IT NEVER GETS OLD

The men captured their 10^th Midwest Conference team title and the women their eighth at the 2009 Indoor Championship Track & Field Meet held this weekend at Monmouth College.

“This was a good team win,” said Coach Roger Haynes who was named the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year. “Every single person we had contributed in some way. Overall, it wasn’t as overwhelming a win as we have had in the past, but it was a win.”

Monmouth’s men sat in fourth place going into Saturday’s final round, but found enough points on the second day to overtake first found leader Grinnell. The Scots’ 149 points was narrowly enough to hold off second place Illinois College, winning by just 24 points. The women had an easier time with a 195-137 cushion to best Carroll for the women’s title. Junior thrower Gloria Lehr earned the women’s co-Most Outstanding Field Performer.

“We talked last week about doing well with each entry,” said Haynes. “The women did a really good job of that. They ran improved times, or very near that in almost every event. They did a really nice job.”

The women led from start to finish, but the men had to overtake three teams on the final day to pull out another conference title. Along with the usual cast of consistent performers, the Scots’ men found some success in unfamiliar places.

“Some of our lesser-known kids really saved us this weekend,” said Haynes. “(Freshman) Paul Terpening in the throws had big personal-bests. Our young sprinters, Saidu Sesay and Kyle Prout, were both very good. Logan Weir scoring for us in the 800 was big considering he had only competed in that event the last two weekends.”

Sesay, Prout and Aaron Daverin made up more than two thirds of the field in the 55 dash finals. Sesay was fourth, Prout fifth and Daverin sixth.

Logan Hohl joined first day winners Tim Bentz, Luke Reschke, Jake Stott, Ryan Hardman and Brock McAnally as conference champions. Hohl and Reschke successfully defended their titles Saturday afternoon. Hohl clocked a 7.78 to repeat as the 55-meter hurdles champion. Reschke ran a Huff Athletic Center record to break the tape for the third straight year in the 400-meter dash, winning with a provisional time of 49.41. Stott placed fourth and Hohl fifth.

Stott, Reschke and Hohl just missed the awards stand, but gained valuable points on Illinois College in the 200-meters Saturday when only one Blue Boy scored. Stott and Reschke finished fourth and fifth, Hohl was seventh.

“Those three guys (Stott, Reschke, Hohl), have been very consistent for us,” praised Haynes. “They run multiple races and we expect them to be good every time.”

That trio, plus Hardman, finished in second in the 4x400 relay and improved their provisional qualifying time with a 3:19.37, less than a half second back of winner Carroll.

While the sprinters were having a day Saturday, Monmouth’s distance runners added more valuable points. The distance medley relay team of Patrick Mundschenk, Jon Welty, Shane Reschke and Geoff Bird ran to a fourth place finish. Damon Bautista placed third in the 800, just over a second out of first. Weir finished sixth and Bentz was seventh.

“If there was a swing event, that was probably it,” said Haynes of the 800-meters. “IC had to run their three guys in the distance medley relay and committed a lot to that. It’s a really short turnaround and none of our kids ran in that. I can credit our DMR guys with giving us the chance to gain ground in the 800 – Jon, Geoff, Shane and Patrick. That allowed some other people to be fresh for the rest of the meet. Shane was the best he’s been all year in the quarter. Pat ran a personal-best in his split. Those guys ran very well to put us fourth in the DMR.”

Matt Hassler led a trio of Scots in a top five finish in the high jump. Hassler and Sean Wells each cleared 6’6” and Tyler Hannam made the height of 6’4” to complete the 3-4-5 finish.

“The high jump guys have trained really well,” reported Haynes. “They picked up some big points for us on Saturday. Matt finished ahead of Sean and Tyler for the first time. He jumped his season-best under very important circumstances.”

Nick Wright, Michael Blodgett and Hardman added more points for the Scots in the triple jump. Wright placed fifth, Blodgett and Hardman finished seventh and eighth.

Terpening unleashed a personal-best throw of 46’3’1/2” to capture fourth in the weight throw. Sam Cokinos was seventh.

A day after the Scots’ women throwers finished 1-2-3 in the shot put, freshman Amanda Streeter threw 48’1-1/4” to win the weight throw just ahead of teammate Tanesha Hughes who uncorked a personal-best 47’8”. Lehr, who led the first day trifecta in the shot, placed fourth.

“The women’s field events were definitely the difference,” praised Haynes of his throwers and jumpers. “Tanesha, Gloria and Amanda did an outstanding job. That’s a senior, junior and freshman. We’ve got some very talented throwers behind them. It would be nice if we could do what a lot of conferences do and use a total number of entries. For example, you could use five throwers and only run one 800 runner.”

