Season Preview: Seniors setting the tone to finish careers like they started
2/13/2020 12:58:00 PM | Softball
With a league-best 14 Patriot League titles, the Lehigh softball program certainly has a championship pedigree. The Mountain Hawks' five-member senior class experienced that success as freshmen in 2017, beating Boston University twice on the final day of the Patriot League Tournament to win the title. The last two seasons have been somewhat uncharacteristic. Lehigh has finished with under .500 overall records. The Mountain Hawks have overcome sluggish starts with strong second halves, and played at a high level in the Patriot League Tournament only to come up short against Boston U.
You'd have to go back more than 20 years to find a time where Lehigh went three consecutive seasons without a Patriot League championship. With an experienced core of seniors leading the way, the Mountain Hawks will be working to send off the class of 2020 the way they started, with a Patriot League championship.
"We have five seniors that have been through it," explained head coach Fran Troyan, who begins his 25th season. "They won a championship their first year. They're committed to doing what they can to put this particular group into a position where the teammates that they know, respect and love are going to share in something they got to experience in their first year. Whether that happens or not, they're doing everything that they can and doing all the right things.
"This year's team has really focused and really bought in, coming up with some great ideas of their own," Troyan continued. "They've developed a certain esprit de corps that we've seen on our best teams. We feel like the team, given the constraints of training indoors, is about as good of a position as it could be going into our first games."
Softball success always starts in the pitcher's circle and Lehigh features an experienced and formidable 1-2 punch in senior Parker Boyd and sophomore Gabriella Nori. Both hurlers struck out 137 batters a season ago. Boyd was solid overall, but will look to recapture the form that saw her earn All-Patriot League honors as a sophomore in 2018. Nori improved as the season progressed. She had the lowest ERA on the staff during the Patriot League regular season and was outstanding in the Patriot League Tournament where she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
"Parker had a tremendous fall," Troyan said. "She has herself in a great spot physically and mentally. She's really excited about the season and we're extremely confident that she's going to pitch at a high level. Gabi overcame a couple of injuries in the first part of her freshman year. For us, just making sure that we build upon the great Patriot League performance. She has that ability to be pretty special. She also is in a very good spot right now."
Junior Lainey Stephenson made strides over the summer and fall and could factor in. If she continues to improve, the Mountain Hawks could have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the Patriot League.
"This summer and fall, Lainey had a huge breakthrough," Troyan said. "We are certainly seeing the Lainey Stephenson emerge that we knew was in there. We're excited for her to have a very strong year as well.
"We feel like so long as we don't have any significant injuries, we'll have more than enough pitching to get through the tough stretches in our season," Troyan added. "To have three quality pitchers in Patriot League play is going to be critical."
Offensively, Lehigh will be led by senior Mary-Hannah Smith and sophomore Jaelynn Chesson. Smith is now a three-time All-Patriot League honoree and was recently named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. She batted .368 last year with 30 RBIs and led the Patriot League with 67 hits.
"Mary-Hannah really is the heart and soul of our team," Troyan said. "She brings an undeniable spirit to every single practice and an undeniable energy to every single game. She is a leader by example. A leader in the clubhouse. We're just looking for Mary-Hannah to be herself and that's more than good enough."
Chesson was a run-producing force in her freshman season as the Tennessee native also came through in the clutch. She led Lehigh with 17 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs to go along with a .359 average.
"She certainly had a great first year," Troyan said of Chesson. "The one thing we're learning about Jaelynn is that she's very, very happy as a human being. She is always smiling, but you can't misread that smile and think that she's not competitive. She's a real competitor and demands the best of herself as a softball student-athlete. She has shown an ability to adjust to pitchers who have adjusted to her. It's really important that she manages her expectations for the season, because she is a player other teams are going to game plan for."
Lehigh will look to Smith to hold down second base and the No. 3 spot in Lehigh's batting order. Smith also has the ability to play third base or the outfield as needed. Chesson will likely feature in right field and will hit behind Smith.
