The Marcolian Online

Mar. 1 , 2007

Spring ’07 softball preview:
Experienced team should lead to promising season
Sarah Vadaj
srv001@marietta.edu

With experience, hard work and a strong pitching staff, Marietta looks to compete for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title with the return of 10 letter winners (two pitchers and eight others) from last year’s season.

Jeanne Arbuckle and her assistant coaches Betsy Hada and Shelley Koeher, awarded 2006’s OAC Staff of the Year, look to build upon the 2006 season success of 33-11 (12-6 in the OAC).

“Defense and pitching are hallmarks of our program, but I also expect our offense to be more productive this year,” stated Arbuckle. “We’ve added speed to our line-up and have worked hard to improve ourselves in the batter’s box.”

Last season, the team finished second in the OAC and made a mark in school records, raising standings in games (44), victories (33), winning percentage (.750), runs (194), at-bats (1149), hits (329), doubles (49), triples (13), and RBI (164).

The team also received post season recognition with three returning Pioneers receiving All-Region honors. Kristen Quintana had another impressive season earning honors of first team All-Region along with OAC Pitcher of the Year, first team All-OAC, and OAC All-Tournament. Senior shortstop Jenny Carroll and sophomore second baseman Nikki Driscoll were named second team and third team respectively.

Quintana looks to earn her fourth year of OAC Pitcher of the Year this season. She broke records for appearances (34), games started (24), complete games (24), victories (20), innings pitched (189.6), shutouts (11) and strikeouts (214) and ended the year with a 1.11 ERA. Accompanying her in the circle is sophomore letter winner Christina DeMoss.

Carroll and Driscoll will control the midfield along with starting first baseman Emily McComb (sophomore). Christina DeMoss and Nikki Veigel (junior) will both see time at third base. Carroll and Driscoll share the new school record for games played (44). Carroll finished the 2006 season with a leading .381 batting average and team-best 51 hits, 24 runs scored, eight doubles and 24 RBI. Driscoll will also pose as a threat in the box batting .320.

The strength to the 2007 team does not rest solely on physical talent. The team returns “a strong nucleus of veteran players from last year’s squad,” as stated by Arbuckle. “We have a lot of experience to draw from and we also have terrific team chemistry and strong leadership from our upperclassmen.” This will be the key to their success.
Senior Jess Hutchinson and junior Krista Huffman will trade on and off at outfield and catcher. Other outfield positions are covered by Senior Lindsey Romick, and junior Brandy Jacob.
Additionally the team returns junior: Jessica Fleming (outfield) and sophomores: Megan Brothers (first base), Erika Bell (outfield), Jen Bachelder (second base), Erin Faulkner (pitcher), Courtney Reid (outfield/second base), and Jen Husken (catcher/third base). Four freshmen newcomers include: Maggie Daubenmire (outfield), Katie Wojick (outfield), Nicole Williams (pitcher), and Katie Woolf (catcher).

Marietta’s goals of winning the OAC title and representing the league in regionals remain a priority. Romick assures, “each win we will be proud, but we can’t dwell on the past if we want to succeed in the future.”

The Pioneers travel to Orlando, Florida preparing for the season home opener March 21, against Denison. The coaching staff and team have high expectations for the season and are prepared to vie for the title.


• Campus News • Viewpoints • Sports • Arts & Living • Greek wrap-up • Ask Marc • Spotlight • New faces at MC • Meet our staff • Staff profiles • Letters to the editor policy • History of the newspaper • Benefits of advertising • Ad rates		Mar. 1 , 2007 Spring ’07 softball preview: Experienced team should lead to promising season Sarah Vadaj srv001@marietta.edu With experience, hard work and a strong pitching staff, Marietta looks to compete for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title with the return of 10 letter winners (two pitchers and eight others) from last year’s season. Jeanne Arbuckle and her assistant coaches Betsy Hada and Shelley Koeher, awarded 2006’s OAC Staff of the Year, look to build upon the 2006 season success of 33-11 (12-6 in the OAC). “Defense and pitching are hallmarks of our program, but I also expect our offense to be more productive this year,” stated Arbuckle. “We’ve added speed to our line-up and have worked hard to improve ourselves in the batter’s box.” Last season, the team finished second in the OAC and made a mark in school records, raising standings in games (44), victories (33), winning percentage (.750), runs (194), at-bats (1149), hits (329), doubles (49), triples (13), and RBI (164). The team also received post season recognition with three returning Pioneers receiving All-Region honors. Kristen Quintana had another impressive season earning honors of first team All-Region along with OAC Pitcher of the Year, first team All-OAC, and OAC All-Tournament. Senior shortstop Jenny Carroll and sophomore second baseman Nikki Driscoll were named second team and third team respectively. Quintana looks to earn her fourth year of OAC Pitcher of the Year this season. She broke records for appearances (34), games started (24), complete games (24), victories (20), innings pitched (189.6), shutouts (11) and strikeouts (214) and ended the year with a 1.11 ERA. Accompanying her in the circle is sophomore letter winner Christina DeMoss. Carroll and Driscoll will control the midfield along with starting first baseman Emily McComb (sophomore). Christina DeMoss and Nikki Veigel (junior) will both see time at third base. Carroll and Driscoll share the new school record for games played (44). Carroll finished the 2006 season with a leading .381 batting average and team-best 51 hits, 24 runs scored, eight doubles and 24 RBI. Driscoll will also pose as a threat in the box batting .320. The strength to the 2007 team does not rest solely on physical talent. The team returns “a strong nucleus of veteran players from last year’s squad,” as stated by Arbuckle. “We have a lot of experience to draw from and we also have terrific team chemistry and strong leadership from our upperclassmen.” This will be the key to their success. Senior Jess Hutchinson and junior Krista Huffman will trade on and off at outfield and catcher. Other outfield positions are covered by Senior Lindsey Romick, and junior Brandy Jacob. Additionally the team returns junior: Jessica Fleming (outfield) and sophomores: Megan Brothers (first base), Erika Bell (outfield), Jen Bachelder (second base), Erin Faulkner (pitcher), Courtney Reid (outfield/second base), and Jen Husken (catcher/third base). Four freshmen newcomers include: Maggie Daubenmire (outfield), Katie Wojick (outfield), Nicole Williams (pitcher), and Katie Woolf (catcher). Marietta’s goals of winning the OAC title and representing the league in regionals remain a priority. Romick assures, “each win we will be proud, but we can’t dwell on the past if we want to succeed in the future.” The Pioneers travel to Orlando, Florida preparing for the season home opener March 21, against Denison. The coaching staff and team have high expectations for the season and are prepared to vie for the title.
Mailing address: Marietta College Box A-20, Marietta, Ohio 45750-4000 Physical address: McKinney Media Center, 508 Putnam St, Marietta, Ohio Phone: (740) 376-4555 E-mail: marc@marietta.edu