Hughes also has the distinction of scoring at the conference meet after just one week of competition and very limited practice time. The multi-sport senior just completed her basketball career and captured the league’s scoring and rebounding crowns.

Shannon Turczyn completed her dominance in the 55-meter hurdles, capturing her fourth straight league title in the event. She broke her own school and Midwest Conference record, winning by more than a half second with an 8.33 clocking to move up to sixth in the national rankings. Katie Vaccarello finished fifth.

“Shannon’s not the powerful sprinter in the 55 hurdles as some of the women at the national meet are,” said Haynes. “But, once she gets over the top of the first few hurdles and gets a rhythm she’s extremely good.”

Good in the 55-dash were Jae Moore, Brittany Lowdermilk and Turczyn. Moore finished second by .01 seconds, Lowdermilk was sixth and Turczyn seventh.

“The 55 girls were very good for us,” said Haynes. “Jae was good in all her events – the 55, 200 and ran on the sprint medley, 4x2 and 4x4 relays. She had a great weekend. Shannon contributed in the same three relays as well.”

Megan McKenna, Whitney Didier and Erin Degelman finished in the top four of the pole vault. McKenna improved her provisional mark and equaled her personal-best, clearing 11’6-1/4” to place second. Dider was third and Degelman fourth.

McKenna, Moore and Morgan Leffel made the awards stand in the triple jump. McKenna took second, Moore sailed a personal-best 34’0-3/4” and tied Leffel for third.

“The jumpers did a very good job for us,” reported Haynes. “Megan had a good meet in all three of her jumps – the pole vault, triple jump and long jump. Jae and Morgan did a nice job in the triple jump Saturday. They both were first-jump jumpers, so that took some pressure off to hit 34 feet on their first jumps.”

Kaci Lierman, Moore, Vaccarello, and Turczyn placed second in the 4x400 relay. Moore and Turczyn clocked personal-bests in the 200. Moore placed fourth in 26.55 and Turczyn was seventh with a time of 26.90. Lierman and Leffel scored in the 400-meters, finishing sixth and eighth.

“Kaci may be our unsung hero,” claimed Haynes. “She really hadn’t been able to practice for the last couple of weeks due to an injury. She hadn’t run a step in practice over that time. For her to be able to run near her season best in the 400 and then help us in the 4x4 was a pretty courageous performance. She’s pretty tough.”

Tough, too were the performances of Mary Kate Beyer and Katie Staab in the distance events. Beyer picked up a third in the 3,000 to go with a third in the mile on Friday. Staab, who finished eighth in the mile, and Whitney Didier ran scoring performances in the 800. Staab and Didier finished within a half second of each other to finish seventh and eighth. Beyer, Lindsie Pettie, Kanisha Lampkin and Bri Flynn took fourth in the distance medley relay. On Friday Beyer and Staab finished 2-3 in the 5,000. Beyer clocked a time of 18:48.23 and Staab ran a personal-best by nearly 30 seconds with an 18:57.87.

“Mary Kate and Katie ran incredibly tough combinations last weekend,” said Haynes. “They did what we talk about when you run a difficult combination of races. You need to start at the front and not worry about saving anything. They were tremendous is the 5K Friday night. To run four races in 24 hours is asking a lot from distance runners.”

In Friday’s action, McAnally cleared a personal-best to win the men’s pole vault. His height of 15’0-1/4” was nearly a foot better than his nearest competitor. Hardman, Bentz, Stott and Luke Reschke teamed for a win in the sprint medley relay. They finished less than a second ahead of runnerup Grinnell by clocking a 3:37.80.

Blodgett took third in the long jump at 21’11-3/4”. Wright placed fifth at 21’6”. A personal-best of 49’4-1/2” in the shot put placed Cokinos third. Peyton Lumzy was seventh at 46’8-1/4” and Terpening took ninth with a throw of 44’11-3/4”.

“What Terpening has accomplished in the shot as a freshman is outstanding,” said Haynes. “He was around 45 feet in high school. Usually athletes will lose about 10 feet when they switch to the heavier shot in college. He’s recovered that 10 feet and was very good with a PR by more than four feet in the weight on Saturday. That was a nice plus since we needed every point we could muster.”

Bird raced to a seventh place finish in the 5,000-meters with a time of 15:55. Baustista took fifth in the mile, running a 4:30.05.

Lehr led the strong showing by the women’s throwers Friday, improving her provisional mark in the shot while setting a school and conference record. Her throw of 44’8” put her in first over Hughes and Streeter. Hughes’ toss of 42’11” and Streeter’s mark of 41’8-1/2” were both personal-bests.

