2006 Softball Season Preview
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

DEFIANCE, Ohio—The Defiance College Softball Team finished the 2005 season tying a school record with 28 wins while winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament for the second straight season. The team also advanced to the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Yet the 2006 Yellow Jackets are not content with last year’s finish. 2006 looks to be a season of improvement, as Defiance seeks to win the conference tournament for the third consecutive year and advance farther into the NCAA Tournament.

Though the Yellow Jacket roster doesn’t boast a single senior, leadership roles have been assumed by the underclassmen, while the incoming freshman will be looked upon to fill the void left by the graduated seniors. The departure of Kalette Peters (DC ‘05 – Arcanum, OH), leaves first base open, as Ashley Wickard (So. – Bowling Green, OH) and Traci DeMattia (Fr. – Rock Creek, OH) will compete for time at that position. Renee Steffen (Jr. – Leipsic, OH), one of the team’s leaders, will shift from second base to shortstop in order to fill the shoes of Chris Moreo (DC ‘05 – Delphos, OH), who batted .359 last season for the Jackets. Stephanie Lieto (Fr. – Monroe, MI) and Kayla Crager (Marion, OH) will both platoon at second base, taking over Steffen’s old position. Monica Sigurdson (Jr. – Oregon, OH) will return at third base, with Sara Wlasiuk (So. – St. Clair Shores, MI) providing depth at the hot corner. Also rounding out the Jacket infield is newcomer Deirdre Trujillo (Jr. – Barnegat, NJ), a member of the DC Women's Soccer team.

Strong pitching proved to be the key to the 2005 season, and 2006 appears to be no different, as the Yellow Jackets return two of their starters in the form of Alicia Allen (Jr. – Grafton, OH) and Robin Diers (So. - Pleasant Hill, OH). A strong postseason performance was posted by Allen last season, as her pitching helped Defiance through the HCAC Tournament and the NCAA Regionals. The eight wins for Diers placed her second on the team, while posting a respectable 3.04 ERA. To complement these two, Defiance adds two more strong arms in the form of Brittany Sims (Fr. – Ney, OH), and Justine Johnston (Fr. – Wauseon, OH). These freshmen will be looked upon to make immediate contributions, as both were All-State pitchers in high school. Kelsey Sugg (So. - Archbold, OH), last season’s HCAC Freshman of the Year, will serve as the main battery mate for the Jacket rotation, providing strong leadership for the pitchers, while Melanie Bushman (Fr. – Harrison, OH) and Robin Mason (So. – Baltimore, MD) add depth behind the plate as well as strong bats.

The Jacket outfield is equally deep with the addition of Amanda Auzins (Fr. – Napoleon, OH), Corrine D’Emilio (Fr. – Oregon, OH), Cori Long (So. – Willard, OH), and Allison Ramsay (Fr. – Van Wert, OH) go to along with returners Jessica Smith (Jr. – Attica, OH), Logan Graher (Jr. – Covington, OH), Laurel Palk (So. – Lansing, MI), and Robin Mason (Jr. – Baltimore, MD). The team looks to utilize their speed and accurate arms to solidify the defense.

Head Coach Jodie Holava begins her first season as with the Yellow Jackets, taking over for Kary Kankey, who was 95-115 during her five seasons at Defiance. Holava has years of experience as both a head coach and an assistant coach, spending last year as an assistant at the Notre Dame College of Ohio and three consecutive summers as a head coach for a traveling softball team with the National Softball Association. Holava will look to build upon last year’s finish and continue the success that the Yellow Jackets have had in the past.

The 2006 Softball season begins for Defiance College on March 10 when the Yellow Jackets take on Centre College at Danville, Kentucky. Their first home game of the season is on March 22 against Albion College, and conference play begins April 5 at Manchester College.