St. John's University Athletics
2010 St. John's Softball Season Outlook
2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 8, 2010
QUEENS, N.Y. - With an infusion of youth, experience and rising stars, the 2010 St. John's softball team is poised for one of the most exciting seasons in program history under the direction of fourth-year head coach Amy Kvilhaug.
For the Red Storm, the time to win is now. With two returning pitchers, seven returning starters and a bench filled with improving veterans and promising newcomers, the Red Storm heads into the 2010 season with the talent, determination and leadership needed to compete for a BIG EAST Conference title and shine on the national stage.
"We're at a point where our players are mature and ready for anything," Kvilhaug said. "If we stumble along the way, we're able to process it and learn from it. I believe that we have a team this year that can compete at a high level. We need to do it consistently."
Coming off of a historic 2009 season that featured a program-record 11 conference wins, the Red Storm was picked to finish sixth in this year's BIG EAST preseason poll.
The biggest key for the Red Storm is continued improvement from the team's junior-class core of pitchers Kat Lawrence and Linzee Sumrall, catcher Kacee Cox and outfielder Chelsea Durning. All four players ranked in the top five in the BIG EAST in their respective pitching, offensive and defensive categories.
"The junior class is an exciting class," Kvilhaug said. "That's actually my first recruiting class here at St. John's and it is really our motor. We've got the combination of Kat and Linzee throwing to Kacee at catcher, so the cohesiveness of that group is one of the biggest things you can have on defense. On top of that, Chelsea is going to be our leadoff hitter. If those players can perform at the level that they are capable of, then that's really going to be a big boost for our team. The junior class, that's where it lies."
This year's squad welcomes five newcomers who look to make an immediate impact. The freshman class is comprised of middle infielder/outfielder Amber Curry, catcher/first baseman Dominique Marcelino, pitcher Jordan Tingley, shortstop Chrissy Montez and outfielder Katie Mason.
"I think we've finally set the tone that we're here to play ball and we're here to win," Kvilhaug said. "We want to have fun and we want to win. I think the freshmen understand that."
The Red Storm newcomers will benefit from the leadership of seniors Stacia Dopudja and Shauntaine Harris. Dopudja, who earned All-BIG EAST second team honors in 2009 as a first baseman and designated player, played in 49 games. Harris saw action in the outfield in 45 games.
St. John's is coming off of a 2009 campaign that included a victory over then-No.14/16 Louisville, the team's first appearance in the BIG EAST tournament in three years and two Red Storm players receiving All-BIG EAST season honors.
Red Storm pitchers dominated in the circle last season, leading the BIG EAST in strikeouts with 403. STJ pitchers allowed the second-fewest hits (296), held opposing batters to the third-lowest batting average (.231), and issued the fourth-fewest walks (112) in the BIG EAST.
Offensively, the Red Storm demonstrated plenty of pop at the plate in 2009, ranking third in the BIG EAST in doubles (72). The team also ranked seventh in the conference in both home runs (32) and slugging percentage (.389).
St. John's was efficient on defense last season, committing the second-fewest errors in the BIG EAST (51).
BEHIND THE PLATE
Cox returns at catcher, where she flourished last season as a sophomore after spending her 2008 freshman campaign at third base. With Cox behind the plate for all 50 games, the St. John's pitching staff's ERA dropped from 3.58 in 2008 to 2.92 in 2009. Cox ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in both putouts (384) and runners caught stealing (15). She posted another strong season with her bat, ranking eighth in the conference in home runs (nine) while hitting .255 and driving in 32 runs.
"Kacee continues to grow and continues to improve," Kvilhaug said. "We're going to look to her to provide us with a lot of power numbers this year and hopefully a lot of runs batted in."
Freshman Dominique Marcelino will serve as the back-up catcher and provide depth at first base.
INFIELDERS
Dopudja will resume her starting role at first base, where she played for the majority of 2009. Her seven home runs and 19 RBI both ranked third on the team last season. Catchers Cox and Marcelino and sophomore middle infielder Meghan Gwynn may see some time at first base as well this season.
Freshmen Curry and Montez will look to make an immediate impact in the middle infield. Curry is slated to start at second base with sophomores Jenna Berger and Gwynn backing her up. Montez has been tabbed as the starting shortstop with Curry and Gwynn behind her on the depth chart.
"We had a very new infield last year," Kvilhaug said. "This year, we've got some new kids, but we have some experience. I think that we've made some upgrades in our middle infield and we have players with more range. We've got some strong arms."
Sophomore Julia Sanchez returns at third base, where she excelled defensively as a freshman last season. Seeing action in all 50 games, Sanchez led the team in steals (nine) and totaled the second-most assists on the team (41). Berger and Gwynn will be ready to contribute at third if needed.
OUTFIELDERS
The Red Storm features a deep corps of outfielders in 2010 with five players all capable of carrying a share of the load.
"You earn your spot in practice and you keep it in games," Kvilhaug said. "We've got to get at least four game-ready outfielders. And then we've got three other kids that are capable of stepping in to help out. If they're hitting, then we need to find a place for them."
St. John's returns Durning and sophomore Kristi Cady as starters in left field and center field, respectively. Durning was the only STJ player to play error-free ball in all 50 of the team's 2009 contests. She will also resume her role as leadoff hitter, where she flourished last season, tying for second in the BIG EAST with 16 doubles. She also managed a .336 batting average and led the team with 37 runs scored and 19 walks.
