HYDE – The 2011 Clearfield Area High School softball team is facing a revamped schedule for the second time in three seasons, but the Lady Bisons will be more primed for the tough challenge this time around with eight letterwinners and a ninth returnee who started the final five games last year.
As a new member of the Mountain League, Clearfield will be contending with 2010 PIAA Class AA runner-up Philipsburg-Osceola, Tyrone, Central, Huntingdon and Central Mountain in the Allegheny Division as well as defending state Class AAA champion Bellefonte, perennial District 6 power Bald Eagle Area, Penns Valley, Lewistown, Indian Valley and Juniata in crossover games.
The Lady Bisons did play P-O, Bellefonte, BEA and Penns Valley on occasion prior to the formation of the District 9 and Central Penn leagues two years ago.
Three-time District 9 Class AAA titlist Punxsutawney, Brookville, Bradford and Hollidaysburg are the only teams remaining on the schedule from just the two seasons in those circuits.
Though unfamiliar with some of the Mountain League teams, coach Bob Dixon still has set some lofty goals because of the experience the Lady Bisons gained last spring while overcoming a 1-5 start and undergoing several lineup changes to finish 9-9, a major step forward after a 6-14 debut in their former leagues.
He’s counting on continued improvement to keep the veteran but still youthful Clearfield team in the mix for ML-Allegheny Division and District 9 Class AAA titles, especially the latter since it would secure a return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Suzie Colesar, who’s played for three years, is the lone senior letterwinner, but juniors B.J. Bowman, Andrea Butler and Melinda Moore each have two monograms.
Juniors Tristan Lewis and McKenzie Moore and sophomores Mikayla Ebeling and Heather Picard are the other letterwinners.
Sophomore Lucy Kovalick didn’t letter though starting five of the last six games at first base after being called up from the junior varsity.
Having returnees for all positions is one reason Dixon is optimistic.
Another is that the lineup is set, unlike last year when center fielder B.J. Bowman and left fielder Janell Zalno were the only two opening day starters still at their same positions in the 4-2 district championship game loss to Punxsy.
Butler was the starting pitcher, but a shoulder injury forced her to shift to shortstop after two games, opening the door for Picard to handle the hurling chores as a rookie.
She responded with a 9-6 record, including four shutouts, and a 2.91 earned run average for 15 complete games. In 96.1 innings, the right-hander gave up 123 hits and 65 runs, 40 earned, while striking out 94, walking 29 and hitting one batter.
The Lady Bisons also have a quality second hurler in Rachel Hoffman, a very promising freshman.
“Heather will be our workhorse, but I know I’m going to use Rachel,” Dixon said. “I don’t want to throw Heather every night, and there are weeks we play three games or back-to-back games. And with rainouts, you don’t know how the schedule will be.”
Dixon foresees Hoffman, a power pitcher, logging some innings with the jayvees if she needs extra work in the circle.
He’s not sure yet whether pitchers or hitters will benefit more from the new high school pitching distance changing from 40 to 43 feet to not only match that of college and summer travel ball but also to induce more offense and put more of a premium on defense.
“It might change the game somewhat,” Dixon said. “I don’t know if the pitchers will dominate as much, so it will make the fielders work more.
“It might actually be an advantage for some pitchers, though. If a girl throws a good fastball, it might move more. And it might help breaking-ball pitchers since there’s a chance for the ball to break a little better.”
He cites changing speeds and location as keys for Picard, Hoffman and freshman Megan Vanderburgh, who’ll pitch for the jayvees.
Dixon has confidence in his defense, starting with Moore behind the plate.
“She did a fine job last year and has worked hard to get better,” he said. “Amber Scott will back her up, and Hoffman also can catch.”
The inner defense is solid with Kovalick at first base, Owens at second, Butler at short and Colesar at third.
Owens played shortstop as a sophomore and started last season at second before moving to short when Butler suffered what proved to be a season-ending ankle injury in the eighth game.
Butler played the 2009 opener at short before taking over the pitching duties, but Dixon expects good, consistent glovework from her and Owens around the keystone sack.
“The middle should be pretty tight for us,” he said.
He has high hopes for Colesar at the hot corner, too. She spent two seasons in the outfield before replacing her sister, Julie, at first base last year. When Kovalick was promoted, she moved across the diamond.
“One thing I’ve been able to do is get players in the right position in the field, but maybe I missed on Suzie,” he said. “She should have been over there three years ago. She didn’t hurt us in the outfield or at first base, but she’ll get more opportunities at third base.
“Chelsea Kovalick was a real good third baseman my first year, and I think Suzie can be just as good.”
Patrolling the outfield that might prove to be the best trio in Dixon’s regime will be Lewis in left, Bowman in center and Ebeling in left.
He rates all three with having strong arms and the speed to cover a lot of ground.
“We should track down a lot of balls this year,” Dixon said.
