Photo by Scott Eyre.

Season preview: softball looks to better 2016’s runner-up finish

The EMU softball team has big shoes to fill to make another impressive tournament run, following last year’s close loss in the ODAC championship. Coach JD McCurdy calls on the Royals to “finish it” this year.

The Royals went down to the wire last season with Virginia Wesleyan, the top-ranked team in the nation heading into the 2016 NCAA Tournament, but ultimately took the loss in extra innings for the championship at the ODAC Tournament. McCurdy takes notices of the differences between this year’s team and last year’s, but keeps the same mentality in taking on the new season.

“We were more of a power team last year and this year’s team is more of a speed-oriented team that hits the ball well,” McCurdy explained. “Our expectations are always to win the championship. Nothing is different from this year and last year there; we just need to finish it.”

Among Royals’ strengths, McCurdy explains that pitching will be the most prominent. He says that the veteran presence of Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) and Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) will hold importance for the season as a whole.

Reath led the team in innings pitched last season with 133.0. She held an ERA of 3.16 and stuck out 63 on the season. Seale pitched the second most for the Royals with 120.2 innings. She finished the year with a 3.19 ERA and had a K/7 of 5.57, having 96 strikeouts on the year.

“Lauren worked hard in the offseason and Sydney came back stronger than ever through tough off season conditioning and fall season practice,” McCurdy said.

McCurdy also notes that Alexa Sheets (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby), who will be returning from a season-ending injury early last season, will see a significant number of innings. Freshman Christine Colson (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) will also compete for some innings early in her career.

“We will be very strong in the circle with veteran pitching from Lauren and Sydney,” McCurdy added.

On the offensive side of the diamond, McCurdy says, “our upperclassmen are going to have to step up.”

In their 45 games played last season, the Royals put up a .354 batting average and had 33 home runs. The offensive game for the Royals has been consistently strong within the ODAC. But with the loss of 22 of their homeruns from last season, including a combined 12 from seniors Aislinn Lucas and Angelia Miller, the Royals will look to hit for average primarily, sprinkling in some power in the midst.

Senior third baseman Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) will be the centerpiece for the Royals’ offense. Along with great defense, she batted .358 with nine walks and just three strikeouts. She also had 11 doubles and 30 RBIs.

Being one of the few seniors on the team, McCurdy will look to Foltz as a leader in the lineup and on the team as a whole, and hopes that her power numbers will increase.

“Mariah came back in great physical shape and is hitting the ball harder than ever,” McCurdy said.

Notable returners at the plate put up high numbers last season and hope to continue their offensive fortitude in the ODAC.

Seale returns a .306 batting average and five home runs from last year. With the good numbers from both in the circle and at the plate, she will try to continue being one of the top two-way players in the ODAC. Reath and Sheets also show good numbers at the plate alongside their dominance in the circle. Sheets hit .409 last season with three doubles and two home runs, scoring 18 runs out of the leadoff spot before being sidelined in late March. Reath added a .381 slate alongside 11 doubles and 25 RBIs.

Sophomore centerfielder Tiffani Shaheen (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) is recovering from knee surgery coming into the 2017 season. She led the team in at-bats out of the No. 2 spot in the order last season with 155. She will attempt to build off of her .387 average upon returning from injury.

The Royals brought in a large freshman class this season with a total of nine newcomers. McCurdy sees a great deal of them competing for playing time out of the gate and making an immediate impact for EMU.

He notes catcher Taylor Hensley (Orange, Va./Orange County), outfielder Beck Hoskins (Danville, Va./Westover Christian Academy), infielder Mariann Smith (Hood, Va./Madison County), infielder Cassidey Chrisman (Staunton, Va./Riverheads), infielder Savannah Jones (Stanley, Va./Page County), and infielder Michaela Nichols (Luray, Va./Luray) as significant recruits to help the Royals early in their careers.

McCurdy says that this freshman class “will all be huge parts of our game and will be tough in the lineup.”

Eastern Mennonite was picked fourth in the ODAC Preseason Poll.

“Preseason polls mean absolutely nothing to me and I pay no attention to them,” McCurdy said. “We just look at the road ahead and that is to win a championship.”

One of the main things that McCurdy promotes is for his team to play their season “one game at a time.” He builds into his players that the season is a long and strenuous one, and to stay focused as the games pick up in order to achieve their ultimate goal: to win it all.

The Royals begin that mission at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., opening play with two games on Sunday. The home opener is Friday, March 17.

Click here to see the full 2017 EMU Softball schedule.