The Shippensburg University softball team has become a consistently competitive program in one of the most dynamic regions in the country.
Over the past nine seasons under head coach Bob Brookens, the Lady Raiders have won 67 percent of their games and have recorded at least 26 wins every year. SU went 26-19 last season and reached the NCAA Regional Softball Championships for the eighth consecutive season.
The 2010 season will continue this tradition of excellence while seeking to mirror the production of the 2003-05 seasons, in which Shippensburg averaged 42 wins per season and won the PSAC Softball Championship each year.
Shippensburg loses three key seniors,
Lori Knopf,
Rachelle Wedell and
Chelsea Carson, but enters the 2010 campaign with an exciting mix of players.
Lisamarie Ramagli and
Kiley Abersold are the only two seniors on the roster but the team features a lot of experience with five juniors and six sophomores. A total of six freshmen join the roster to round out the 19-player squad.
The captains this season will be Ramagli and juniors
Hope Cornell and
Jill Mullan. All three players are integral to the team’s success and will help provide leadership to this year’s squad.
Pitching
After
Dani Shields completed her athletic eligibility in 2008, she completed her education while spending time as an assistant coach for the Lady Raiders. This year, the team’s veteran workhorse from the year before will once again be around to assist the pitching staff, as Lori Knopf will help mentor an exciting group of Lady Raiders in the circle this season.
Junior
Dana Ward had a breakthrough campaign last season both as a batter and a pitcher. She is expected to shoulder most of the load this season after receiving NFCA Division II All-Atlantic Region Second Team honors in 2009 for her versatility.
From the circle, Ward made 14 starts and compiled a 2.99 earned-run average, limiting opponents to 17 extra-base hits in 89 innings of work. She averaged a strikeout per inning with 89 punchouts on the season and held opponents to a .261 batting average while throwing seven complete games.
In her final game of the season, a contest in the NCAA regional tournament against California (PA.), Ward threw a nine-inning complete game with nine strikeouts while going 4-for-4 at the plate and reaching base in each plate appearance.
Chelsea Kendall is one of three sophomores expected to see more time in the circle this season. Kendall made five starts last season and appeared in eight games, throwing a total of 26.1 innings. The Downingtown native held opponents to a .258 batting average last season and totaled 20 strikeouts.
One of the most versatile athletes on the team is
Emily Parkins – who saw time as a pitcher and a fielder in 2009. Parkins, a Harleysville native, appeared in 11 games as a freshman and made four starts. She pitched 30.2 innings on the season and totaled 17 strikeouts.
Sophomore
Karen Strychowski will also be looking to build upon a freshman season in which she logged 14.1 innings and tallied seven strikeouts.
Catching
Senior Rachelle Wedell has graduated, leaving the catching position open for a couple of players to take over. Wedell was the most tenured player on the roster for Shippensburg after making 200 starts in her four-year career.
Sophomore
Meg Lehman, a native of East Petersburg, totaled 18 at-bats as a freshman and made five starts. She appeared in 10 total games and recorded four RBIs during the season. Lehman was a two-time team MVP and all-conference performer at Lancaster Catholic High School.
Rachelle’s sister, freshman
Lizzy Wedell, is another candidate for playing time at catcher this season. Wedell was an all-county First Team performer in all four years of play and posted a career batting average of .500 at Northeast High School in Baltimore.
Senior Lisamarie Ramagli, the team’s primary first baseman, has also served as a catcher and is available if needed.
Infield
The aforementioned Lisamarie Ramagli is expected to make the majority of the starts at first base and is coming off a season in which she posted a career-best batting average of .313 and was among the nation’s leaders in on-base percentage for most of the season. As a junior, Ramagli started every game and slugged five home runs along with 25 RBIs. She drew an impressive 27 walks and totaled 63 total bases while committing just three errors on the season.
When not in the circle, Emily Parkins figures to see some time at first base and at other spots throughout the infield. She appeared in one game last season at second base.
Junior Hope Cornell, a two-time All-PSAC award winner, will once again patrol second base. Cornell has thrived through two seasons with Shippensburg, totaling 16 home runs and 65 RBIs with the Lady Raiders while batting .341. She earned First Team accolades last season with a .340 batting average, eight home runs and 26 RBIs. Cornell led Shippensburg in doubles (10), runs (28) and on-base percentage (.433) while slugging 84 total bases.
Junior
Courtney Steele will patrol the hot corner for the third straight season after receiving honorable mention as a national All-American last season. She was also a second-team All-PSAC player and a first-team Daktronics All-Region player after leading the team in hits (57), RBIs (37), total bases (89) and slugging percentage (.601). Through two years as a Lady Raider, Steele has compiled a .360 batting average, 14 home runs and 56 RBIs while scoring 37 runs.
The most competition for an infield spot will occur at shortstop. Two freshmen are leading the charge for significant playing time.
Jenna Allen, a native of Sussex Tech in Delaware along with current Lady Raider Hope Cornell and former pitcher Dani Shields, had a .450 batting average as a senior and received All-Conference and All-State First Team accolades.
Jenn Deardorff, a Dallastown native, posted a career .420 batting average and was an All-County First Team player as a senior.
Sophomore
Abby Block is an extremely good athlete with solid defensive skills who can play virtually every position on the diamond. Block is most likely to play outfield but is ready to fill in at shortstop or second base in a pinch. She is comfortable with any assignment given to her. Freshman Lizzy Wedell is also a candidate to see time at shortstop.
A host of eligible candidates will be able to provide backup to Steele at third base. Junior
Moira Johnsen is expected to see the majority of her playing time in the outfield but stepped in for Steele when she was sidelined due to injury in 2008.
Outfield
The loss of Chelsea Carson leaves an opening in center field. Junior tri-captain Jill Mullan has thrived in the outfield and will move to center after playing left field last season. Mullan is a regular atop the batting order and posted a .294 batting average last season while ranking third on the team with 70 total bases. She had eight doubles, six triples and scored 27 runs while also stealing 11 bases in 13 attempts.
Fellow junior Dana Ward, when not in the pitching circle, will likely be an outfielder after sensational strides as a sophomore. After just four at-bats as a freshman, Ward emerged as the team’s best hitter in 2009 with a .391 batting average and 11 stolen bases. She was an All-PSAC First Team selection as a utility player and batted .458 in divisional play. Her lightning-quick speed and continued improvements as a slap hitter make Ward an extremely valuable member of the batting order.
Another junior, Moira Johnsen, has progressed well from the plate in her two seasons with the Lady Raiders and will be battling for a starting spot. Johnsen can also fill in at third base. As a sophomore in 2009 she had a home run, two doubles and eight RBIs while appearing in 21 games.
Sophomore Abby Block could play almost anywhere on the diamond and the outfield serves as another option. Block played in 16 games as an outfielder during her freshman campaign and had 32 at-bats while committing just two errors.
Senior Kiley Abersold is another versatile outfielder who can earn playing time and will also be used as a pinch runner due to her speed and baserunning abilities. Sophomore
Rochelle Troise appeared in 12 games as a freshman and scored four runs and will also be seeking more playing time this year.
Several freshmen will also be competing for playing time in the outfield.
Alyssa Fahringer, a Whitehall native, is a former Lehigh County First Team All Star and posted a career batting average of .375.
Kiersten Darhower graduated from Central Dauphin High School and received an honorable mention spot on the 2009 Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-State Team.
Shauna Byrnes went to Norristown Area High School and was an American Conference First Team All Star.
