Coming off of an outstanding 2009 season the Cal State Stanislaus softball team is ready to get back into the swing of things. The Warrior’s ended last season with a 35-21 overall record making it all the way to the Super Regionals with an amazing postseason run. The Warriors ended the year ranked No. 15 in the NFCA Top 25.
Jan Schefkowitz, who is in her 18th season as head coach, is ready to see what this season has in store. Schefkowitz has recorded the second-highest winning percentage among softball coaches for the University in the past 25 years. In 2007 she brought the team to a whole new level as the Warriors won the NCAA West Regional championship and advanced to the NCAA National Championship tournament for the first time. With 17 years of coaching at CSU Stanislaus behind her, she uses her expertise and brings on former outstanding players,
Jessica Gaumnitz and
Alyssa Guzman, to assist her as team managers.
“Well it’s a tough transition to go from teammate to coaching teammates but I think they are doing a great job,” said Schefkowitz.
Schefkowitz and her staff — including assistant
Paul Cavan and former player
Jessica Scholl — have been preparing the Warriors for the upcoming games, but not without some difficulties. With the rainy month of January behind them they are hoping to get more practices outdoors on their newly resurfaced Warrior Softball Field, after spending much of the wet season with indoor batting practices.
Schefkowitz is anxious to see what her team can do — especially with a handful of new players to the program.
“I don’t know where we fall yet. The season is long and it’s a marathon not a sprint, and we have goals for the end of the marathon and we just don’t know how close or how far we are from where we want to end up,” said Schefkowitz.
There will be many appearent changes in the linep when the Warriors take the field on Feb. 3 against Academy of Art. The staff had the tough task of having to replace All-Region players Meghan Franksen and Gaumnitz, both completed their stellar four-year careers here last Spring. Also gone are three all-stars that used to roam the outfield — Guzman, Britney Borba and Kimiko Wright.
Schefkowitz is rebuilding her team and expects everyone to step up and contribute. Three true freshmen and three transfers are all in the mix with the returners to see significant playing time.
“We are not trying to replace a graduating senior with a freshman, we are trying to have everyone step up from where they were last year that’s all it is,” said Schefkowitz.
The Warriors will look to transfers
Missy Corral and
Cassandra Carlos. “It’s all about doing the best you can and we will see where that gets us. I think Missy and C.C. bring a lot of experience with them and they are doing a good job sharing that with everyone else.,” Schefkowitz said.
“Our freshman transfer
Sarah Locarnini is just doing a great job in learning our ways and getting the hang of everything," she continued. "Everyone is trying and doing a good job. As for all the returnees, I expect them to be a year better then when they left last year and I think they have been and so I am looking forward to seeing what we look like in action.””
The leaders, though, will be the core group of returners, and at the top of the list is All-Region pitcher and first baseman
Jennifer Arnold. Arnold, who also earned All-CCAA second team honors, returns after posting a 13-9 record with a 2.54 ERA last spring. She batted .324 batting average with seven homeruns and drove in 34 run during her junior season. Arnold is expected to be the game one starter before moving over to first in the second game.
Senior infielder
Erica McIntyre was second behind Arnold with a .323 batting average and should again be a major part of the offense in 2010. Last year, McIntyre started 55 games with two homeruns and 28 runs batted in.
Other key returning players are
Nikky Rissetto, who will start at second base, and
Brittany Balanesi. Balanesi will move out to the grass as part of a new-look outfield. Rounding out the list of seniors is pitcher
Stacey Hains, who could give the starters some innings off.
“Our seniors historically have provided a lot of leadership so I am looking to all of them for that,” said Schefkowitz.
Besides Balanesi, Carlos will roam centerfield, and
Kiley Mendez — a true freshman from Los Banos — could start the year in right as part of the brand new outfield.
Another true freshman tossed immediately into the circle will be
Brittani Weatherford — an all-league pitcher from Stockton’s Lincoln High School.
When Schefkowitz was asked who the team to beat this season would be, her reply was, “Everyone in our conference is always tough, Humboldt is always good, UC San Diego is always good, and CSU Monterey (the defending CCAA champion). There is nobody easy at all and there never has been.”
Humboldt State, CCAA coaches’ preseason favor to win the conference, enters the year ranked No. 11 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Top 25.
Schefkowitz and the team are all working towards the ultimate goal of returning to the national tournament, like the Warriors did in 2007. But Schefkowitz made it clear that it is going to take every single player on the squd to make the goal a reality.
“That’s what we always want, to go to the national tournament. All the players need to make an impact; everyone has to contribute in order for the team to win, that’s why we have been so good for so long,” said Schefkowitz.
After the opening doubleheader against Academy of Art, the Warriors host the annual Best of the West Invitational, Feb. 5-7, at Pedretti Park. Stanislaus opens the California Collegiate Athletic Association season the following weekend against defending CCAA champion Cal State Monterey Bay.