Softball Preview, Part 3: UW-Green Bay
Feb. 12, 2007
Any time that a team must replace three All-League performers from the previous season, there's bound to be a certain level of uncertainty. Throw in the fact that 15 of the 21 players on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay softball team's 2007 roster are either freshmen or sophomores and the squad is bound to be a work in progress.
The Phoenix returns five position starters and one pitcher from last season's squad that posted a 14-21 overall record and a 10-10 Horizon League mark, good for fourth place. Among the key departed individuals UW-Green Bay needs to replace are first-team all-Horizon League picks Kate Sullivan, the league batting champion from a year ago, and pitcher Lisa Meissner, the school's career leader in strikeouts.
Despite some of the questions that surround this year's team, third-year head coach Jean Rivett likes what she saw from the group in the fall and the potential it has.
"We're trying to create our identity," Rivett said. "We ended on a great note in the fall. Despite being young, defensively I think we're solid. The questions are with our offense and with almost an entirely new pitching staff.
"Our upperclassmen are doing a good job of mentoring, but they're outnumbered right now. I think they're certainly teaching the younger players a lot about patience. They're taking them under their wing. I think it's going to be a fun season and hopefully we're going to surprise some people."
Perhaps the tallest task the Phoenix faces is replacing Meissner who logged 171.2 of the team's 236.1 innings pitched in 2006 and ranked 20th nationally with an average of 9.5 strikeouts per seven innings. This year's pitching staff is likely to rely more on finesse than power and will probably be handled by more of a committee approach.
Sophomore southpaw Amanda Margelofsky is the lone holdover in the circle, posting a 3-6 record and a 5.45 earned run average as a freshman. Though the other four hurlers are new to UW-Green Bay, two of them come in with collegiate experience. Amy Losselyong is a former Wisconsin high school player of the year who transferred from Minnesota State-Moorhead while junior Anna Bluemel joins the Phoenix after two years at UW-Parkside. Freshmen Katie Cooney and Andrea Pigeon will provide depth.
Offensively, UW-Green Bay's lineup may not feature many power hitters so the team will likely rely on execution, small ball and a wealth of team speed.
Senior Andrea Kurzynske returns to log most of the innings behind the plate after splitting time between catching and as the team's designated player in 2006. Backing her up will be freshman Ashley Billerbeck, a first-team Wisconsin all-state selection as a prep senior, and sophomore Missy Schleicher.
Junior Vanessa Lefan is the incumbent at first base and should provide some pop in the lineup with her bat. However, she is expected to miss the early portion of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Losselyong and freshman Chelsey Koeppl are expected to fill in until Lefan is ready to return.
At second base, talented freshman Krissy Hanson is slated to get the starting nod after being named to the Wisconsin all-state second team her final prep season and helping lead her Appleton North squad to a Division I state championship as a junior and a No. 1 state ranking as a senior.
Jenna Woepse, the team's lone returning all-league performer from last season, is back following earning first-team honors a year ago and will make the move from second base to shortstop. The junior speedster is UW-Green Bay's top returning hitter, batting .356 and recording seven stolen bases during her sophomore campaign.
Sophomore Mollie Kaebisch is scheduled to take over at third base after appearing in 19 games, including nine starts, in 2006. Freshman Leah Korger, who could also play second base, will also push for playing time at the hot corner.
In the outfield, the Phoenix welcomes back a pair of starters in senior Jenny Rehfeldt and junior Dana Brockman. The duo is slated for starting duties in center and left field, respectively. Sophomore Cindy VanDeLoo is the frontrunner for the other starting spot as the team must replace the graduated Anna Nieznanski who was a second-team all-league pick last season. Koeppl and Melani Niederer are expected to challenge for time among the last line of defense.
UW-Green Bay's schedule consists of an extended road swing to open the season followed by a lengthy homestand. The Phoenix plays its first 19 games of the season away from home, participating in the Schutt Invitational in Peoria, Ill., followed by an annual trek to the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. The team will then return home to Green Bay for 15 of its next 18 contests including doubleheaders against Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Phoenix finishes up the regular season with five straight on the road before participating in the Horizon League tournament in Cleveland.
