Cowley Season Preview

Cowley softball ready for another run at national title

The Cowley College softball team does not rebuild, they reload. Thus, the Lady Tigers enter the 2010 season optimistic about continuing their dominance in the conference and region, and its shot at making it back to the national tournament.

Cowley has advanced to the national tournament five times in the past nine seasons, and placed fifth last season. Also, last year, the Lady Tigers finished 26-0 in the Jayhawk East and won its sixth straight conference title.

Although Cowley lost five first-team All-Conference selections as well as second-team all-region selection, Ali Nittler, Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove has brought in some capable replacements.

“I feel like we should still be the team to beat,” Hargrove said.

Cowley will likely start 5 or 6 freshman to go along with returning starters Taylor Cantillon (centerfield), Sarah Hocker (leftfield), Alysha Poteat (shortstop) and All-American Ashley Spencer (pitcher).

Cantillon, who missed the fall season with a shoulder injury, was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection as a freshman. Cantillon batted .333 with five home runs and 40 RBI’s.

Hocker is projected to bat leadoff for the Lady Tigers after batting .322 with 14 doubles and 55 runs scored. While, the Lady Tigers will benefit from having Poteat return to the team at shortstop. Poteat, who missed more than half her freshman season due to a hand injury, batted .407 with three home runs and 27 RBI’s prior to the injury. She also provides the team with solid defense.

“She will anchor the infield for us and is as good as any defensive shortstop we have ever had,” Hargrove said.

Spencer, who hopes to have a big final season with the Lady Tigers, signed to pitch for Kansas University in 2011. As a freshman at Cowley, Spencer nearly went unbeaten, as she was 23-0 heading into the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. Spencer suffered her lone defeat at nationals and ended the season with a record of 24-1. Spencer not only led the Lady Tiger pitching staff in wins, she also led the team with an earned run average of 1.20. She has impeccable control as evidenced by her 147 strikeouts and only 25 walks in her 152 innings pitched.

“I think Ashley will be the best pitcher in the conference and region,” Hargrove said. “I think she is really confidant and pumped up heading into the season.”

Spencer also proved to be a valuable asset at the plate by batting .356 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in.

With fellow All-American pitcher Jacey Juden now pitching at Northwestern Oklahoma State, joining Spencer in the rotation will be freshman Starr McLeod from Girard High School. McLeod posted an incredible 52-2 record during her four years at Girard. The all-state pitcher went 16-1 her senior year with a 0.59 earned run average.

“She gives us optimism going into the spring that she will be a dependable second starter for us,” Hargrove said. “You have got to have that two-some pitching wise.”

Freshmen pitcher Cassie Schlesener from Southeast of Saline High School made big strides in the fall and will also be in the mix for the number two spot in the rotation. Schlesener was 10-4 with a 1.20 ERA as a senior.

On offense, Cowley lost more than 50 home runs to graduation, so the team should see a drop in power. However, Hargrove recruited a couple players he thinks could hit between 10-15 home runs this season.

Nikki Cuthbertson, a high school teammate of McLeod’s at Girard, batted cleanup for the Lady Tigers in the fall, while splitting time between first and third base. Bri Akers, an outfielder from Topeka, will also be counted on to add pop to the Cowley lineup. Akers was the top high school hitter in Topeka over the past two seasons as she batted over .450 each season.

Making up for the loss of the school’s all-time leader in home runs and runs batted in will not be an easy task, but Hargrove has a couple of options to choose from to take Kashilia Young’s spot behind the plate.

Lindsey Miller from Shawnee Heights High School and Charlotte Myrtle from Wichita Heights will split time at catcher early in the season until one player solidifies the spot.

Fellow freshman, Alyssa Allison, from Ponca City High School, led the team in batting with a .476 average in the fall. The left-handed slap hitter will play second base for the Lady Tigers and most likely bat second in the lineup. She stole 28 bases as a senior at Ponca City.

“She can create havoc for the defense with her speed,” Hargrove said.

Third base is probably the team’s biggest question mark. Last year’s starter, Ali Nittler, decided to focus on her studies and did not return to the team, leaving an opening at the position.

Cuthbertson, Haley Heincker, and Alyssa Allison could be potential starters at third base.

. “We have got a few ways we could go at third base,” Hargrove said.

Akers and Ali Unrein from Topeka Hayden High School will join Cuthbertson in the battle for playing time at first base.

Along with Alyssa Allison, outfielder Jazmen Dumbauld will add speed to the base paths. Dumbauld stole 27 bases as a senior at Derby High School.

“We will be a lot faster team than last year,” Hargrove said. “Jazmen is one of the quickest players we have ever had, and she and Allison will be disruptive on the base paths.”

Fellow Derby High School teammates, Haley Heincker and Ashton Martin, will see playing time in rightfield, with Heincker the likely starter after starting the majority of games in rightfield in the fall.

Despite the youth of the squad, Hargrove expects the Lady Tigers to continue their winning ways.

“Our goal is still to win conference, get back to nationals and have another shot at a championship,” Hargrove said.