and Spidell, the Vikings will have one of the top one-two punches in the league. Luginbuhl has a good fastball, an above-average curveball and a devastating change-up, while Spidell has a blistering fastball and a solid curveball.

"Kortney's return gives us two number one pitchers," Jones said. "We could start either at any time."

CSU can also turn to senior J.J. Thornberry (7-8, 3.66 ERA) and sophomore Christina Swierz (1-5, 3.12 ERA) for spot starts or to eat up innings in relief. However, Thornberry will most likely start a majority of the games behind the plate.

"It's great to know that if we need to go to someone other than Grace or Kortney, we tremendous confidence in J.J. and Christina," Jones said. "J.J. benefited from her experience in last year's league championship and Christina has made great strides since last season."

Guyette Returns To Anchor Infield

While some familiar faces appear in the infield, four of the five spots will be held down by a different person than last year.

Senior Kaitlin Guyette (.278, 10 2B) anchors second base for the third year in a row, bringing with her the invaluable experience of having made 132 career starts.

Spidell will man first base when not in the circle, with either junior Sarah Milosek (.176) or freshman Rachel Ellis starting the remainder of the time.

The left side of the infield will see the greatest turnover, with freshmen Christa Coppus and Amanda Houchin starting at shortstop and third base, respectively. Lowe, last year's starter at short, could spell Coppus when not starting in the infield, while freshman Tara Meyer will back up Houchin.

"Even with an almost completely new look from last year, I feel really confident about our infield defense," Jones said. "Kaitlin and Kortney have a tremendous amount of experience, and Christa and Amanda are very good defensively."

The Vikings will sport two first-timers behind the dish this season. Thornberry (.223, 14 RBI) moves behind the plate after seeing significant time in the circle and at first base the past three years. Newcomer Haley Keller will see plenty of action at catcher, especially if Thornberry is called upon to pitch.

"I feel great about our situation behind the plate," Jones said. "Despite her lack of game experience, J.J. spent a lot of time in practice last year working with the catchers. She is confident, smart and has a great arm. Best of all, Kortney and Grace love throwing to her."

Crowded Outfield Still Up For Grabs

In the outfield, it's not a problem of a scarcity of talent. Rather it's whether or not a couple of key players will be healthy.

One thing that is for sure is that Michele Penney (.291, 3 HR, 24 RBI) will anchor the outfield from her spot in center field for the third year in a row.

Lowe (.296, 12 RBI, 19 SB) more than likely will start in left field, but could also see action in center. Willard (.342, 7 SB) stepped up big for the Vikings last year, but offseason shoulder surgery leaves her role in doubt for 2006. If healthy, she could see significant time in left.

Nicholas is slated to make her return to right field after knee surgery kept her on the bench all of last season. If she's not 100 percent, senior Shannon Graves (.272, 24 R, 15 SB) and freshman Danielle Young are ready to step in and contribute.

"Most of the uncertainty in the outfield comes from injuries and recovery time," Jones said. "I have no doubt in our ability; there just might be a little shuffling depending on who is ready to go."

Trio To Platoon At DP

When not starting in the circle, Luginbuhl (.259, 19 RBI, 15 SB) will see a lion's share of the at-bats at designated player. In the remaining games, teams will see a combination of Graves and Willard who are both excellent hitters and fast on the basepaths as well.

"Grace seems to hit the ball hard every at-bat, and she is almost impossible to throw out on the basepaths. Shannon and Whitney both have excellent bat control and are above-average hitters, so we won't miss a beat with them in the lineup."

CSU Plays Earliest Season-Opener Ever

Cleveland State kicks off the 2006 season on Feb. 18-19 at the Tennessee-Martin Invitational -- the earliest lid-lifter in school history. The Vikings continue their season-opening road trip by taking part in the Eastern Kentucky Invitational (March 4-5) and the Rebel Spring Games (March 12-16) in Kissimmee, Fla.

"I'm very excited about the schedule, but nervous at the same time, because we've never done anything like this before," Jones said. "I'm hoping we'll be able to start on a more level playing field with teams we're facing being in a similar situation weather-wise.

"It would be nice to gain confidence early and head down to Florida with a few more wins under our belt than in the past."

A big component of the team's preseason preparation is the ability to practice in the dome over the newly remodeled Krenzler Field (where the Viking soccer teams play). The 60-foot high, heated facility covers the entire Field Turf surface and allows the softball team to do a wide array of activities in the dead of Cleveland's winters.

"It's hard to put a value on the new facility, but the dome changes everything we do," Jones said. "We can set up two infields and work the outfield at the same time, as well as scrimmage and work on game situations. We will be more prepared than ever when we take the field for the first time."

CSU returns to the shores of Lake Erie at the end of March, opening the home slate with twin bills against IPFW and Oakland on March 25 & 26.

The Vikings jump right into the league schedule, hosting defending regular season champion and preseason favorite UIC for a three-game set at Viking Field on April 1-2. The 21-game league schedule also features home contests against Youngstown State (April 12), Butler (April 22-23) and the regular season finale with Detroit (May 6-7).

"With the way the program has grown, we expect to be in the top half of the league," Jones said. "But with that comes the realization that we're not going to sneak up on anyone any more. We've got to go out every day and earn respect -- and wins."

The 2006 Horizon League Championship is hosted by Youngstown State and will take place on May 11-13 at McCune Park in Canfield, Ohio.

Wrapping Things Up

The Vikings spent very little time dwelling on last year's heartbreaking loss in the Horizon League Championship title game.

"We haven't really talked much about Green Bay," Jones said. "The day after the game, the players were already looking forward to this year. We're really focusing on the process, because we can't just expect to be given a free pass back to the title game.

"We definitely have the talent and the potential to challenge for the title, but we need to execute and take care of the little things.

"For us to get over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament, we need to start stronger and build our confidence at an earlier point in the season," Jones continued. "Everyone needs to understand their role, and we have to trust that we as coaches have prepared the team so they can go out and play freely."

In the end, the injuries to Nicholas and Spidell -- which could have very easily derailed the Vikings' hope for success -- may have been a long-term blessing in disguise.

"I think, other than our tremendous speed from top to bottom in our lineup, our biggest asset is going to be our experience. The last time we relied this much on a group of seniors was in 1997 when we made the NCAA Tournament. Not only is this group game-tested, but they have had success, both in the regular season and in the postseason with two league championship game appearances.

"I'm excited to get on the field and see what we can do. The potential of this group is limitless."

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Story provided by Alan Ashby, Cleveland State Asst. Sports Information Director.