Bucknell University Athletics
2001 Bucknell Softball Team Optimistic About Future
2/27/2001 7:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 27, 2001
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- When the 2001 version of the Bucknell softball team steps on the field for the first time in March, it will have a lot to be optimistic about. The Bison only lost two players to graduation, and return seven of nine starters from last season's squad.
Under the direction of first year head coach Janelle Breneman, the future of the Bucknell softball program is bright. Breneman brings a wealth of softball experience to the Orange and Blue program and is greeted by a solid returning group and a talented freshman class.
"I am confident in our offense this season," commented coach Breneman. "The key to this season will be gaining more confidence in our pitching staff. If we can hold teams to two or three runs, we should be in good shape."
Following is a position-by-position look at the 2001 Bucknell Bison:
Pitcher: Where in the past the BU squad has been thin at this position, this season brings a multitude of options on the mound. With three letterwinners returning, the Bucknell pitching staff returns with experience and confidence. Leading the way will be junior right-hander Lauren Potente (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland). A two-year starter, Potente was the most experienced pitcher on last year's squad as a sophomore. Potente used last season to develop her game and serve as a mentor to the younger pitchers. Sophomores Lauren Box (Malvern, Pa./Villa Marie Academy) and Brandi Porter (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro) are Bucknell's other returning pitchers. A completely right-handed staff, this trio combined for all but one of BU's wins last season. Box came on late in the season, completing her freshman season with a victory in the Patriot League Tournament. Porter will be counted on to provide the solid innings she contributed as a rookie and her experience on the mound should make for a solid second season.
Catcher: One of the deepest positions on the Bucknell roster, the spot behind the plate could be wide open. With the graduation of two-year starter Kristina Tan, three players will be vying for the starting role. Junior Kathy Zeevalk (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) returns with the most experience, catching 14 games last season while starting 10. Newcomers Jenna Fitch (Wayne, Pa./The Shipley School) and Angela Stackhouse (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville) will also vie for time behind the plate in their first season. Fitch and Stackhouse bring similar defensive abilities to the game, but Stackhouse is looking to be the projected starter behind the plate after a great fall season, offensively.
First Base: Junior Kelly Dugan (Mt. Holly, N.J./Rancocas Valley) returns as Bucknell's starter at first base. The lone player on the roster listed as a first baseman, Dugan has started at the position in her first two years. She has been a solid force on the team, both offensively and defensively, and will be expected to step it up again in 2001. Dugan returns to the lineup after missing the fall season while studying abroad. Junior Heather Janowski (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville), who played well in the fall, and Zeevalk could also see time at the first base position.
Second Base: The graduation of four-year letterwinner and three-year starter Nicole Zergebel leaves a hole at second base that will be contended for by two new players. Freshmen Courtney Dohoney (Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green) and Kristen Potts (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) will be competing for the starting role at second base. Dohoney is the projected starter at the position after an impressive fall. A lead off batter, Dohoney displayed great consistency and good speed on the base path.
Third Base: The hot corner provides Bucknell with great depth as senior tri-captain Charity Ford (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport) returns for her final season with the Orange and Blue. Despite recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, Ford has been the Bison's starting third baseman for the past two years and will be counted on to provide strength and leadership to the BU lineup. The team's leading returning slugger, Ford is a threat offensively, while offering solid defense in the field. Another veteran on the squad is junior Barb Wood (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park). Wood played in 10 games as a sophomore and has committed only four errors in two years of play at the hot corner. One of the deepest positions on the roster, two other players will contend for playing time. After a solid first year primarily as a designated player, Janowski could see time at third base, while freshman Melissa Monday (Livingston, N.J./Mt. Saint Dominic Academy) will also contend.
Shortstop: The starting shortstop position will likely go to sophomore Meredith Gill (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll). Gill had an outstanding freshman season, finishing second on the squad with a .326 batting average.
Outfield: Also a strong position for Bucknell, the outfield lineup is solid in 2001. With returning starters in senior tri-captain Stephanie Morgan (Allentown, Pa./Dieruff), and juniors Jenna Demetriades (Nesquehoning, Pa./Tamaqua) and Lauren Titus (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), the Bison have great potential at the outfield position. Morgan comes back for her final year with the Orange and Blue primed for another successful season. Demetriades, the team's only All-Patriot League selection a year ago and a tri-captain in 2001, will look to repeat the honor for the third year in a row. Titus returns for her third season after a promising sophomore campaign in which she was selected to the 2000 GTE Academic All-District 2 Softball Team.
In addition to those three, vying for playing time will be senior Karen Langhauser (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge), sophomore Jacqueline Trapp (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and freshman Erin Doyle (Wayne, Pa./Upper Merion). Langhauser saw action in nine games last year and looks to finish her career in the Orange and Blue with a solid season. Trapp played in 10 games during her rookie season, nursing a knee injury suffered early in the season. Doyle, a good offensive player with one of the strongest arms on the team, will contend for playing time in center or left field.
With a talented and experienced team, the Bison look for success this season that will carry into the future. Bucknell gets its season started with a spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla., where it will play 10 games in a four-day stretch. The Orange and Blue return home from Florida to face perennial power, Delaware on the road, before staging a three-game home stand in the end of March.