Cady was a defensive stalwart last season patrolling center field, ranking fourth on the team with 77 putouts. She opened last season hitting .344 through her first 11 games and will look to return to that early season form in the batter's box this year.
Berger is slated to start at right field with veteran Harris, who can play all three outfield positions, backing her up.
PITCHERS
St. John's returns two of the best pitchers in the BIG EAST in juniors Lawrence and Sumrall. The Red Storm was the only team in the conference with two pitchers ranked in the top 10 in innings pitched (Lawrence sixth, Sumrall ninth) and strikeouts (Lawrence third, Sumrall fourth).
Lawrence led the team with 13 wins, 175.1 innings pitched, a 2.63 ERA, 199 strikeouts and a .220 opponents' batting average. The Rohnert Park, Calif., native lowered her ERA by 0.61 and her opponents' batting average by .042 from her freshman campaign.
Sumrall tossed a team-high 19 complete games and posted 11 wins, 154.0 innings pitched, a 3.09 ERA, 198 strikeouts and a .236 opponents' batting average. From her freshman year to her sophomore year, the Denham Springs, La., native lowered her ERA by 2.43 and her opponents' batting average by .048.
Tingley rounds out the pitching corps and will be ready to step in when called upon. After an impressive exhibition season, she has shown that she is ready to contribute as a collegiate hurler.
THE SCHEDULE
Matchups against 2009 Women's College World Series participants Georgia, Arizona and Arizona State, series against BIG EAST foes DePaul, Notre Dame and Louisville, and games against local powerhouses Hofstra and LIU highlight the 2010 St. John's softball schedule.
The Red Storm opens its season with three road tournaments along the East Coast. The first tournament is the Charlotte Round Robin held Feb. 13-14 in Charlotte, N.C. St. John's opens play with a pair of games on Feb. 13, taking on East Tennessee State and then tourney host Charlotte. The next day STJ will face Liberty and then play in either the consolation or championship game.
St. John's travels to North Charleston, S.C., to take part in the Charleston Southern Tournament from Feb. 19-20. The Red Storm opens the tournament on Feb. 19 against BIG EAST foe and 2009 NCAA Tournament participant Louisville and Youngstown State. After a second game against the Penguins on Feb. 20, STJ takes on host Charleston Southern.
Continuing its trek down the East Coast, STJ heads to the Peach State for the Seventh Annual Georgia Softball Classic in Athens, Ga. The Red Storm will play South Alabama on Feb. 26 before taking on Iowa State and 2009 Women's College World Series participant Georgia the next day. St. John's will also face Charleston Southern for the second time in less than a week.
For Spring Break, the Red Storm heads west to play under the warm Arizona sun. STJ starts arguably its toughest stretch of the season when it plays three-straight games against 2009 WCWS participants Arizona and Arizona State from March 7-10. The Red Storm faces the Arizona for the first time in history March 7-8. St. John's will then bus to Arizona State for its first-ever game against the Sun Devils on March 10 before heading back to Tuscon, Ariz., to play in the University of Arizona Tournament. The Red Storm opens the Wildcats' tournament with games against Creighton and Northern Colorado on March 12 and Minnesota and tournament host Arizona on March 13. STJ concludes its trip to the desert against the University of Illinois-Chicago on March 14.
St. John's returns to Red Storm Field on March 17 for its home opener against Fairfield. STJ leads the Stags, 15-12, in their all-time series. The Red Storm hosts Hofstra on March 24 in the first of two meetings against its local rival.
The team will head back south the following weekend for its final non-conference tournament of the season when it plays in the Coastal Carolina Tournament in Conway, S.C. STJ will take on Kent State and Siena on March 27 before facing host Coastal Carolina and the Golden Flashes again the following day.
Over the next two weeks, St. John's finds itself scattered across the Northeast, starting with a road matchup against local foe Fordham on March 31 in the Bronx. The Red Storm holds an 11-3 all-time series lead against the Rams.
The Red Storm opens its BIG EAST season with a three-game road series against Connecticut on April 2-3 in Storrs, Conn.
After a doubleheader on the road against Syracuse on April 7, St. John's returns to Queens for a five-game stretch against BIG EAST foes Seton Hall and DePaul. The Red Storm opens its home conference slate with three games against the Pirates from April 10-11. On April 14, the Blue Demons, NCAA Tournament participants from a year ago, come to Red Storm Field for a doubleheader.
In its final regular-season road trip of the year, St. John's plays three games at Pittsburgh from April 17-18, before traveling to Hempstead, N.Y., to face Hofstra on April 21. The Red Storm closes out its road slate at Louisville with a three-game series from April 24-25.
STJ concludes regular-season action in Queens with eight home contests. St. John's takes on Iona on April 28 before completing its non-conference schedule against LIU the following day.
The Red Storm opens May with a trio of home games against Rutgers, May 1-2 at Red Storm Field. The regular season comes to an end with a three-game set against defending BIG EAST Champion and NCAA Tournament participant Notre Dame from May 8-9.
For the third consecutive season, the BIG EAST Championship will be held May 13-15 in Louisville, Ky.