Monmouth’s two relays placed third on the first day of competition. The sprint medley team of Moore, Turczyn, Leffel and Amy Aghababian clocked a 4:22.47. Lowdermilk and Vaccarello joined Moore and Turczyn to run a 1:48.15 in the 4x200.

Heather Hull equaled her personal-best with a high jump of 5’1-1/4” to tie for second. Sarah Stinson’s mark of 4’11-1/2” placed her eighth. McKenna took third in the long jump at 17’6”. Leffel was fifth with a leap of 16’6”.

“Heather really came through Friday night,” said Haynes. “As a sophomore, that was her best conference meet by far.”

With two more conference titles under his belt, Haynes is just hoping next year won’t be quite so stressful.

“The meet complexion should change quite a bit next year for the women,” predicted Haynes. “There were some teams that were very senior dominated. We have some good seniors, but we’ve got some really good freshmen and sophomores who will keep us pretty solid for a few more years.”

Monmouth will travel to UW-Stevens Point this weekend for the last chance to improve their provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships Mar. 13-14. The national field will be set late Sunday.

PERFECTION…ALMOST

A 2-0 weekend pulled the Fighting Scots tennis team back to the .500 mark, but coach Chad Braun still sees areas that need improvement.

“We didn’t play great doubles,” reported Braun who has tried various doubles combinations to find the right mix. “We struggled a little bit there, but we still found a way to get a win.”

The 5-4 win over Dubuque was a nail-biter and it didn’t look good after the doubles competition. Eric Brandhorst and Chris Utterback won their No. 2 doubles match 8-2, but Tyler Lampe and Ben Morrow at No. 3 fell in a squeaker 8-6 to go with Kyle Korb and Sam Graf’s 8-3 loss at No. 1.

The Scots fought back in the singles completion, but it wasn’t easy. Graf blanked his man 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2, No. 3 Brandhorst posted a 6-1, 6-1 win and Morrow handled the job at No. 6, 6-0, 6-1. Korb fell at No. 1, 6-3, 6-2 and Utterback lost a hard fought 7-6, 6-2 decision at No. 4.

That made it 4-4 with one match remaining – Lampe at No. 5 to decide the outcome.

“Tyler was put in another tough situation,” said Braun of his freshman who pulled out a 6-1, 6-1 win. “His match was the last one left and everything hinged on how he played. He pulled out a big match-clinching win for us. He’s been in two pressure match situations to clinch the match for us and he’s handled those situations very well for us. Ben played a great match at No. 6 and Sam and Eric came through in their matches, too, so that put us in position and Tyler finished it off.”

Against Eureka, there was little drama in the Scots’ 9-0 win over the Red Devils after a marathon 9-8, 7-5 win by Korb and Graf at No. 1 doubles. The only other drama – and it really wasn’t – came as a couple of newcomers picked up their first college wins.

Freshman Matt Smith teamed with Lampe at No. 3 doubles for an easy 8-0 win, giving Smith his first win as a college player. Brian Miller took the court at No. 6 singles and didn’t drop a game in picking up his first collegiate win by a 6-0, 6-0 margin.

The usual No. 2 team of Utterback and Brandhorst took care of business in doubles, winning 8-1, giving the Scots a 3-0 lead heading into singles competition where Braun’s netters dominated.

Korb picked up an easy 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1. Graf posted a win at No. 2, 6-2, 6-0. Brandhorst coasted to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3. Utterback didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 4 and with the pressure off at No. 5, Lampe handed the Scots a 6-1, 6-0 win.

“Kyle played very well last weekend,” said Braun of his senior. “He looked good in both his singles matches and he’s hitting his backhand extremely well.”

Brandhorst, the Scots’ only other senior, dropped just three games all weekend, something not lost on his coach.

“Eric is playing tremendous tennis right now, both singles and doubles,” praised Braun. “He’s hitting the ball very well. The way he’s playing I don’t want to go on break next week.”

Like it, or not, the Scots take next week off and host Ripon in a non-conference match on the 20^th. Braun is hoping the break doesn’t interrupt the Scots’ momentum from last weekend.

“The consistent thing right now is, we’re getting good play out of Nos. 2, 3 and 5,” said Braun. “Sam, Eric and Tyler are all playing tremendous singles for us right now. Ben’s game is starting to come around and he’s really making some progress. Chris is playing great doubles for us and his singles play is getting better every week.”

MOVIN’ ON UP

With the NCAA Indoor Championships just a week away, the men’s and women’s track teams have moved up in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) power rankings.

In the most recent rankings released Wednesday, the Fighting Scots women moved up two places from two weeks ago and are ranked 20th. The men edged up one notch from their initial ranking to the No. 23 position. The rankings, which compares teams based on performances during the current season, is released weekly by the USTFCCA.

