Softball November 17, 2016 Athletic Communications

Hatters Complete Successful Fall Campaign

The Stetson softball team recently completed its annual slate of fall practices, scrimmages and exhibitions, and head coach Frank Griffin was pleased with his team's development.

"We have some good young talent, we have some upperclassmen who are showing leadership," Griffin said. "I was pleasantly surprised with how far we came in just a short time."

The Hatters welcomed five freshmen and one transfer to the program, all six of whom are position players. Griffin said he was excited to see how the team came together as the season progressed.

"I saw the chemistry get better every day during fall ball," Griffin said. "At first, they weren't total strangers because they had been conditioning together, but once they began play, I could tell they were getting a little closer, giving a little more support for each other. That is just want you want to see in fall ball to get ready for spring."

The Hatters played four exhibition contests against outside competition, three against junior colleges and one against Division II Flagler College. Offensively, the Hatters started to see more production at the plate as fall ball went along.

"They got a little more comfortable," Griffin said about the hitters. "Those first few at-bats, especially for the freshmen, are so nervous. They settled down and really swung the bat well Saturday in our last scrimmage. I thought they swung the bat exceptionally well."

Stetson returns all four of its pitchers from last season - Chelsea Hostetler, Brooke Hutto, Tori Perkins and Curstin Taylor. All four pitchers saw action in each of the four exhibitions.

"I thought they improved as the fall season went on, as we would expect," Griffin said. "I could tell that they worked really hard over the summer break. I think if they continue to work hard, this team could do extremely well this year."

The Hatters will be young behind the plate in 2017 as sophomore Talli Sharp and freshmen Erica Corlew and Blake Crews will backstop the pitchers.

"There is some talent there, they just need some experience," Griffin said. "Of course, Talli has some experience. She is a really smart catcher. I feel like both of our freshmen catchers did a great job behind the plate. They just have to realize that the speed they have to contend with at the Division I level is a little more testing than the speed you deal with in travel ball."

With two vacancies on the left side of the infield, Griffin got to see some returners and several new faces at third base and shortstop during fall ball. Sophomores Jordan Davis and Kat Plescow, and freshmen Linda Ross, Molly McLaughlin and Tara Walding were among the players fielding those positions during scrimmages and exhibitions.

Meanwhile, senior Jessie TenBroeck, sophomores Ashly Smith and Jazmynn Jesse, and others helped defend the right side of the infield.

"It feels good having that kind of depth around the infield," Griffin said. Many of those infielders can play the outfield as well. I think we are in a position where one injury did a lot of damage to us in the past, this year we have the depth to get past that."

The Hatter outfielders included seniors Kelsey Waters and Lydia Kinney and junior Jazz Vasquez, plus junior transfer Maggie Fritts.

"We have a good outfield shaping up as well," Griffin said. "Again we have depth at every position. A lot of players are contending for the DH position as well. It is going to be a fun team to work with.

"I think they are all excited about the level of talent we have on this year's squad," Griffin added. "It was a real positive fall for us."

Stetson will resume practice in January in preparation for their season opener on February 10. A full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

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