West Deptford Softball Preview: Pitching Still the Strength

There’s an age-old saying that applies to both baseball and softball: If you have pitching, you have a chance.

It’s an ideal that softball coach Amanda Schramm is holding onto as her Eagles enter the spring season. West Deptford is coming off of a 16-8 season, but the program lacks depth this year and has lingering offensive issues.

However, the team also has veteran pitchers in Marissa Linquist and Sydney Ponto.

“In softball, if you have pitching, you can compete," said Schramm. "So as far as the conference goes, we will be up there." 

For the first few weeks of the season it will be up to Linquist to keep the Eagles on the winning track. Ponto is recovering from a shoulder injury and is not expected to be back in the lineup for several games. Linquist is a two-year starter, who has good command and average-to-above average speed. She helped guide the Eagles to a winning record the last two seasons and Schramm sees no reason why she can’t do that again.

Also playing a valuable role on the team will be senior Danielle McKeown, who is Schramm’s "do-everything" player. At one time or another through her career, McKeown has played every position but pitcher. The team’s regular second baseman, McKeown will start the season at shortstop while Ponto recovers. Schramm has also used McKeown in the outfield at times this preseason and would not hesitate to do so in during real games.

“I rely on her to do anything I need,” Schramm said. “(Thursday) we were playing a team that hit the ball all over the place so I threw her in the outfield because I know she will catch anything. She is very smart and coachable. She has those instincts that you can’t teach. She leads by example, is low-maintenance and knows what she has to do. She is just so athletic, you can put her anywhere.”

The Eagles should be strong up the middle as catcher Kat Ziegler returns for her junior season, while Summer Wenzel slides from right field to center.  Some of the other positions will be locked down by players who had lesser roles last season. How quickly those players can develop—particularly with the bat—will go a long way in determining whether the Eagles can match or surpass their win total from last season.

“I would like to match our record from last year, and I think we are capable of doing that,” said Schramm. “It’s just a matter of how quickly we can grow and become a team.”

SOFTBALL:

Coach: Amanda Schramm

Last year: 16-8

Returning letter winners: Marissa Linquist (jr./P. SS); Danielle McKeown (sr./2B); Sydney Ponto; Kat Ziegler (jr./C) Summer Wenzel (jr./CF); Morgan Brown (jr./IB); Katie Boyde (sr./OF).

Promising newcomers: Brianna Fisher (fr./3B); Christian Landwher (sr./OF).

Team to beat: Haddon Heights, Sterling.

Outlook: The injury to Ponto will hurt short term, due to the lack of varsity depth. However, the Eagles still have enough talent to match last year’s win total and be a serious threat when the Group 2 playoffs role around.

Three storylines to follow:

–The play of two freshmen. Brianna Fisher and Christian Landwher are both expected to log serious innings this year, a daunting task as freshmen. Both players have strong defensive skills, which has earned them a place in varsity, and if their offensive skills develop quickly, they can provide the batting order with some much-needed depth.

–A tough non-conference schedule. The Colonial Conference is nothing to scoff at, but the Eagles’ out-of-conference schedule is where some of the team’s toughest games await. West Deptford has the likes of Lenape, Washington Township, Cherokee and Kingsway on its schedule as well as place in the Hammonton Tournament, which always offers stiff competition. The schedule could result in a few more losses than wins, but will also prepare the team for the playoffs.

–Staying healthy. The team must stay healthy if it wishes to have a successful season. There simply is not enough depth in the program to sustain another injury, with Ponto already slated to miss some time.