13 March 2002 MEDIA NOTE: For quotes and comments on individual players,
contact head coach Beth Hasheider at (309) 556-3348.
 

IWU Softball Team, New Coach Eager for Season

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team was one win from the NCAA Division III softball championship round last season.

The quest for getting to where that one win happens begins Saturday as the Titans, playing for new head coach Beth Hasheider, take on St. Norbert and Springfield (Mass.) in the first day of a 10-game spring trip. All games will be played at the Osceola Softball Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. ,

Last year the Titans were 39-14 and No. 16 in the final Division III poll, won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament and advanced to the final game of the Division III regional, the deepest an IWU team has ever gone in national play. IWU set a season record for wins and won 30 or more games for the fifth time in 11 years.

"It's nice for me, as a first-year coach, to have a lot of experienced players returning," said Hasheider, who has been an assistant for IWU women's basketball for three seasons. "This is a veteran squad, a very intelligent group, and a very tough, competitive group."

Hasheider knows that strong pitching will again be the hallmark of the team ranked No. 17 in the Division III preseason poll, with juniors Ellen Furr (Newark HS) and A.J. Reeley (Danville HS) and sophomore Kelly Murray (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS).

Furr was 14-7 with a 1.42 earned run average while Reeley, who was first team all-CCIW and second team all-region, was 17-3 with a 1.47 ERA. The 17 wins was one short of the IWU season record of 18 set by Jenny Hayes in 1999.

After two seasons, Reeley is 28-7 and Furr is 22-13, both within reach of the school career record for pitching victories, which was established by Hayes from 1996-99 when she was 34-14.

Murray, last year's "Most Improved Player", had an 8-4 record with one save and a 1.86 ERA.

Hasheider has also been impressed with the talents of freshmen pitchers Ashley Patten (Dwight HS) and Alesia Perry (Yorkville HS), who could figure into the mound mix.

Veterans will staff three infield positions with junior Stephanie Stephen (Martinsville, Casey-Westfield HS) at first base, senior Mandi Cioni (Granville, Putnam County HS) at second, and junior Stephanie Hieser (Minier, Stanford Olympia HS) at shortstop, who Hasheider sees as a "key" to the Titans' success.

"Hieser will hit lead off for us and we'll be counting on her to set the table for other hitters and get us going offensively," said Hasheider. Hieser, who was first team all-CCIW and second team all-region, was second on the team with a .348 average and her 56 hits is tied for fourth best in an IWU single season.

Stephen batted .291 with two home runs last spring but hit .423 with a school-record eight homers as a freshman when she was the CCIW "Player of the Year."

Cioni improved from .271 in 2000 to a .327 average last spring. She led the team with 32 runs and 10 doubles and was second with 32 runs batted in and 53 hits.

Freshman Colleen Schuster (Joliet HS) has the inside track as third baseman with competition from sophomore Nicole Reed (Normal, West HS), while junior Kristin Scott (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS) can help at second base.

Senior Kate Molina (Skokie, Loyola Academy) and junior Megan Pietrucha (Orland Hills, Andrew HS) return in left and center, respectively, while freshman Brynn Hasse (Chillicothe, IVC HS) will likely start the season in rightfield.

Molina batted .273 and Pietrucha, who injured her knee in practice last week, batted .248.

"Hasse could make a big impact this season," said Hasheider. "She has a lot of speed and is a great athlete."

Sophomore Nicole Williams (Park Forest, Crete-Monee HS), who tied an IWU season record with 30 stolen bases, is another possibility in the outfield.

More offensive punch as designated hitter is expected from sophomore Jamie Palmer (Knoxville HS).and freshman DesaRae Myers (Normal, West HS), who can also play the outfield.

Sophomore Kat Mason (Galesburg HS) is the incumbent at catcher with sophomore Lisa Krapf (Monee, Peotone HS) as a capable backup.

Mason hit .317 with six doubles as a freshman.

Hasheider is eagerly anticipating her first season as Titans' coach. "The team has worked very hard and looked really good," she said. "We'll be playing a lot of tough teams at the Rebel Spring Games (in Florida), so we'll have some good tests early to see how we're progressing."