BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's softball team under the direction of Head Coach Tom Spencer is poised for the school's first ever Ohio Athletic Conference Championship.
Spencer, who is in his 16th season, returns 13 letterwinners, four position starters, three All-Ohio Athletic Conference players, two starting pitchers and the starting designated player. He also welcomes five new faces that will push for playing time.
BW will start the 2020 season off with one of or possibly the toughest schedules in NCAA Division III and the Central Region. The Yellow Jackets will face three teams that are ranked in the top five nationally, including the defending national champion, in their first five games of the campaign at the Tucson Invitational Games in Tucson, Arizona.
BW's strength entering the season is in the circle as the Yellow Jackets return the defending Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in sophomore All-OAC right-hander Nikki Camarati (Brunswick/Holy Name) and senior All-OAC left-hander and team captain Abby Cosart (Lima/Bath). Camarati set the school-record and led the OAC with 20 victories. She led the OAC with 197 strikeouts and had a 1.32 earned run average (ERA). Cosart was fifth in the OAC with a career-high 11 wins and recorded a career-best 48 strikeouts. In her career, Cosart has won 18 games with 78 strikeouts in 37 games. Sophomore Hannah Welling (Ravenna) saw action in her rookie season is a veteran option in the circle. Freshmen Emily Lesco (Wickliffe) and Sydni Uhlenberg (Allen Park, Mich.) gives BW much needed extra arms.
In the outfield, the Yellow Jackets return one starter in senior centerfielder and team captain Macy Leach (Westerville/Central). Leach has appeared in 88 career games and has 80 hits, 43 RBIs, 28 walks, 20 stolen bases, 11 doubles, four triples one homerun, 117 putouts and four assists. Juniors Hailey Owens (Lakewood) and Renata Russo (Columbus/Bexley) and sophomore Amanda Crisler (Lorain/Amherst) have all seen action and provide depth. Newcomers Jackie Kasai (Columbus/Upper Arlington) and Mary Nash (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) will look make their case for the other two starting spots.
The infield provides the most stability as three starters return from last season in senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC second baseman Alex Kozich (Avon), junior first baseman Mackenzie Milligan (Cleveland/St. Joseph Academy) and sophomore third baseman Kami Helm (Uniontown/Green). Kozich has appeared in 113 career games and has 107 hits, 54 runs batted-in (RBIs), 21 doubles, 17 walks, six triples and three homeruns with 221 putouts and 129 assists. Milligan has appeared in 60 games and has tallied 51 hits, 28 RBIs, seven doubles and six homers with 259 putouts and nine assists. Helm started in all 43 games in her rookie season and recorded 32 hits, 15 RBIs, four doubles and one triple with 30 putouts and 41 assists. Senior Shelby Sprouse (Granville), who can play multiple positions, and sophomore Maranda Morrison (Avon Lake) have each seen action and will be called upon to fill the void at shortstop. Freshman Alicia Saxton (Boardman) will push for playing time.
Handling the designated player duties but also could see time in the infield or in the circle is sophomore All-OAC player Ashley Matousek (Sagamore Hills/Akron Archbishop Hoban). Matousek recorded 45 hits, 36 RBIs, 12 doubles, five home runs and one triple in all 43 games last season. She appeared in six games in the circle and tallied a win and save with seven strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched. Matousek had seven putouts with two assists in the field.
There will be a new face behind the plate this season. Senior Talia Prignano (Avon Lake), Russo, sophomore Kayla Lorenzo (Chagrin Falls/West Geauga) and freshman Raegan Thompson (Mentor) looking to take over the signal calling. Prignano has the seen the most action at the backstop with Russo up next. Lorenzo and Thompson will seek their first action behind the plate.
In addition to its tough spring break schedule at the Tucson Invitational games to start the season, BW has non-conference doubleheaders against Calvin (Mich.) College, Geneva (Pa.) College, Hiram College, Oberlin College, Thiel (Pa.) College and the College of Wooster. The OAC home schedule features doubleheaders against crosstown rival John Carroll University, Marietta College, defending OAC regular season champion Muskingum University and OAC Tournament runner-up Ohio Northern University.
