2007 Season Outlook

“Last year we were really young; this year we are still young, but we have plenty of college experience!” These are the words of second year head coach Don Stopa.

The 2006-07 Yellowjacket softball team will be returning nine players from last season, all of which were either full-time or part-time starters. Leading the way will be 2006 2nd team all-conference outfielder Carlene Nelson (Sherwood Park, Alberta) and honorable mention all-conference infielder, junior, Jennifer Soukeroff (Castlegar, BC). Nelson and Soukeroff were the top two offensive players for the Jackets batting .325 and .317 respectively. Rounding out the top of the offensive chart will be junior middle infielder Lindsay Campbell (North Battleford, Saskatchewan) who bat .303 in the spring. “It will be big for our offense as we will return our top four average hitters; two of which led the team in power numbers too,” noted Stopa.

As Soukeroff led the team in doubles she will stabilize the middle of the batting order that will have some pop from sophomore catcher Maria Barwig (Surrey, BC) who led the team in triples and homeruns.

Junior Jodie Clarkson (Lloydminster, Alberta) will once again roam the outfield and catch while sophomores Chantelle Daigle (Sherwood Park, Alberta) and Haley Montgomery (Unionville, Missouri) work the infield dirt.

Rounding out the returning players will be the heart of the pitching staff as junior pitcher Carrie Wilson (North Battleford, Saskatchewan), who led the pitching staff in strikeouts, and sophomore Karie Hanson (Sherwood Park, Alberta), who led the team in wins, return to do battle in the circle.

There will be a number of new faces in the spring of 2007 and leading the way will be a familiar face from 2005, as sophomore Bryn DeGraw ( St. Albert, Alberta) returns after a year-long rehabilitation from shoulder surgery. “Bryn impressed a lot of conference coaches two years ago and we really missed her last year,” said Stopa.

Making their debuts in the Blue and Gold will be a couple of outstanding transfers. Junior Tanya Oystrick (Mission, BC) and sophomore Lynette Fine (Bloomfield, Iowa) are two very versatile players who play both the infield and outfield. Fine will even share time with Barwig and Clarkson behind the plate.

Freshman Katie Mikulan (Kansas City, Kansas) will battle for time in the outfield while fellow frosh Shayna Schoonover (Unionville, Missouri) will work for spots all over the field as she is a versatile player who could hit her way into the lineup.

At the holiday break Stopa continued to search for pitching depth and he found it in sophomore transfer Sarah Lippold (Osceola, Iowa) and freshman transfer Jessica Brady (Lovilia, Iowa). Lippold transfered in from Southwestern College (Iowa) where she was the team's top pitcher. Brady transferred in from Indian Hills CC (Iowa).

“I feel very good about the amount of returning starters we have; combine that with the impact that the newcomers should make and I think we have what we need for a very successful season,” said head coach Don Stopa.