Behind the plate, Lehigh will utilize senior Emily Preble and junior Allyson Dibsie, while sophomore Melissa Fedorka could also see time.
Preble brings a strong defensive presence and leadership to the catching position. She, along with Smith and Boyd, will serve as team captains for the second straight season.
On the infield, Lehigh returns sophomore Carley Barjaktarovich at shortstop and junior Payton Alsobrooks at third base. Barjaktarovich started all 55 games a season ago, batting .307 with 13 stolen bases. Alsobrooks started 52 games with nine doubles and 17 RBIs.
The Mountain Hawks have several options at first base, with sophomore Addie Kittel and freshman Emily Cimino competing for time along with Fedorka. Kittel was Lehigh's designated player for most of last season and hit a pair of home runs, while driving in 22. Fedorka has a strong glove and three of her four hits went for extra bases.
Sophomore Karsen O'Rourke and freshman Josie Charles will provide depth on the infield along with senior Reva Alderman, who will work at third base and in the outfield.
Along with Chesson, Lehigh's outfield is expected to feature senior Lexi van Ooyen, who batted .321 a season ago, in left field and speedy freshman Lexington Poole in center. Alderman, O'Rourke, Cimino and Charles will also provide depth in the outfield, as could Stephenson, who will get some at-bats in addition to her pitching work.
Lehigh will once again prepare for the rigors of Patriot League play with a challenging pre-league schedule that includes the likes of NC State, James Madison, Nebraska, Arizona State and Ohio State.
"We didn't know precisely what we were getting into when we went on spring break last year," Troyan said. "This year we certainly do know. The nice thing is, prior to spring break we have a nice mix of teams to play. We're playing some real strong mid-majors that first weekend at the Citrus Blossom. I feel like we can compete with any of those teams. We step up the schedule at NC State a little bit with a couple of games against James Madison and NC State. We'll see how we're progressing there. We have a very difficult schedule on spring break, but the attitude going into the preseason is that we want to be tested to make ourselves the best team we can be, coming back and getting ready for Patriot League play."
The Mountain Hawks will begin the 2020 season with five games over three days at the D9 Citrus Blossom in Kissimmee, Fla. Lehigh will open with Georgia Southern and Bethune-Cookman on Friday, Feb. 14.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
You'd have to go back more than 20 years to find a time where Lehigh went three consecutive seasons without a Patriot League championship. With an experienced core of seniors leading the way, the Mountain Hawks will be working to send off the class of 2020 the way they started, with a Patriot League championship.
"We have five seniors that have been through it," explained head coach Fran Troyan, who begins his 25th season. "They won a championship their first year. They're committed to doing what they can to put this particular group into a position where the teammates that they know, respect and love are going to share in something they got to experience in their first year. Whether that happens or not, they're doing everything that they can and doing all the right things.
"This year's team has really focused and really bought in, coming up with some great ideas of their own," Troyan continued. "They've developed a certain esprit de corps that we've seen on our best teams. We feel like the team, given the constraints of training indoors, is about as good of a position as it could be going into our first games."
Softball success always starts in the pitcher's circle and Lehigh features an experienced and formidable 1-2 punch in senior Parker Boyd and sophomore Gabriella Nori. Both hurlers struck out 137 batters a season ago. Boyd was solid overall, but will look to recapture the form that saw her earn All-Patriot League honors as a sophomore in 2018. Nori improved as the season progressed. She had the lowest ERA on the staff during the Patriot League regular season and was outstanding in the Patriot League Tournament where she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
"Parker had a tremendous fall," Troyan said. "She has herself in a great spot physically and mentally. She's really excited about the season and we're extremely confident that she's going to pitch at a high level. Gabi overcame a couple of injuries in the first part of her freshman year. For us, just making sure that we build upon the great Patriot League performance. She has that ability to be pretty special. She also is in a very good spot right now."
Junior Lainey Stephenson made strides over the summer and fall and could factor in. If she continues to improve, the Mountain Hawks could have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the Patriot League.
