Spring sports preview

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BASEBALL

After what Coach Bob Smith called a "disappointing" season last year, the Middlebury Panthers baseball team is looking to rebound this season and achieve the same kind of success that brought them their first NESCAC championship in 2006. The Panthers finished 14-16 last year.

"Last season was tough," said P/C Nick Angstman '11. "We were really hurt by injuries." Smith also cited injuries as a reason last year's team did not live up to its own expectations. However, those injuries did force younger players to step into bigger roles than they might have otherwise played, and that could translate into more success this spring. "We have very few guys who haven't seen significant time at their positions," said Angstman.

The Panthers are looking to revive last year's strong offensive performance, when they recorded the second-highest batting average in the conference, finishing only behind eventual national champion Trinity. Key players in the lineup hoping to maintain last year's hitting success include OF Erich Enns '10, 3B/P Donny McKillop '11, and team captain 1B Mark Shimrock '09, who hit .421 last year on the way to being named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Division-III All-Star team.

Pitching and defense were two areas in which the Panthers struggled last season, finishing seventh in the conference in both team ERA and fielding percentage. However, Smith said that this season the team can improve in both of those categories. "One of our main goals is to reduce free bases, such as those given up by errors and walks," he said.

The pitching rotation this season is anchored by Angstman and seniors Steve Shortle '09, Rob Palladino '09 and Matt Joseph '09. Other key players on the defensive side include SS Dave Miranowski '09 and outfielders Enns, Alex Blair '10 and Tim Dillon '09. The biggest question the Panthers have this spring involves the catching position, which Smith calls an "open situation." Angstman will see time at both pitcher and catcher, and other players will compete for the spot. If the Panthers can fill the catcher's position and improve in the areas where they struggled last year, the squad has the potential for a competitive year. Said Angstman, "If we can throw strikes and make the routine plays this year, I think we'll fare well."

"We have been coming to practice with a purpose and we have been getting better every day," said Shimrock, who hopes to lead his team to NESCAC playoffs. "As long as we continue to come to practice with a desire to get better everyday and maintain a high level of focus, we can achieve this goal."

-Dillon Hupp, Staff Writer

SOFTBALL

The women's softball team has an enormous amount of potential this season, with many key returning players and a motivated freshman class.

Led by strong senior co-captains Natalie Komrovsky '09 and Amelia Magistrali '09, the team will surely be ready to take on NESCAC competition this season.

The team as a whole gained a lot of experience last season. Specifically, the current sophomore class includes seven of the 14 members of the team and now has a season under their belt.

"We had a lot of young players starting last year and that experience is sure to help us this season," said Nellie Wood '11.

Starting a new tradition, the team will travel to Southern California over spring break this year to practice outdoors and play their first 11 games - including their NESCAC opener against Williams - at Pomona-Pitzer.

"While it's been frustrating playing inside during the preseason, we should be ready to hit the ground running when our season begins over spring break," said Magistrali. "It's a really important trip, not only because we finally begin our season outdoors, but we'll be playing three games against Williams at the end of the week. We want to send a message right from the beginning of the season that we're ready to compete with the top NESCAC teams this year."

The competition will definitely be strong in the NESCAC west division, but the women's softball team will be competitive, vying for one of the top two spots to qualify for the NESCAC tournament.

- Elissa Goeke, Staff Writer

MEN'S TENNIS

The Middlebury tennis team hopes to come out swinging when the spring season kicks off this Saturday at NYU. Undeniably one of the top D-III programs in the nation, the Panthers won the NCAA national championship in 2004 and have earned six straight trips to the NCAA final four. When asked about goals for the season, tri-captain Andrew Thomson '10 was firm in his conviction. "There is no denying that our team goal is to win a National Championship this spring," he said.

The Panthers are also looking to regain their NESCAC crown which they had held from '04-'07 but lost in the finals last year. This year's team seems to be poised to do just that. Although the team graduated a top national player in Filip "The Flash" Marinkovic '08, the tri-captains - Thomson, Andrew Lee '10 and Conrad Olson '09 - point to the depth and work ethic of the team as great strengths. The tri-captains also prided the team on their singles play, but said that there was work to be done with the doubles squads.

The incoming first-years will undoubtedly add depth and strength to the program.

"It is refreshing to know that if senior players suffer injuries," said Olson, "we have excellent first-year players ready to step in and play - [if they aren't] already playing, of course."

While many Middlebury students will be stuck on campus over spring break, the tennis team will be in California for some early season matches and training. The trip will allow the team to start their season with some stiff competition from D-III and D-I schools. The matches in California will also set the tone for the season.

"They will be a chance to make an impression on some of the better teams," said Lee.

