Cedarville College
Yellow Jackets
1999 Women's Softball
Season Outlook
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| Bonnie Schaefer |
The Cedarville College women's softball program continues its process of rebuilding under first-year head coach Jim Irish. Another young squad will take to the field as only two seniors and one junior are on the 13-player roster.
"We are really looking forward to the challenge," Irish remarked. "The women are upbeat and have worked hard since the outset of practice. I believe we can hit the ball pretty well and I expect the defense to be solid even though we're young."
Bonnie Schaefer is the team's most experienced player. The senior has appeared in 74 games, including 34 contests as a pitcher, during her previous three seasons. She has performed on the field, as evidenced by her .274 career batting average, and in the classroom as an NAIA and NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete.
he only other senior is outfielder Noella Fisher. She started all 25 games last season and had her best year at the plate two years ago when she hit .360.
The lone junior is infielder Becky Summers. She has started all 56 games over the past two seasons primarily at shortstop where she led the team in assists last spring with 63. Summers walked a team-high 15 times, but her batting average took a dip after hitting at a .300 clip during her rookie season.
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| Noella Fisher |
Sophomore Sarah Bishop, Elissa Morrison, and Beth Weaver all saw significant action during their first seasons in the program. As a matter of fact, Morrison, who registered a team-high .990 fielding percentage at second base, and Weaver, who batted .278 with a team-best 13 RBI's, started in all 25 games. Bishop started all 24 games she appeared in as an outfielder.
The Jackets schedule remains demanding especially in the American Mideast Conference which includes seven-time defending champion and perennial NAIA power Shawnee State. Cedarville will also play in the University of Mobile Invitational in Alabama which features some of the top teams in the NAIA.
The Yellow Jackets are looking forward to moving into their new softball home on the north end of campus as soon as construction is completed. The venue includes a Diamond Pro skin infield, a natural turf outfield, and a 10-foot warning track leading up to an eight-foot high wooden fence. The site includes 40-foot long dugouts, a press box, electronic scoreboard, and seating for 500 people. The entire field has drainage and it includes an automatic irrigation system.
