Text Box: INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST GRENADIER SOFTBALL 2008 SEASON OUTLOOK Grenadier Softball Looks To Build Upon Successful First Season The sky is the limit for what the 2008 IU Southeast Softball program can accomplish this season, returning seven starters, including two first team All Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) senior outfielders, Carmen Davis and Michelle Reyher. Accompanying the strong returning nucleus will be 10 newcomers, several of which will have an immediate impact on the program and the KIAC. Second year Head Coach Todd Buckingham thinks very highly of the “sophomore” version of the IU Southeast softball program. “I think we have a tremendous amount of ability. This could be a banner year here at IU Southeast. The real test will be how our pitching staff comes along. We have two returnees and two newcomers that will no doubt share the responsibilities on the mound,” said Buckingham. This year’s pitching staff will have a much different look and approach than it did in 2007 when the bulk of the load was carried by graduate Amanda Dispennett. Dispennett received the KIAC Pitcher of the Year award last season, as well as NAIA National Scholar Athlete. Dispennett will remain with the program as the pitching coach for the 2008 squad. Returning pitchers include Brittany Bennett (led the KIAC in strikeouts per inning) and Brooke Martin (led team with lowest allowed batting average). They started a combined 17 games in 2007 as freshmen. This year they will be joined by a transfer and a freshman. The transfer is Jennifer Bartley (Lincoln Trail Community College), who will also log significant minutes at first base. Bartley was the No. 1 pitcher on a junior college team that played in the NJCAA DII National Championships. The lone freshman on staff is local product, Whitney Zollman (Charlestown H.S.). Zollman finished as one of the best pitchers ever to wear a CHS uniform and will log big minutes in her first year. No pitcher can thrive without a good catcher, and the Grenadiers have two in sophomores SaraRose Hornung and Tara Denzik. Last season, Hornung led the nation in triples per game and finished with a .341 average while swiping 15 stolen bases and collecting a team-leading 36 RBIs. Denzik gets her chance to play at catcher after splitting time last year behind the plate and at first while she recovered from shoulder surgery. She is ready to go and her powerful lefty bat will give the Grenadiers a big offensive weapon. First base will be a position that will see a lot of different faces this year for the Grenadiers. Freshman Amber Chapman looks to make an impact at first base, as she brings a big stick and good athleticism. Last season Chapman led Castle H.S. to the IHSAA title game, hitting a game-winning homerun in the semi-finals. She will platoon the position with Bartley. Junior College transfer Kacie DeWeese will be the mainstay at second base this season. Last season, DeWeese teamed with Bartley at Lincoln Trail Community College, where she led the team in several offensive categories. “ Weezy is a natural 2B and great leader. She really has a chance at getting All-KIAC and beyond”, said Buckingham. Freshman Kara Rodden, one of four graduates from Floyd Central High School on the team, will also see minutes at second base, as well as third base and the outfield. “K-Rod may be one of the most athletic, versatile players we have. She could really be a diamond in the rough for this program”, Buckingham raved. The position of shortstop is one that will be manned by committee as well, with three new faces in the mix. The frontrunner is junior college transfer Shana Andres, who played last year at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Andres is an offensive gem, with the ability to hit for power, slap, and drag her way on base. She looks like the early favorite to bat leadoff and use her speed to steal a lot of bases. Andres is also a local product, having graduated from Floyd Central High School. Freshman Jennifer Harriman hails from Whiteland Community H.S., and look to push Andres for playing time, as she too shares a multi-faceted offensive game. Another freshman, Amber Pedersen, will get her share of opportunities as well. Pedersen completed a successful year as an outside hitter on the Grenadier’s KIAC Championship Volleyball team. She will use her athleticism on the base paths and in the field. Pedersen hails from Edgewood H.S. Third base will be a position manned for the most part by the previously mentioned Brooke Martin. Martin has quickly developed into the KIAC’s best defensive 3B. Martin will also see some time on the mound. When she does, Harriman or Rodden will man the hot corner. The strongest positions on the 2008 team man the grass. IU Southeast returns all three starters from the outfield, including the previously mentioned Davis in center field (.410 , 5 HR, 10 2B, 3 3B, 34 RBI, 15 SB) and Reyher in left field (.356 , 22 RBI, 6 2B). Sophomore Brittney Williams will platoon right field with fellow sophomore Paige Dickey. A converted slapper, Williams (.336, 15 stolen bases) has made huge strides towards perfecting the art over the summer and looks poised for a breakout year. Dickey, the team’s leader in batting average last year (.464), is also a slapper and possesses equal speed on the base paths (10-10 in SB). Freshman Casey Zahn (Castle H.S.) will look for opportunities to showcase her abilities, as she possesses a cannon arm and great bat control as a natural lefty. The coaching staff says intact, with the addition of Dispennett to add to the knowledge base. Buckingham returns for his second year at the helm, guiding the inaugural 2007 team to a 25-21 overall record (14-6 in the KIAC) and a KIAC Tournament Championship. Perry Martin also returns for his second year as assistant. Martin’s expertise in base running as paid dividends, as the Grenadiers had four players in double-digits in stolen bases in 2007 and collected 90 overall as a team. Tim McNutt will also return for his second year assisting the program. McNutt’s coaching experience includes a stint with the very successful Louisville Stunners program. The 2008 IU Southeast Softball Grenadiers seem poised and ready to enjoy tremendous success this season and hope that all their hard work will pay off come May. Buckingham ended with, “Last season we had our ups-and-downs. I guess that is to be expected for a first year program. But we really came on at the end and taking home the KIAC Tournament Championship was sweet. But these girls are very hungry for a chance at the regional stage. I really think we have a legitimate shot at a run at the NAIA Region XII championship.” IU Southeast Athletics Homepage