Back east, the Panthers will face some tough competitors in the NESCAC from the likes of Williams and Amherst. Although confident, when pressed for predictions, the tri-captains refused to commit to any results; rather, they stressed that the team members will work and play as hard as they can.

- Martin Breu, Staff Writer

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Panther women's tennis starts up again this weekend with the Middlebury Invitational, a two-day event in which Middlebury will compete against teams from Brandeis, NYU, Connecticut College and Bates College.

According to senior co-captain Clare Burke '09, "[the team] has been working really hard during this preseason and I think everyone is ready to have that work translate into solid match play."

The spring season will be filled with challenging matches against some of the best Division III teams in the country, including the top-ranked Williams College team and the number two ranked squad from Washington and Lee.

The Panthers struggled with injuries in the fall, and once again will be missing some key players for the first few weeks of the spring season due to injuries.

"The diagnoses for the most part have been positive and it seems that none of [the injuries] are super serious," said Burke. "A couple of players have to take a week or two off. Even so, I think the team is looking good. People worked very hard in the off-season, especially our freshmen, and it shows. I think we are going to have a very good season."

The team certainly has a great outlook for the season, and hopes that under the guidance of captains Burke and Elizabeth Stone '09, the players will be able to win their first NESCAC championship this spring.

"We have a fairly young team with five freshmen, but everyone is very talented and dedicated," said Annie Weinberg '10. "We certainly have a shot at beating some of the top teams."

Taking the numerous team injuries into account, the team hopes that its attitude and hard work in the off-season will translate into a successful spring.

- Alex Lovett-Woodsum, Staff Writer

MEN'S LACROSSE

After being unceremoniously dethroned in the NESCAC semifinals, the date with Williams on April 24 cannot come soon enough for the Panthers. The loss, and the season as a whole, was less an indicator of a slip in Panther skill than of the emerging parody in Division III lacrosse. The men's streak of eight consecutive NESCAC championships ended last year, but the storied program seems poised to start anew this season. Ranked by InsideLacrosse and LaxPower as preseason #3 and #4, respectively, it would appear that the lacrosse world agrees.

The Panthers are losing several key players from last year's quarterfinals run. The attack will continue to use a heavy dose of Pete Smith's '10 distributing, Matt Ferrer's '09 crease work and Tom Petty's '09 dodging, but they lose honorable mention all-American Jim Cabrera '08 and his 23 goals from a year ago. Cabrera's size, strength and powerful shot complemented others' strengths and created space for strong midfield dodges. David Hild '12 took this past off-season very seriously, adding muscle and honing his shot in preparation to fill Cabrera's large shoes.

On the defensive side, Middlebury has a very young corps of long poles. The Panthers lost honorable mention all-American John Bambrick '08 and second team all-American James Guay at close defense, as well as long-pole midfield specialist Glenn Bickley '08. Charlie Schopp '10 returns at close defense with football standout Mike Quinn '09, but three first-year players, Matt Rayner '12, Briggs Davis '12 and Henry Clark '12 will see extensive time. Captain Pete Britt '09 gained a critical year of experience between the pipes last season, but the success of the defense rides on the ability of youngsters to step up.

After a drought of NCAA finals appearances, the Panthers look to prove that they belong with the likes of Gettysburg, Salisbury and Cortland State as perennial title-contenders. The team has assembled the pieces around NESCAC player of the year and first team all-American Mike Stone '09, but the real question is if they will fit. Let's hope that this time when Williams rolls into town with their vertically-challenged goalie, we can remember it as the game that sparked the run, not the game that ended the streak.

- Jeb Burchenal, Staff Writer

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Middlebury women's lacrosse ended last season with a 9-7 loss to Hamilton in the NCAA regional final. That was the first time the team did not make an appearance in the Final Four in 14 years.

This year, they are looking to make history in a different way.

With a new defensive method and some talented offensive threats, the squad has different plans for this season.

Middlebury's defense seems like it will be the backbone of the team.

Last year Middlebury played with a zone in the defensive end but this year the team is switching to a different plan of attack.

Attacker Chase Delano '11 commented that "the new 'D' we will be using is a lot more intimidating and aggressive and will rattle a lot of the attack that we face on opposing teams this season."

Anchored by a pair of senior co-captains - defender Taryn Petrelli '09 and goalie Blair Bowie '09 - the Panther defense is up to the challenge of adjusting its tactics.

"They are speedy and aggressive and have been working great together in the new defensive system," Delano added.

Middlebury's offensive squad has the potential to be some of the fiercest competition in the league.

After losing some high scoring seniors, Middlebury will look to different players to generate scoring opportunities this season, relying on upperclassmen Dana Heritage '10 and tri-captain Kate Barton '09.