The Monmouth men, with 132.62 points, are less than 14 points from the top 10. The top six nationally ranked teams are from the NCAA’s Midwest region, the same region as the Scots who are ranked 10th in the region. Monmouth’s women were 11th in the region and with 129.92 points, less than six points from cracking the national top 10.

The Scots have one last chance to qualify athletes for next weekend’s national championships. The will travel to UW-Stevens Point for a meet this Saturday.

BASEBALL STRIKES IT RICH

After finishing a disappointing 9-24 last year, baseball coach Roger Sander had two options: 1) hope his returning senior pitching staff made themselves better, or 2) get a really good recruiting class.

“I feel like I won the lottery,” said Sander. “I challenged the senior pitchers to get better and they did that. We also got a great recruiting class. On paper, it’s a great freshman class, but they’ll still have to prove it.”

If Sander gets the kind of pitching he’s expecting, the Scots could play a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader and still have arms left in the bullpen. The Scots boast no fewer than eight pitchers in contention for serious mound time – and that’s not counting any newcomers who may step up throughout the season.

Five seniors who showed great promise as sophomores, but stumbled a bit as juniors, form the base of what Sander hopes is a solid pitching staff. As sophomores, the group accounted for 10 of the Scots’ 18 wins that season.

“The senior class of pitchers were decent as freshmen and pretty good as sophomores,” said Sander. “Collectively, they had a bad year as juniors. We need them to get back to the form they showed earlier in their careers. We’ll live and die with those guys, and last year we died.”

Brian Chandler (Athens, Ill./Athens) heads the group of veteran pitchers who want to resurrect the staff’s effectiveness. Chandler logged the most innings last season (56.1) and became the Scots’ most versatile pitcher, seeing action as a starter, middle reliever and closer. He even appeared in a doubleheader last season as the closer in Game 1 and the starter in Game 2. Drew Johnson (North Henderson, Ill./United) recorded the best ERA of the senior returners (5.79) and Matt Tye (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) equaled Chandler and Johnson for the most wins at two each. Lefties Matt Bourne (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) and Chris Albanese (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) round out the senior staff.

“Right now, Chandler is our No. 1 guy,” said Sander. “The stats last year didn’t show how valuable he was. Our five seniors have the mentality that they all want to be the No. 1, and that’s the way we like it. I think we’ll be pretty good on the mound.”

Waiting in the wings and ready to go are four sophomores: Robbie Hinkle (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg), Corey Gruber (Galesburg, Ill./Abingdon), the “improved” Chris Wolcott (Gurnee, Ill./Warren) and transfer Zach Myers (Dwight, Ill./Dwight). Once Hinkle and Gruber get into shape following the basketball season, the “live armed” duo could also be in the mix for the starting rotation.

“We should be pretty deep with pitching,” reported Sander. “We’ve gravitated toward using our bullpen more in the last few years. We should have plenty of good arms to give us some options.”

While a plethora of pitchers return, that’s not exactly the case when it comes to position players. The Scots lost three all-conference performers from a year ago – Jake Bice, Ryan Priola and Matt McIntire. Another senior, Ryan Stubler suffered through an off year as a senior, but earned all-league honors his first three years, including the Player of the Year honor his freshman year.

“We lost some really good baseball talent with graduation,” lamented Sander. “The flip side is we recruited some really good athletes. Not to take anything away from last year’s seniors ­– they were good baseball players. But these new kids are good athletes in addition to being pretty fair ballplayers. We lost our two corner people, but I feel like we’re better this year. We’ll have more team speed than ever and we should be able to generate more power than we had last year. We’ve never stressed power as much as making good contact and attacking the defense. We’ll see what happens, but we’ve got some big holes to fill.”

Filling those holes at the corners will be a pair of freshmen. Caleb Ruyle (Jacksonville, Ill./Routt) takes over at third and Chad Kamm (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) gets the call at first. Ruyle, who earned a state title at Routt, impressed Sander as a solid hitter and “gritty” player. Kamm, a converted high school third baseman, is described as a player who can show occasional power, and “really attacks the ball.”

Handling the pitching staff will be another freshman, Brad Winkler (LaGrange Park, Ill./Lyons Township). Winkler drew jersey number 72, which might suggest a deep reserve, but White Sox fans will remember Carlton Fisk wore that number in Chicago. Don’t draw any comparisons between Winkler and Pudge, but Sander had an immediate short answer to describe his rookie backstop – “He’s good.”

“He’s a very solid catcher,” continued Sander. “He handles the pitchers well. He has a good command of the game and hits the ball well.”