"This summer and fall, Lainey had a huge breakthrough," Troyan said. "We are certainly seeing the Lainey Stephenson emerge that we knew was in there. We're excited for her to have a very strong year as well.
"We feel like so long as we don't have any significant injuries, we'll have more than enough pitching to get through the tough stretches in our season," Troyan added. "To have three quality pitchers in Patriot League play is going to be critical."
Offensively, Lehigh will be led by senior Mary-Hannah Smith and sophomore Jaelynn Chesson. Smith is now a three-time All-Patriot League honoree and was recently named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. She batted .368 last year with 30 RBIs and led the Patriot League with 67 hits.
"Mary-Hannah really is the heart and soul of our team," Troyan said. "She brings an undeniable spirit to every single practice and an undeniable energy to every single game. She is a leader by example. A leader in the clubhouse. We're just looking for Mary-Hannah to be herself and that's more than good enough."
Chesson was a run-producing force in her freshman season as the Tennessee native also came through in the clutch. She led Lehigh with 17 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs to go along with a .359 average.
"She certainly had a great first year," Troyan said of Chesson. "The one thing we're learning about Jaelynn is that she's very, very happy as a human being. She is always smiling, but you can't misread that smile and think that she's not competitive. She's a real competitor and demands the best of herself as a softball student-athlete. She has shown an ability to adjust to pitchers who have adjusted to her. It's really important that she manages her expectations for the season, because she is a player other teams are going to game plan for."
Lehigh will look to Smith to hold down second base and the No. 3 spot in Lehigh's batting order. Smith also has the ability to play third base or the outfield as needed. Chesson will likely feature in right field and will hit behind Smith.
Behind the plate, Lehigh will utilize senior Emily Preble and junior Allyson Dibsie, while sophomore Melissa Fedorka could also see time.
Preble brings a strong defensive presence and leadership to the catching position. She, along with Smith and Boyd, will serve as team captains for the second straight season.
On the infield, Lehigh returns sophomore Carley Barjaktarovich at shortstop and junior Payton Alsobrooks at third base. Barjaktarovich started all 55 games a season ago, batting .307 with 13 stolen bases. Alsobrooks started 52 games with nine doubles and 17 RBIs.
The Mountain Hawks have several options at first base, with sophomore Addie Kittel and freshman Emily Cimino competing for time along with Fedorka. Kittel was Lehigh's designated player for most of last season and hit a pair of home runs, while driving in 22. Fedorka has a strong glove and three of her four hits went for extra bases.
Sophomore Karsen O'Rourke and freshman Josie Charles will provide depth on the infield along with senior Reva Alderman, who will work at third base and in the outfield.
Along with Chesson, Lehigh's outfield is expected to feature senior Lexi van Ooyen, who batted .321 a season ago, in left field and speedy freshman Lexington Poole in center. Alderman, O'Rourke, Cimino and Charles will also provide depth in the outfield, as could Stephenson, who will get some at-bats in addition to her pitching work.
Lehigh will once again prepare for the rigors of Patriot League play with a challenging pre-league schedule that includes the likes of NC State, James Madison, Nebraska, Arizona State and Ohio State.
"We didn't know precisely what we were getting into when we went on spring break last year," Troyan said. "This year we certainly do know. The nice thing is, prior to spring break we have a nice mix of teams to play. We're playing some real strong mid-majors that first weekend at the Citrus Blossom. I feel like we can compete with any of those teams. We step up the schedule at NC State a little bit with a couple of games against James Madison and NC State. We'll see how we're progressing there. We have a very difficult schedule on spring break, but the attitude going into the preseason is that we want to be tested to make ourselves the best team we can be, coming back and getting ready for Patriot League play."
The Mountain Hawks will begin the 2020 season with five games over three days at the D9 Citrus Blossom in Kissimmee, Fla. Lehigh will open with Georgia Southern and Bethune-Cookman on Friday, Feb. 14.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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