Last spring, Lewis (0-1) got one start in the circle and five at second base down the stretch after pitching earlier for the junior varsity, while Ebeling replaced Lindsey Samsel in center in mid-season.
Junior Robyn McBride is a capable back-up, and Dixon has no reservations about inserting Hoffman at any of the outfield, or infield, positions.
“With Rachel’s bat, it’s gonna be difficult to keep her out of the lineup,” Dixon said.
He’s banking on the Lady Bisons to top last season’s .240 average
Providing the power will be Bowman, who numbered six home runs, one triple and one double among her team-high 23 hits. She also led the team with a .434 average and 19 RBIs.
She had clubbed three homers in five games as a freshman before a hand injury ended her season.
“She’s one of the best hitters in the area,” Dixon proclaimed. “We expect a lot from her.”
Butler, coming off a .296 season with eight hits and five RBIs, and Owens, who dipped to .224 with 11 hits and four doubles after hitting .241 with 14 safeties two years ago, give Clearfield a good one-two punch at the top of the lineup.
“Andrea is a real good leadoff batter with good speed, and Melinda, for a small girl, hits the ball as hard as anybody I’ve seen,” Dixon said.
Colesar also has some pop in her bat, which she displayed more as a sophomore when she slugged two homers and led the Lady Bisons in hits (17), doubles (6), average (.317) and RBIs (8). Last year, she had 15 hits, four of them doubles, a .294 average and nine RBIs.
“She’s definitely a streaky hitter, but when she’s in the groove, she hits as good as anybody on our team,” Dixon said.
Lewis hit .375, Moore .280 with 12 RBIs and Ebeling .250 last year.
“Lewis really surprised the coaching staff when we brought her up,” Dixon said. “We didn’t know she was going to hit as well as she did.
“The other girls can hit the ball hard, too. We hope they can be consistent.”
He’s including Kovalick, who only had a dozen at-bats, and Hoffman in that group.
Although the turnout was smaller than in the past, Dixon views that as a plus in that both squads have and will practice together more.
“We have more coaches to work through practice, and all are making contributions,” he said. “With lower numbers, the players have a better understanding of what we want done than when we had separate practices.”
Because Friday’s game at Indian Valley was postponed, the Lady Bison opener will be Monday against Bellefonte in an ML crossover game at the Bison Sports Complex.
Clearfield lost a ninth letterwinner from last season when Mia Keener, now a junior, moved to St. Marys. She started every game either as an infielder or designated player.
The 2010 seniors were Zalno, infielder Rachel Cordon, catcher-infielder Chantel Read and outfielders Breanna Blaylock and Baillie Davis. All saw action in starting roles, with Cordon getting the nod 10 times, four as the designated player.
Varsity assistant coaches are Larry Conklin, called on by Dixon in his first season to pitch batting practice and now a full-time assistant, and Dave Picard, the junior high coach last year. The latter replaces Rodger Porter, who stepped down after nine years on the staff.
Jeremy Hudson, coach of the 2009 junior high squad, and Todd Vanderburgh will guide the junior varsity.
The varsity roster, with letterwinners denoted by (*):
Seniors – Suzie Colesar (*), 1b; Sarah Graham, of.
Juniors – B.J. Bowman (*), of; Andrea Butler (*), p-ss; Tristan Lewis (*), of; Robyn McBride, of; McKenzie Moore (*), c; Melinda Owens (*), 2b; Amanda Peoples, of; Tori Wilsoncroft, of.
Sophomores – Rebecca Byerly, 1b; Mikayla Ebeling (*), of; Lucy Kovalick, 1b; Heather Picard (*), p; Brittany Renaud, ss-of; Amber Scott, c.
Freshmen – Dorothy Celli, 3b; Samantha Foster, 2b; Amber Hainsey, 3b-of; Rachel Hoffman, p-if-of; Taylor Humberson, 1b; Rachel Stucke, of; Megan Vanderburgh, ss-p.
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The schedule, with home games in capitals, (ML) for Mountain League Allegheny Division:
(All games at 4:15 p.m. unless noted)
March
25 – at Indian Valley, 4:30 p.m.; 28 – BELLEFONTE; 30 – at Lewistown.
April
1 – PENNS VALLEY; 4 – CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (ML); 6 – HUNTINGDON (ML); 8 – CENTRAL (ML); 11 – at Tyrone (ML), 4:30 pm.; 13 – at Philipsburg-Osceola (ML), 4:30 p.m.; 18 – at Bald Eagle Area, 4 p.m.; 20 – JUNIATA; 27 – at Huntingdon (ML), 4:30 p.m.; 29 – at Central (ML), 4:30 p.m.
May
2 – TYRONE (ML); 3 – HOLLIDAYSBURG; 4 – PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (ML); 6 – at Punxsutawney; 9 – at Central Mountain (ML), 4:30 p.m.; 13 – at Brookville; 20 – BRADFORD.