Sander will count on a couple of veterans to handle the middle infield duties. Senior Kevin Sashko (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) and junior Tom Shaver (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) return to their starting positions from a year ago at short and second, respectively.

“They’ve really taken it upon themselves to show some leadership,” reported Sander. “They’ve stepped up to guide this team. They work well together and have put in a lot of time to help us get better.”

Much like the bullpen, Sander has options on the infield, too. Vinnie Vitale (Gurnee, Ill./Warren), Payton Judy (Homer, Ill./Heritage) and Jake Virgo (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) could also see time as middle infielders. Chaz Baggio (Bedford Park, Ill./Argo) is in his third season and is ready to spell Winkler behind the plate.

All-conference sophomore Billy Herrin (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) returns to center field. The speedy left-handed hitter leads all returnees with a .333 average. Another fleet-footed outfielder, senior Willy Mason (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South), swiped a team-high 13 bases in 14 attempts last season and will get playing time along with junior Brett Peterson (Burlington, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and freshman Terry Davis (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington).

“Peterson and Davis aren’t in the speed league with Mason and Herrin, but we’ve got another freshman, Rick Caruso (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich), who is as quick as Mason and Herrin,” said Sander. “If we went with those three in the outfield, we could flat out run some balls down.”

With more power, more speed and a very talented freshman class, Sander has just two questions on his mind: 1) will the freshmen play like freshmen, or just go play ball, and 2) will the senior pitching staff return to the form that showed so much promise two seasons ago?

“The bottom line is pitching,” said Sander. “Everything in baseball relies on pitching. We know we’ve got a good staff, they just have to show it.”

Sander would also like to show the Midwest Conference the Scots have returned to the form that won them seven straight division titles from 2001-07. Last season, the MWC’s South Division needed a playoff to determine the division representatives for the league tournament after all four teams – Monmouth, Grinnell, Knox and Illinois College – were deadlocked at 6-6 at the end of the regular season.

“The conference is up for grabs again this season,” said Sander. “We’re going to be competitive and I think this year is as wide open as last year.”

If it’s all the same to Sander, he would just as soon cash in his recruiting “lottery” winnings and wrap up the division in regulation – that is if his senior pitching staff performs like they were sophomores and his freshmen play like they are veterans.

FOCUSING ON A TITLE

Reigning Midwest Conference Coach of the Year John Goddard isn’t satisfied that his team qualified for the conference tournament for the first time in five years last season – and his players aren’t, either.

“Last year our goal was to make the conference playoffs,” said Goddard. “Once we qualified, we had a letdown. That won’t be the case this year. The women have set the goal to get beyond the conference tournament and advance to the NCAA tournament. This is a very focused and determined group.”

Reaching the national tournament might seem like a pretty lofty goal considering the team lost four of their top five hitters from a year ago. Four-time all-conference shortstop Emily Willems graduated and took her .446 average with her. Also lost to graduation is catcher Kristen Bickett (.357) and outfielder Anna Coutts (.295). The Scots also suffered an unexpected offensive blow when two-time all-league third baseman and academic all-conference selection Kembra Bell (.349) opted to concentrate on academics her junior year.

While he wouldn’t mind having those numbers returning, Goddard isn’t exactly lacking for talent. Fourteen freshman and transfers will be mixed with 10 seasoned veterans to form what Goddard expects to be a multi-faceted team. 

“We were extremely fortunate to get the amount of quality recruits that we did,” said Goddard. “We’ve got a good blend of power and speed. We wanted to build on last year’s successes and these new players come in with good pedigrees. Some of our new kids have played on the national stage through the ASA and we expect all of them, regardless of their national exposure, to contribute.”

Also contributing is the addition of local pitching guru Jeff Tyrrell. The veteran coach has a plethora of good arms with which to work.

Sarah Christensen (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) enters her senior campaign as the South Division Pitcher of the Year. She fanned 73 batters a year ago and is fourth all-time on Monmouth’s K list. Last year’s No. 2 pitcher, Amanda Murdock (Aledo, Ill./Aledo), has been “like night and day” in the preseason. The pitcher who dominated as a prep star has regained that form and added a four-seam fastball to her repertoire. She is expected to get plenty of starts in the circle. Crafty senior Ashley Tocha (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) has picked up more velocity to make her screwball even more effective coming out of the bullpen.

“Coach Tyrrell tells me Ashley has been the biggest surprise of the pitching staff,” claimed Goddard. “He tweaked her delivery just a bit and she’s throwing better than ever. The addition of our pitching coach has really helped develop our younger pitchers and has strengthened our veterans.”

