After finishing in fifth place for the second straight year in the NCAA Div. III national tournament last May, the DePauw softball team returned to the field Saturday with new faces, but the same winning attitude.
In two scrimmage games against St. Mary's of the Woods College, the Tigers won 7-3 and 6-2. After graduating three seniors last season, the team is looking to its youth.
"I was really happy with the team and their performance on Saturday," said head coach Bonnie Skrenta. "The junior class has really been playing behind the previous senior class and is ready to play."
Departing from the team were second baseman Emma Minx and shortstop Brianne Weeks. Sophomore Megan Landahl and junior Gwen Anderson filled in for them in Saturday's first game. Landahl, who was the team's only backup pitcher last year, is getting her first chance at batting and playing in the infield. Anderson saw limited action last season in just four games.
Missing from the field was junior infielder Jamie Story, who is studying abroad Story will likely be a part of that capable junior class in the spring, as she has filled in for each position in the infield in the past.
"In the middle of the infield, they made good plays but also made some mistakes," Skrenta said. "I like mistakes in the fall, because it just gets everybody fired up to train hard during the winter."
After beginning last season with just one pitcher and having to convert Landahl to a hurler, the team now has three pitchers with Bichler and two freshmen, Emily Dieckmann and Kahla Nolan.
"The pitching staff is at a depth where people can breathe and be motivated to practice," Skrenta said. "Having competition at a sport is a good thing at Div. III. But especially at the pitching position, you want that support."
Homerun hitters Haley Buchanan, a senior, and junior Amy Hallett will grace the Tigers' lineup once again this season. Not to be overlooked, last season's RBI leader Jen Kosinski and batting average leader Rachel MacBeth, both seniors, will get on base for Hallett and Buchanan.
"It's been fun because a lot of girls are stepping up their offensive game," Skrenta said. "They realize that they can still score runs without Emma Minx in the lineup."
The Tigers will look forward to the start of the season in the spring when they face Hendrix College and Rhodes College on March 10.