Softball needs to solve riddle of winning

One of the most famous riddles of all time is that of the Sphinx: what walks on four legs at dawn, on two at midday and on three in the evening? The answer: man, or woman or maybe the Penn woman's softball team. This season the Quakers are in the second year -- "midday" -- of a rebuilding program that is projected to last three years. Penn is hoping to find its balance this season and keep it for a while before using a cane to get around the bases. The rebuilding program is close to a facelift, with freshmen composing almost half of the current roster. Added to the experience of the returning players, including captains Vicki Moore and Jen Strawley, Penn should have a whole new appearance. That is what rebuilding means -- renovation, rejuvenation -- all can apply. At the root of the Quakers' expected revival is the enthusiasm that has sneaked into the program. "Everyone's real excited to play this season," said Penn senior Laurie Nestler, who hit .320 and led Penn with a .500 slugging percentage last year. After practicing inside over the fall and winter, Penn's cabin fever is going to be abated as they travel to Ft. Myers, Fla., to play in the Collegiate Classic over spring break. The tournament will give the Quakers a chance to see how much they have improved and to measure that improvement against the rest of the Ivy League. Last season, Penn was only three games from being the cellar dweller of the league, finishing 3-9 in the Ivies. With the help of the freshmen and the returning players, the Quakers are planning to do better. But a lot of the expectations are resting on a relatively young group of players. If the eight freshmen the Quakers acquired in the offseason play up to their potential, Penn could be a whole new team. "We have a great recruiting class," Penn coach Linda Carothers, who has led Penn for 22 years, said. "But the rest of the Ivies also got really good recruits." The real question that is yet to be answered and won't be until Penn faces their opponents: how good did everybody else get? Only time and the season's progress will answer that. But as always Princeton will the Quakers toughest foe. The Red and Blue don't need to wait in suspense for too long; their first two games are this coming Tuesday against Keene State (N.H.) and North Dakota. After their opening-day doubleheader, the Quakers will face Marist and St. Louis in their second doubleheader, New Haven, Butler, Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay and Colgate. Among the competition Penn is to face in sunny Florida, Tennessee Tech is the Quakers' most formidable opponent. Unfortunately, the scheduling of the tourney does not allow for an ideal pitching rotation. Carothers had hoped to give all her pitchers a chance to throw in competition before facing Tennessee. Along with the freshman, the pitching staff is expected to lead the Quakers to a better finish then last season. Last year's pitching staff, led by Moore (3-8, 2.93 ERA) and Strawley (4-11, 2.54 ERA) has been deepened by freshmen Suzanne Arbogast and Joy Silvern, doubling last years returnees for four arms. The Quakers may not be ready to run unaided in the noon-day sun quite yet, they are only in the second year of a three-year plan, and some stumbling along the way is expected. But as is, the Quakers are ready to get the season going.