A trio of freshmen are showing great promise and will deepen an already strong pitching staff. Elissa Sexton (Rockbridge, Ill./Greenfield), a hard thrower with “lots of potential” is in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. Megan Butler (London Mills, Ill./North Fulton) and consummate utility player Brittany Forney (Spring Valley, Ill./Hall) round out a deep bullpen. The fleet-footed Forney could also see action in the outfield and infield as well as in the circle. Butler could also log time in the outfield.

“Elissa can bring the heat,” reported Goddard. “She’s got great control, but needs to work a bit on her off-speed stuff. Megan is improving daily and I expect her to get plenty of opportunities coming out of the bullpen. Brittany is a hard thrower, but she will probably see more time as a position player.”

If speed kills, the Scots could be deadly, with no fewer than six players tagged as base stealing threats.

“We have more overall team speed than we have had in the five years I’ve been associated with the program,” claimed Goddard, who will also have a good mix of power in the lineup. “We could be extremely fast and could put together a legitimate lineup that has six base stealers and three power hitters.”

One of those potential base stealers comes in an unlikely package. Normally, catchers aren’t known for their speed, but freshman backstop Lauren Bergstresser (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) is routinely among the top three when the Scots run their speed drills; Forney and senior outfielder Ashley Parer (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island) are the other two. A switch hitter, Bergstresser has power from both sides, but is adept at reaching base via the slap. She has the early inside track behind the plate, but junior Natalie Giannini (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton) has two years collegiate experience under her belt and is set to spell Bergstresser when needed. Line-drive hitter Colleen Zumpf (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), a freshman, could see action behind the plate or at third once she “gets her land legs and arms” back after a successful swim season. Another freshman, 5-foot-10 Danielle Adams (Burlington, Iowa/Fulton), gives the Scots plenty of candidates behind the plate.

“Lauren is still adjusting to the college game,” said Goddard. “She’s got a good arm and bat, so we expect her to be a major factor for us. Natalie will also contribute greatly. She’ll be a great mentor for our young catchers. Colleen is still a few weeks away from being in form, but once she adjusts to being on dry land, she’ll be a valuable bat for us. She makes good contact and won’t strike out much. Danielle is solid and gives us options to move people around.”

Two-time all-conference junior Maggie Dort (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton) gets the early nod at first base. The 5-foot-11 Dort possesses an aggressive bat and found a late-season power surge as a sophomore to tie for the team lead in home runs (3) and finish the year with the team’s fourth best average (.320). Newcomer Jessica Markley (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) can attack the ball from the left side and will press Dort for time at first. With both equal defensively, playing time may be determined by who’s hitting well.

A pair of veterans are a battling for control of second base. Sophomore Erin Fitzpatrick (New Lenox, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) and junior Val Stier (Avon, Ill./Avon) split time at second last season. The tandem hit within eight points of one another last year so, like first, second base could be determined by who’s carrying the hot bat.

It’s an all-freshman left side of the infield where Morgan Seiler (Chillicothe, Ill./IVC) will handle the shortstop duties and converted first baseman Chelsea Merritt (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) moves to third. Like her father, Hall of Famer Bill Seiler, the younger Seiler possesses a solid bat and glove. A strong-armed fielder with good range, Goddard expects his freshman shortstop to hit with power. She could be occasionally spelled by Forney.

Like Seiler, Merritt has a solid glove and an exceptionally good arm – and she can hit for power. Zumpf or slick-fielding freshman Brittany Fox (Stronghurst, Ill./West Central) will serve as Merritt’s backup.

Parer enters her final season ready to patrol center field. The contact hitter tied for the team lead in stolen bases last season (6) and anchors a solid outfield. She’ll be backed up by freshman Britta Dixon (Aledo, Ill./Aledo), who has also taken some reps on the infield.

“Out in right field” won’t be a bad thing for Monmouth this season. Freshman Brooke Twohill (Lemont, Ill./Lemont Township) is a potential base stealer and the fastest of three vying for the starting spot. The strong-armed rookie also sports a “very good” bat with occasional power. Senior Maggie Scudella (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way) and transfer Megan Kovacevich (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) are also in the mix.

Fans may need a program to identify the left fielder and it’s a dead heat among three with good wheels. Sophomore Haley Lyons (Grayslake, Ill./Warren), a left-handed hitter, is getting a challenge from Forney, who is called the third-fastest player on the team, and another speedy freshman, left-handed slapper Amanda Snyder (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield).

“It’s a real dogfight over there,” said Goddard of his left field options. “Brittany has the most power and speed of the three, but I expect all of them to get plenty of playing time.”

Goddard will have a full stable of good bats to use in the designated player position. Forney or Zumpf will likely fill that role when they’re not playing defense. Although the lineup looks like it could have as many as six freshmen in starting roles, Goddard is confident this team is loaded.

