Softball takes on St. Joe's

It is inevitable that with its sub-par record, the 1996 Penn softball squad will wind up being meshed together with the past 14 teams Linda Carothers has coached. As summer lies around the corner, what might have been suspected at the beginning of the season is now definite: The Quakers will once again struggle to remain out of the cellar in the Ivy League. Although facing non-conference rival St. Joseph's (32-10) doesn't help their Ivy standing, the squad can try to earn some respect today at the 3 p.m. game at Warren Field. With the Quakers wretched overall record of 6-23, the question remains: Is it possible to separate this year's team from the previous 14 Carothers has coached? According to Carothers, the 1996 club is different in many ways. In addition to being younger than her previous teams, she feels the 1996 squad truly cares about softball. "The difference between this year's teams and others is the past is that they take softball seriously," Carothers said. Carothers' mission to improve the attitude of the team with an infusion of young blood began last year, but, nonetheless, Penn's results this spring have been nightmarish. With the exception of one new impact player in freshman shortstop Sherryl Fodera, who leads the team with 11 RBIs and two homeruns, the Quakers' rookies have struggled to find consistency both at the plate and the field. The freshmen's transition from high school ball to the Division I level has been a trying one. Penn has often found itself on the losing side this season due to sloppy fielding and a lack of aggressive hitting. These are signs of an inexperienced team. But through it all, the spirit of the Quakers still burns bright. It is that will to win that Carothers hopes to build on next season. Carothers had promised strong recruiting classes for the past two seasons, but, on the whole, this year's sophomore and freshman players have yet to pan out for the Red and Blue. There is one other player besides Fodera to have a breakthrough year in '96. After a miserable rookie season, when she was 1-7 with a 6.26 ERA, sophomore pitcher Jen Strawley has bounced back to become a solid No. 2 pitcher behind ace Vicki Moore. Strawley spent last summer working with an outside pitching coach, improving her strength and accuracy, in addition to playing in a summer league. "Summer ball is a great experience," said Moore. "Jen's league gave her the opportunity to compete in a lot of tournaments and see some good competition. Most importantly I think summer ball really helps to keep you in the shape both mentally and physically." Carothers is ecstatic about Strawley's play this season. She hopes this year's Penn freshmen will try and emulate Strawley's off-season training and get involved in summer ball. "Right now, we need to concentrate on playing good softball in our last six games," Carothers said. "But after the season is over, I will sit down with many of my players and explain to them what needs to happen for them to return next season." The season Carothers is referring to is still an entire year away. And for the Quakers, the verdict is still out as to whether Carothers can draw big-time players to Penn. But before the Quakers can turn their attention to next season, they still have six games to concentrate on in the 1996 campaign. Penn is currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak. For the Quakers to have any chance of tallying their ninth win, it will be essential for outfielders Kara Lecker and Jen Stanwix and infielders Amy Malerba and Lauren Mishner to break out of their batting slumps. Carothers recognizes today's games against St. Joe's will be "really tough," but she also believes the most special thing about the her players is that they never give up. Defending the play of her team has become an everyday job for Carothers. But if the Quakers can grab some wins late in the season, she may not have to for much longer.