2009 Marietta College softball preview
Pioneers will pursue OAC title again this spring

Feb. 19, 2009
MARIETTA, Ohio — Head Coach Jeanne Arbuckle has her 2009 Marietta softball team primed for another run at an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title and a bid to the NCAA Division III postseason tournament. The Pioneers return eight letterwinners, including five everyday starters and both primary pitchers, from the 2008 team that finished 21-13.

Marietta will rely heavily on its veterans, especially the five upperclassmen that played a key role in the Pioneers’ 2007 OAC Tournament and NCAA Regional Tournament run. It will also look to some of its talented underclassmen and newcomers to fill in some of the holes left by graduation and provide the much-needed depth that is vital for success in the OAC.

The Pioneers will feature three seniors, All-OAC and All-Region second baseman Nikki Driscoll, All-OAC pitcher/designated hitter Erin Faulkner and All-OAC and All-Region first baseman Emily McComb. Driscoll, who batted .374 as a sophomore, is looking to return to form after an injury-ridden 2008 season. Faulkner will try to build off an outstanding junior campaign, both on the mound and in the batter’s box. She finished 13-8 with a 2.22 ERA and batted .333 with a team-best six home runs and 25 RBI. McComb will look close out her career with another solid year. She led all Marietta hitters with a .398 batting average and scored 33 runs last season.

All-OAC and All-Region catcher Katie Woolf and outfielder Maggie Daubenmire both return after successful sophomore campaigns. Woolf hit .388 with three home runs and had a team-best 29 RBI. Daubenmire batted .278, scored 17 runs and had 14 RBI.

Other returning letterwinners include sophomore pitcher Amanda Strong, who finished 8-3 with a 2.79; sophomore outfielder Ashley Eberhardt, who batted .250 with three home runs; and sophomore outfielder Hope Cowoski, who filled the role as Marietta’s primary pinch-runner and scored 10 runs.

Marietta will open the 2009 season with a doubleheader at Bridgewater (Va.) on Feb. 28. The Pioneers will then make their annual trip to Kissimmee, Fla., to compete at the Rebel Spring Games March 8-13. Marietta’s home opener, which is also its OAC opener, will take place against Ohio Northern on March 21. In all, the Pioneers will play eight doubleheaders at home on Marietta Field this spring.