The women's softball team has doubled the size of its pitching rotation, adding two freshmen faces for this season. Junior Jodie Moreau and senior co-captain Rachel Brecher are joined this year by freshmen Maggie McClory and Kasey Lindsey. While the team was not in a desperate need for new pitchers, coach Kris Talon feels that the talent of the rookies could help bolster the depth of the team's pitching staff.
"It's just the way it played out this year," Talon said. "Four is a lot, but we've had this many before."
While the arrival of the extra pitchers could lead to a decrease in innings for Moreau and Brecher, the duo seems to welcome the addition of their new team members, and have already seen the benefits of extra pitchers during the pre-season.
"It helps to break things up," Moreau said. "A lot of preseason practice is pitching to your team. This time we actually got to do things other than pitching."
After observing the freshman pitchers during the preseason, both the coach and team members alike were excited by the possible impact they could have on the team. Everyone seems to feel that the freshman will be able to have a positive influence on this year's team as well as future Tufts' softball squads.
"They all have different qualities, and they're all good enough to be out there at any time," sophomore Nikki Blotner said about her four pitching teammates.
While the coach does not feel that all four girls will be used in a strict rotation, she is pleased with the versatility that extra pitchers will add to the team's game strategies.
"With four pitchers, it'll be easy to make changes if we need to," Talon said. "Someone will always be ready to go. It's nice to have that many for relief purposes."
Though Talon does not foresee the freshman starting many games, she assures that they will receive enough playing time this season so that they get experience, instead of impeding their development by keeping them on the bench. Since every pitcher also plays another position, the lack of pitching time will not prevent the quartet from seeing action in the field.
In the meantime, the coach predicts that Moreau and Brecher will continue to be the team's starting pitchers. Both are coming off solid years. Brecher is the team's most experienced pitcher. Relying on her control and not velocity, she is successful when she hits her spots. She ended the 2000 season with an 11-4 record and a 4.20 ERA.
"She needs to fill a crafty role," Talon said of Brecher's position on the pitching staff.
Starkly different from Brecher, Moreau is the team's power pitcher. Finishing last year with a 1.73 ERA and a 14-8 record, Moreau was the lone pitcher used during the World Series. She throws the hardest of all of the team's pitchers, and also has the largest repertoire of pitches. She throws a fastball, changeup, curveball, and a drop ball that Talon describes as "the bread and butter" of her career. Last season, Moreau broke Michelle Lima's school record for strikeouts (98 in 1997), fanning 119 in 150 innings of work.
"Jodie is our number-one pitcher... She's on a record-breaking pace," Talon said.
While Talon is impressed by Moreau's power pitching style, she is more focused on her ability to win games than rack up statistical records.
"Our goal is to have all our pitchers put the ball in play and have our defense get to work," Talon said. "We have a tremendous defense."
Lindsey and McClory hope to add to the already solid pitching lineup. Lindsey is coming off of an injury to her throwing shoulder, which she has been battling since September. Early spring results suggest that she seems to have recovered nicely. According to Talon, the freshman pitched "extremely well" in Monday night's scrimmage, a good sign of her regained strength.
"When she's on, she's very effective. She keeps hitters off balance and mixes her speeds well," Talon said.
McClory has also looked good in the preseason, proving that she could be the team's next power pitcher. Throwing a fastball, drop, change-up, and curve, her pitching style closely resembles that of Moreau.
"She is more like Jodie in her style, though not as polished or experienced yet," Talon said.
What has impressed Talon more than the freshmen's potential is their mental preparation for games.
"In softball, pitching is the name of the game," Talon said. "You have to be tough and take responsibility. In these pitchers, I see that all four have that mental game."
