Softball projected to finish seventh in PAC
The Waynesburg softball team will look to have better fortune this year after a 15-21 during last season. Despite a handful of close games most of the season; the Jackets couldn’t seem to find a consistent balance or winning formula. Waynesburg traded winning and losing streaks all season, with a high water mark of five wins, and a low water mark of eight losses.
After an eight-game losing streak in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play stalled Waynesburg last season, sixth-year head coach Lou Giachetti is especially excited for this season and his tight-knit group of players, after working with them and seeing them prepare for the upcoming season
“I am way ready [for the season to start],” said Giachetti. “We’re going to be in Florida next week. We just have to get through this weather.”
The team has only been able to practice outside twice over the course of the last couple months. Even though it was only two times, Giachetti said that the outdoor practices helped keep everyone interested and gave the players the ability to at least get a controlled scrimmage in before next week.
Although Waynesburg finished last year with a losing record, it greatly improved its hitting with a team batting average (.284), which was up from .258 the year before. One of the main reasons for this spike was the 32 additional plate appearances for senior outfielder Jasmine Blackwell, who was all-PAC and hit .412 with nine extra-base hits in starting 30 games.
“It’s all in the mindset,” said Blackwell. “If you go back to freshman year when we did make the playoffs, everybody wanted it and it showed. This year you can see it. Hopefully we will make it that far.”
In the PAC preseason poll, the Jackets were picked to place seventh in the conference, which coach Giachetti thought was low.
“Anybody in our conference on any given day can beat somebody else,” Giachetti said. “Chatham always is whipped by everyone else, but we lost to them twice, but beat Bethany, who always finishes top-four in the conference, both times we played them. Our conference is very strong from the top to the bottom.”
Starting with the line-up, the Jackets will be returning all but one starter from last season. Blackwell, as well as second-team all-conference infielder Madison Presto, who contributed to the sharp spike in team batting average with her .342 batting average, will make up the heart of the lineup. Also returning to guide the Jackets toward conference-title aspirations are infielders Ashley Clark (.294), Hayley Payne (.223), Sarah Spicher (.318) and Katey Potopenko (.311), as well as outfielders Jenna Dorazio (.250), Jessica Dorazio (.228) and Shelby Tabrosky (.273).
Waynesburg will be returning its ace Carrie Maier on the mound, who won 11 games last season to go along with a 2.36 ERA, as well as PAC honors.
Waynesburg’s season opens up in Kissimmee, Fla. over spring break. The Jackets will take on SUNY Courtland March 9 in the Rebel Spring Games.