"We have big shoes to fill after losing seniors like Katherine Entwisle and Mimi Shatz on attack, but we also have some new rookie talent to look forward to, as well as some returners who really know how to light it up," said Delano, who proved to be an offensive threat last year in her freshman campaign.

Whether on offense or defense, the players on the Middlebury team are well prepared for the exciting challenges that the season will bring.

The Panthers opened the season with a 14-6 win over Bates College and will play their first home game on Friday, March 13 against Babson.

- Julia Ireland, Staff Writer

GOLF

After the long winter hiatus, the men's and women's golf teams are ready to break out their clubs and hit the ground running. Both teams had very strong fall seasons, putting them in a great position to go to nationals.

"We're definitely excited to start the spring season again," said Courtney Mazzei '11, who placed first overall in the NESCAC Tournament and led the team as the Panthers clinched NESCACs last October at Williams.

The Panthers are hoping to follow up on last year's 14th-place finish at the Division III national tournament in Iowa. They are ranked fourth in the nation after their fall season and are poised to make a return.

"We're going to have to overcome the rustiness from the winter," she said. "We're all working back into it and spring break is going to be really important for us." The team is going to Florida over break to fine tune for the upcoming season.

"We're really optimistic," said Liz Hirsch '11. "We have everything we need; the biggest challenge is going to be putting it together."

The men's team is also looking to capitalize on their strong fall and make another run at Nationals.

"Last year in the spring, we made a really big push to qualify for nationals and fell just short," said Brian Cady '11. "We know going into this year that we can do it."

The Panthers hosted the NESCAC qualifier last September and put on a show for the home crowd, coming in first and setting the stage for the NESCAC finals this April.

The key to success for the men is going to be beating these schools again and having a strong spring break.

"Mike McCormick '09 is going to be the senior we're going to look to for a solid performance," said Cady. "We have the people that can shoot the scores to make nationals."

The season opens up in Florida, at the Division III national course against Williams. The Ephs, Hamilton, and Trinity are going to be the Panthers' biggest rivals, with all three schools coming to Middlebury for the NESCAC finals. If the Panthers can beat them again, they will receive an automatic bid to Nationals.

- James Schwerdtman, Staff Writer

TRACK AND FIELD

Anyone intimately acquainted with the track and field world will tell you that the indoor season is really more of a buildup to outdoor than a true season in its own right. It essentially serves as a barometer to outdoor success, and if this year's indoor season is any indication, the Middlebury track and field team should be in good shape making the transition from the bubble to the track this spring. Both the women's and men's squads, after 3rd- and 7th-place respective finishes in NESCACs last spring, are looking to build upon last year's success.

"The competition is going to be harder this year," said Alice Wisener '11. "Based on indoor results, it looks like we are going to have a better team and will be able to compete at a higher level." The women's middle-distance and distance events in particular look poised for a great season, building off the success of both the women's cross country and indoor seasons. Kaitlynn Saldanha '11 will be one to watch in the spring after qualifying provisionally for Nationals in the indoor season in the 800-meter event. Sophia Spring '11 saw a great rookie season last spring running the 1500 and 3000 and will likely add another dimension to the women's distance success this season. After breaking school records in both the 500 and 600 in the indoor season, Katy Magill '11 promises to carry the middle-distance team into the spring season, while rookie Becca Fanning '12, running well in both the 500 and 600m indoors, is hoping to add to the success of this talented bunch in the 400.

A solid core of senior leaders, anchored by co-captains Kelley Coughlan '09 and Jen Katz '09, will carry this relatively young team into the season. Jen Brenes, also a senior and current 100-meter hurdles school record holder, should be another invaluable veteran while rookie Mia Martinez '12, building off success in the 55m hurdles in indoor, represents just one athlete in a very talented class of first-years.

On the men's side, an excellent jumping crew, led by pole vaulters Adam Dede '11 and a currently-injured Kristoffer Williams '11, could shape up to be one of the best in the NESCAC. Leadership should be provided by a good group of seniors including captains Ben Fowler '09 in the 800 and Chandler Koglmeier '09 in the hammer throw. Look to Micah Wood '10, an all-NESCAC and all-New England runner in the 200 and 400, to lead the mid-distance sprinters and keep an eye open for up-and-coming rookies John Montroy '12 in the 110 hurdles and Mike Schmidt '12, current school record holder in the 3000.

The goal of the season, according to Martin Beatty '84, is to "do as best as we can in our conference," hopefully culminating in a team win in NESCACs. Going into a challenging season, he believes the key to success will be "really good strength across the board," something such a diverse and talented team seems to have in full supply.

While only time will tell for this Middlebury team, prospects for a successful spring season look good.

- Alyssa O'Gallagher, Staff Writer