Lehigh to open '09 season Friday in North Carolina
2/19/2009 1:15:00 PM | Softball
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The Lehigh softball program regained its place atop the Patriot League in 2008. It was not always easy, as the Patriot League standings showed that the league was closing the gap, but the resilient Mountain Hawks managed to win their tenth league regular season championship while posting their eighth consecutive season with at least 35 wins. Lehigh survived a challenging league tournament to earn its fourth Patriot League title in the last five years. At the NCAA Regionals, Lehigh picked up a victory over Princeton and gave national powers Stanford and UMass all they could handle. The Mountain Hawks lost just three players to graduation, but there are still big shoes to fill as Lehigh looks to remain among the regions and nations elite in 2009.
“We lost a small class numbers-wise, but we graduated three players who were everyday players for their entire careers,” says head coach Fran Troyan. “We do have some holes to fill, but the good news is we believe we have some upperclassmen ready to step in and make the most of their opportunities. Our freshmen will also be competing for significant playing time right away.”
The unequivocal leader of the Lehigh softball program, both on and off the field, is senior Lisa Sweeney, who is coming off of one of the most impressive statistical seasons on record. The Mountain Hawks’ ace in the pitcher’s circle, Sweeney won a school and league record 26 games a season ago, while smashing her own records for strikeouts in a season, with 304. For her efforts, Sweeney was an All-Region honoree and the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year for the third straight year.
Sweeney also enjoyed a breakthrough season at the plate, where she led the league with a .414 batting average and clubbed a school-record 13 home runs, while leading the Patriot League in a number of offensive categories. In addition to her Pitcher of the Year accolades, Sweeney was also named the league’s Player of the Year and was the only player in the nation to lead her conference in both the hitting and pitching Triple Crown categories.
“While her offensive production is greatly appreciated and really valued, the fact of the matter is Lisa’s greatest value to our program is in the pitcher’s circle,” explains Troyan, a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year. “We can compete with any team in the country when Lisa is on her game.”
Sweeney enters her senior season having already set the school and league career records for wins and strikeouts. She will again lead Lehigh’s pitching staff, which will also feature junior Tiffany Curtis, sophomore Bri Gaumer and freshman Steffanie Guillermo. Curtis has established herself as a viable second option, with 25 career wins and 276 strikeouts.
“Tiffany Curtis has proven herself as a capable Patriot League performer,” says Troyan. “We’ll be looking for her to elevate her pitching to a new level. We believe she’s quite capable of doing that. We’re also looking for Bri Gaumer to step up and give us quality innings in the circle.”
Behind the plate the Mountain Hawks possess three quality backstops that should all make significant contributions in 2009. Junior Lauren Eichblatt has served as Sweeney’s personal catcher for each of her first two seasons, and with Sweeney expected to throw many of Lehigh’s biggest games, Eichblatt should see plenty of time behind the dish. Classmate Brooke Lewis has caught Curtis in each of the last two seasons and has contributed at the plate, where she batted .323 with 18 RBI last year. Sophomore Sam Miller could vie for time behind the plate or as the designated player.
On the infield Lehigh returns two starters, in senior Whitney Lowe at second base and sophomore Alex Cueva at third. Lowe overcame early season injuries to hit over .320 last year and finished fourth on the team with 25 runs batted in, while Cueva displayed some pop in her freshman campaign, with 36 RBI and a team-leading 14 doubles. At first base, Troyan will likely turn to freshman Julie Fernandez, a lefty from California, with good gap power. Sophomore Carly Potock or Sweeney could also see time at this position. At shortstop, freshmen Jen Colquhoun and Tenley Halaquist will compete for playing time. Both players possess strong all-around games and possess the ability to contribute anywhere on the infield.
In the outfield, the Mountain Hawks return plenty of experience at the corners, but will have to replace four-time All-Patriot League selection Kate Marvel in center field. Lehigh returns senior Alisha Gonzales in right field. Gonzales hit .326 with 34 RBI last year en route to first team All-League accolades. In left field, sophomore Carly Potock gained significant experience, as did senior Ali Torborg. Freshman Audra Wood will fight for playing time in center field an in the leadoff spot, as the native Texas possesses tremendous speed. Senior Kristyn Kubiak and sophomore Mickey LaValley are also expected to vie for time in the outfield, as could Sweeney, who saw time in left field last season.
“We have a lot of depth and potential amongst our group of outfielders,” notes Troyan. “We’ll be doing a lot of experimenting early in the season, with our lineup. Nothing is really set there, but we do expect, assuming that everyone stays healthy and our freshmen continue to develop, to have another outstanding year.”
Lehigh’s success on the regional and national level in recent years has once again allowed Troyan to put together a challenging schedule. The Mountain Hawks will play at the Under Armour Classic in Clearwater, Florida at the end of spring break and will also play in the Dukes Invitational, hosted by James Madison. The midweek schedule features regular regional rivals Delaware, Villanova, Penn, Towson, Marist and Rider and Princeton, in addition to the Patriot League schedule, in which every team is improving and trying to knock the Mountain Hawks off their perch.
“This group deserves to play tough competition, so we’re revising our Spring Break to play in the Under Armour Classic, which is a great tournament for us,” says Troyan. “The fact of the matter is the rest of the Patriot League is making a concerted effort to catch us. Our job is to make sure we do not let them. Everyone in the league is improving, which is a credit to the entire league. Our challenge is to continue to improve as well.”
The Mountain Hawks will open their season this weekend at the GWU Tornament in Boiling Springs, N.C. Lehigh will open the season Friday at 10:30 a.m. against Howard before facing off against the host Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m. The same two teams await Lehigh on Saturday, with the Mountain Hawks facing Gardner-Webb at 10:30 and Howard at 1 p.m. Both squads that Lehigh will face have already opened their seasons, with Gardner-Webb splitting its first four games and Howard posting a 3-6 mark in nine contests. Friday’s games will mark the first ever meetings for the Mountain Hawks against both schools on the softball diamond.