“We will be able to score runs,” claimed Goddard. “We have the best team speed I’ve ever seen and plenty of power. Those two things should mean we’ll have one of the most dangerous offensives since I’ve been with the program. If we can get good pitching and good fielding, we’ll be in every game. I have high expectations for this group and they have high expectations for themselves.”

The expectations aren’t just for the Scots’ first conference title since 1987. They want to become a regional and national contender. With a healthy mix of slick fielders, speed, power and pitching, plus a deep bench, the Scots may be on their way to reaching their goal.

WHEN THE NUMBERS ADD UP

A “disappointing” second place finish in last year’s Midwest Conference golf championships has coach Dave Ragone and his team fired up for the 2009 campaign. The Fighting Scots enter the 2009 season with a simple formula to capture their fourth title in eight years: “Effort and Results.”

“If we put forth a great effort in practice, we should have great results in the match,” said Ragone, whose Scots finished just six strokes out of the lead at last season’s championship. “We were disappointed in our performance at conference last year. We want to get that title back and had a good start with a great fall season. The fall gave our guys a chance to get out there and play competitively. We had some guys really step it up. We’re very talented and it looks like we’ll be 10-12 guys deep.”

Ragone will have plenty of upperclassmen to choose from when it’s time to pick his six-man tournament team. The ninth-year head coach has two thirds of last year’s conference tournament team returning: senior Greg Jones (Roseville, Ill./Roseville), juniors Ryan Harvey (Hennepin, Ill./Putnam County) and Ryan Tapscott (Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale) and sophomore Rodney Clayton (Plano, Ill./Plano).

“Ryan (Tapscott) works extremely hard,” praised Ragone of his team’s lone lefty. “He and Rodney are probably our two hardest workers. Their work ethic really shows. Ryan has improved tremendously since his freshman year.”

Hoping to make the trip to the conference tournament this season is senior Jake Kilberg (Rock Falls, Ill./Rock Falls). After a stellar sophomore season, Kilberg struggled a bit as a junior. If the fall season is any indication, it looks like he has returned to form, posting scores in the 70s in three of his five rounds.

“Jake and Greg have similar games,” reported Ragone of his senior leaders. “They play pretty boring golf, but in golf, boring is good. Not many mistakes, so there’s not a whole lot of drama. For them, it’s tee, fairway, green. We have a saying that ‘Pars win championships.’ We think we’re in pretty good shape in that regard.”

A newcomer to the team, junior transfer Ted Starkey (Springfield, Ill.), had a good fall season. He’s expected to be a solid scorer for the Scots along with junior Zach Coles (Lake Villa, Ill./Antioch).

“Ted is a very solid player, but could be a little more consistent,” said Ragone. “We feel he can shoot in the 70s every time out.”

Sophomore Joe Hoffman (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) was one of those who stepped up their game in the fall season. He shaved nearly three strokes off his freshman average and is among the contenders for the “A” team. Ragone expects great things from freshmen Sean McNamara (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) and “big hitter” Ben Olson (Oneida, Ill./ROWVA). McNamara impressed Ragone during the fall campaign and Olson proved to be long off the tee.

“Joe was a very good high school player,” reported Ragone of his sophomore. “He was finding his college game last season, but we expect him to have a very good spring. Sean had a very good fall and is among our hardest workers. We’re excited to see what he can do in the spring season. Ben can drive the ball a long way, but we need him to reel it in a little to avoid the big numbers. He’ll be a good one as he develops.”

Ragone feels the Scots program has grown into one of the top teams in the region. He’s done the math and knows what it will take to reclaim the conference title and the automatic NCAA tournament berth that goes with it.

“We expect our guys to shoot in the 70s on a daily basis,” said Ragone. “We’ve got a bunch of guys who are capable, so it’s going to be quite a battle for the tournament team.”

Rounds in the 70s would have been enough to win in 2008. The Scots are hoping that will be the magic number in 2009.

DOUBLE-DIPPING

Tanesha Hughes sure knows how to end her basketball career.

The 5-foot-10 senior center ended the 2008-09 season as the Midwest Conference leader in both scoring and rebounding. The Peoria, Ill., native averaged a double-double on the season, pouring in 16.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Hughes edged teammate and classmate Melissa Gorski for the scoring title by three-tenths of a point.

Gorski was also the bridesmaid when it came to assists. The senior guard’s 4.09 assists per game was second in the conference to St. Norbert’s Stephanie Bundy who averaged 4.24 assists per game. Gorski’s 78.4 percent free throw average placed her fourth in the MWC standings.

