BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University softball team under the direction of veteran head coach Tom Spencer will continue its quest for the for the school's first-ever Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title.
Spencer, who is in his 18th season in Berea, returns 12 letterwinners, five Academic All-OAC performers and three All-OAC selections from last year's squad. He also welcomes back four seniors, six juniors and five sophomores.
In the circle, BW returns four pitchers highlighted by senior right hander Hannah Welling (Ravenna). Welling made a career-high tying 17 appearances, including 13 starts, with a career-best 62 strikeouts. Sophomore righties Marisa Hall (Paris/East Canton), Sara Frederickson (Lake Balboa, Calif/Notre Dame) and Taryn Welty (Medina/Wooster) will handle more innings this season. Hall saw the most action of the trio last season as she appeared in 14 games, including five starts, with 39 strikeouts. Welty appeared in five games and recorded four strikeouts. Frederickson, who also saw time at first base and in the outfield, pitched in one game and tallied two strikeouts.
Behind the plate, the Yellow Jackets return three catchers in senior Raegan Thompson (Mentor), junior Bridie Bricker (Brook Park/Berea-Midpark) and sophomore Rylee Schaar (Fayetteville, N.C./McLean {Va.}). Bricker, who has handled the catching the duties the last two years, has appeared in 72 career games with a .304 batting average. She has 50 runs batted-in (RBIs), 17 doubles and 12 homeruns. Bricker has thrown out 17 runners. Thompson, who caught her freshman season, has seen most of her action at first base or as the designated player will see more time behind the plate this season. She has appeared in 66 career games with a .266 batting average. Thompson has 29 RBIs and 16 doubles. Schaar appeared in five games last season.
In the infield, BW returns senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC second baseman Alicia Saxton (Boardman), junior All-OAC short stop Emily Mau (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights), junior Academic All-OAC third baseman Julia Gersey (Solon) and juniors Grace Bowman (New Windsor, Md./Linganore) and Ana LaGuardia (Medina). Saxton, who was an All-Region selection a season ago, has appeared in 56 career games with a .307 batting average. She has recorded 14 RBIs, seven walks, 67 putouts and 44 assists. Mau, who has started every game in her career, has appeared in 72 games with a .376 batting average. She has 33 stolen bases, 19 RBIs, 11 walks, one triple and one homerun. Gersey, who had a career year last season, has appeared in 52 games with a .271 batting average. She has tallied 12 RBIs, four doubles, one triple and one homerun. Bowman has appeared in five career games and has two hits. LaGuardia has seen action in 34 career games and has recorded two hits, one RBI, one walk, four putouts and six assists.
The outfield will be patrolled by senior Academic All-OAC selection Jackie Kasai (Columbus/Upper Arlington), junior Lexy Coggins (Vermilion/Firelands), Frederickson and sophomore Sarah Griffin (Grafton/Elyria Catholic). Kasai, who missed last season with an injury, has appeared in 36 career games with a .295 batting average. She has recorded nine RBIs, nine stolen bases, seven doubles and 40 putouts. Coggins has appeared in 63 career games with a .236 batting average. She has tallied 19 RBIs, six doubles, six stolen bases, one homerun, 66 putouts and two assists. Frederickson appeared in 31 games with a .237 batting average. She recorded 11 RBIs, five stolen bases, four doubles, 68 putouts and three assists. Griffin appeared in 17 games with two hits, one stolen base, one putout and one assist.
The Yellow Jackets open their season on Friday, March 3 when they travel to La Verne, California to open their spring break trip to California and Hawaii with a non-conference doubleheader against the University La Verne at 6 p.m. BW also plays the University of Redlands on March 4, NCAA Division II Hawaii Pacific University on March 7 and NCAA Division II Chaminade University on March 10.
