MCHS softball team to be young in many positions

MCHS softball team to be young in many positions

August 30, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The Panthers finished with a winning season at 11-10 last fall under first-year head coach Charlie Rosenbaugh. So what does Rosenbaugh hope for this year?

"We lost some good players from last year’s team. We have a lot of youngsters and it will be much like starting all over again," he said. "But I think we will still have a good team. A total of 22 girls are out for softball so that helps."

Some of the returnees include seniors shortstop Amanda Johnson, pitcher/second baseman Jenna Thompson, and outfielders Chelsea Britton and Linda Smart. Nicole Stephens is a senior who is out.

Sophomore Elise Stephens, who played volleyball a year ago, joins the team this year.

Moving up from the junior varsity include sophomores Rachel Valdez, Brittney Whiteman, Shannon Story, junior Eliza Baker, Tiffany Jacket, and junior Autumn Eyetoo. McKenzie Reed from Dolores and Vanessa Martinez from Mancos are joining the team this year. Two freshmen — Chelsea Cook and Teresa Martin — are from Dove Creek. Transfer soph Rebbeca Hooton is from Virginia.

Rosenbaugh has been working them hard, going with two-a-day practices in the mornings and late afternoons.

"We did not get in much work this summer like I had hoped. It was hard trying to get eough girls together to get a team going, especially the older ones who were working. So, we are working them hard in preparation for this fall. We’ll see what happens," he added.

Going around the horn, Reed and Martin are working out at catcher. Thompson is the starting pitcher while Cook, Whiteman, Martinez, and Story are also working hard. Nicole Stephens, Baker, and Christina Schaak are at first base. Cook and Martin are working at second. Johnson and Whiteman may share time at shortstop. Schaak, Whiteman, and Elise Stephens are spending time at third.

Smart and Jennifer Green have been in right. Hooton, Martinez, and Valdez have been playing some in left. Martin and Britton have been playing in center.

"We have a lot of versatility as many girls can play different positions. Several girls worked on pitching over the winter and through the summer. I think we can hit the ball well, although we don’t have a lot of long-ball hitters. We will do a lot of slapping and bunting," he added.

Rosenbaugh is pleased with the schedule.

"We don’t travel quite so much as we did last year. We do have to play Rifle, a preseason favorite, on the road again. We played them a single game up there last year and this year we play them a doubleheader. When we do go on the road at least we play more doubleheaders. I do wish softball was played in the spring in stead of the fall so we could play some of those teams in New Mexico. But we have to do what we have to do," he added.

The Panthers will open the 2001 campaign by competing in the Peach Fuzz Tournament at Palisade High School all day this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Joining MCHS besides host Palisade will be Montrose, Delta, Rifle, Fruita-Monument, and a couple teams from the Front Range. Rosenbaugh said he will take 16 girls along on the trip and play all of them to work them in various positions and lineups.

They host Durango, only in its second full season of having a softball program, on Sept. 6. They host Monrtrose for a doubleheader Sept. 14 and Fruita-Monument for a doubleheader on Sept. 15. The Panthers go to Central for twin bill Sept. 21 and Grand Junction High Sept. 22.

A single game at Durango is slated for Sept. 25. MCHS hosts Palisade Sept. 28. They conclude the regular season by visiting Rifle for a doubleheader Oct. 5 and then playing another twin bill at Delta on Oct. 6.

Regionals is set for Oct. 12-13 at Grand Junction.