Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh making progress towards season-opener
2/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – While many teams across the nation prepare to open their seasons this weekend, the Lehigh softball team continues its preparations for the 2009 campaign. The Mountain Hawks, winners of ten straight Patriot League regular season titles and four of the last five tournament crowns, will not open up for another two weeks, but the team has been hard at work inside Rauch Field House, gearing up for another Patriot League title run.
“We’ve been at it for about three weeks,” said Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan. “I’m pleased with the condition the players came back to campus in. It allowed us to start working pretty hard very early on. Like many teams, we’ve been bitten by the flu bug the last week or so, but we’re on the upswing, looking forward to getting back to work as we progress towards our season.”
Like many teams in the Northeast, the Mountain Hawks must deal with the cold and snow of winter, which can hinder a team’s ability to practice outdoors. It is a factor many teams must deal with, and something Lehigh finds a way to overcome seemingly every year.
“Not being outside prevents us from putting everything together,” explained Troyan, who enters his 14th season as head coach. “It also affects our communication preparation, which takes on added importance with so many young players in our program. It’s something we continually work on, but we will never use the weather as an excuse.”
Troyan does have the benefit of a strong five-player senior class, which includes outfielders Kristyn Kubiak and Ali Torborg and the team’s three captains: outfielder Alisha Gonzales, second baseman Whitney Lowe and pitcher Lisa Sweeney.
“The nice thing about this particular group is we have a lot of individuals who are capable of leading,” noted Troyan. “With that said our 3 captains have really stepped forward and done a nice job getting the ship going in the right direction.”
The three-time reigning Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and last year’s Player of the Year as well, Sweeney will continue to be looked towards for leadership on and off the field. On Thursday, Sweeney garnered her first preseason honor of her senior season as she was named to ESPN’s 2009 softball preseason All-America second team.
“The recognition that she has earned is well deserved,” said Troyan. “It’s not often that a player at the Division I level in any league is the lead person in both offensive and pitching categories. She doesn’t need to put any more pressure on herself to perform, she just needs to be herself.”
Sweeney topped the Patriot League with a .414 batting average, 13 home runs and 49 RBI, while posting a 26-5 record in the circle with a 1.71 ERA and a Patriot League record 304 strikeouts. Last season, Sweeney became the league’s career leader in wins and strikeouts. As Lehigh continues working towards its season opener, Troyan knows that one of the keys to his team’s success is a strong and well balanced pitching staff.
“Lisa is just getting back into the pitching groove after taking the fall off,” said Troyan. “We have Tiffany Curtis back and Bri Gaumer is back healthy as well. As a team, we need to make sure the pitching stays healthy and is ready to go when the league games start. We can’t be overly concerned about early season games. We need to make sure as a staff we pace ourselves in terms of innings pitched.”
The Mountain Hawks will open the 2009 season on Friday, February 20 against Howard at the GWU Tournament in Boiling Springs, N.C. First pitch is set for 10:30 a.m.