Lynsey Barnard was the league-leader in 3-pointers and 3-point percentage. The junior sharp-shooter drained 54 treys, one more than the appropriately named Jessica Shotts of Grinnell. Barnard made over 42 percent of her long-range bombs, besting Lake Forest’s Susan Hedrick by nearly three percent.

When it came to blocked shots, Alison Andrews was the third-best in the league. The rangy sophomore recorded just over a block a game.

NETTING A TENNIS HONOR

Eric Brandhorst (Quincy, Ill./Quincy) helped the Fighting Scots tennis team to a 2-0 weekend and earned the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week honor.

Brandhorst was solid as Monmouth downed the University of Dubuque 5-4 and shutout Eureka College 9-0. The senior didn’t lose a match and dropped only three singles games the entire weekend. Playing at No. 3 singles, he downed Dubuque’s Austin Stewart 6-1, 6-1 and cruised past Eureka’s Gordon Barkley 6-0, 6-1. Teaming with Chris Utterback at No. 2 doubles, Brandhorst completed the perfect weekend as the Scots No. 2 team defeated Dubuque 8-2 and Eureka 8-1.

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

Two seniors and a junior were named All-Midwest Conference after the Fighting Scots completed one of the most successful women’s basketball seasons in school history.

Seniors Melissa Gorski (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) and Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff) and junior Lynsey Barnard (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) led the Scots to a 14-9 season, equaling the second-most wins in Fighting Scots’ history. The team tied for the fourth and final conference playoff berth, missing the tournament cut on a tie-breaker.

Gorski, who picked up her third all-conference honor, was named to the first team after two second team honors. The guard ended her playing career with 1,273 points, making her the Fighting Scots’ fourth-leading scorer all-time. Her 312 career assists ranks her third. She was second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Gorski scored a career-high 30 points and made the winning basket in an 80-79 win over Lake Forest.

Hughes earned her first all-conference honor with her selection to the second team. The 5-10 center led the conference in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She finished the year with 11 double-doubles and had a career-high 30 points in an 86-66 win over Carroll.

Joining Hughes on the second team is Barnard. The sharp-shooting guard led the league with 54 three-pointers and her 42 percent efficiency on treys also led the conference. Earning her first all-conference honor, Barnard averaged 10.0 points per game.

This marks the third straight year the Scots have had at least three players earn all-conference honors.

A LITTLE R&R

It won’t really be rest and relaxation for the Scoop next week, but we will be taking the week off.

Scots Scoop will not be delivered next week due to the college’s spring break. The Scoop will return to your inbox on Thurs., Mar. 19. In the meantime, a reminder you can keep up with the Fighting Scots by logging on to www.monm.edu/sportsinfo. The athletics main page will be updated daily.

THE WEEKS AHEAD

Sat., Mar. 7
Baseball – vs. Wheaton (2), at Phoenix, Ariz., Noon MST
Track – at UW-Stevens Point, 10:30 am 

Sun., Mar. 8
Baseball – vs. Simpson (2), at Phoenix, Ariz., 12:30 pm MDT 

Mon., Mar. 9
Baseball – vs. Rockford (1), at Phoenix, Ariz., 10:00 am MDT 

Tues., Mar. 10
Baseball – vs. North Park (1), at Phoenix, Ariz., 10:00 am MDT

Wed., Mar. 11
Men’s Golf – at Rhodes College, 1:00 pm
Softball – vs. SUNY-Oneonta (1), at Tucson, Ariz., 1:00 pm MDT
Softball – vs. Baldwin-Wallace (1), at Tucson, Ariz., 3:00 pm MDT

Thurs., Mar. 12
Softball – vs. University of La Verne (1), at Tucson, Ariz., 8:30 am MDT
Baseball – vs. Rockford (1), at Phoenix, Ariz., 10:00 am MDT
Softball – vs. Northwestern College (Iowa) (1), at Tucson, Ariz., 10:30 am MDT
Softball – vs. Peru State College (1), at Tucson, Ariz., 2:30 pm MDT

Fri., Mar. 13
Track – at NCAA Indoor Championships, Terre Haute, Ind., 10:00 am EDT
Men’s Golf – at Millikin Spring Opener, Noon
Softball – vs. Central at Tucson, Ariz., 8:30 am MDT
Softball – vs. Wesleyan (Conn.) at Tucson, Ariz., 10:30 am
Baseball – vs. St. Mary’s (Minn.) (1), at Phoenix, Ariz., 11:00 am MDT

Sat., Mar. 14
Track – at NCAA Indoor Championships, Terre Haute, Ind., 11:30 am EDT
Men’s Golf – at Millikin Spring Opener, 9:00 am

 SCOTSIVATIONAL

“The secret to managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.” -  Casey Stengel