By Tim Stried
February 16, 2001
Eight returning varsity performers are back this spring as Head Coach Ty Cook and the Bluffton College softball squad aim to remain one of the elite teams in the Heartland Conference.
Winners of the inaugural Heartland Conference tournament in 1999, Bluffton finished in a three-way tie for the runner-up spot in the HCAC last season, finishing 20-16 overall to notch their second-straight 20-win season.
Bluffton will set out to accomplish the task at hand without the services of 2000 BC graduate Erin Kurtz, who was named last season’s HCAC Most Valuable Player. Kurtz collected a 12-5 pitching record and batted .391 last season on her way to establishing BC career pitching records of 38 wins and 365 strikeouts. Even without Kurtz, however, BC still has a lot of firepower, a fact recognized around the league already this season as the Beavers were voted #1 in the HCAC preseason coaches poll.
“Rather than relying on pitching or individual efforts, we’ll focus more on team defense and team offense,” said Cook as the team began putting the pieces together for their 2001 squad. “We would have taken those steps even if we hadn’t lost Erin, that was already an improvement we were looking to make for this year.”
Cook is looking to her six seniors for leadership this season, both on and off the field. “Our strength will be our experience,” the third year head coach said. “We have a lot of seniors, and we are working hard to make improvements on those things that kept us from winning the close games last season.”
Leading the nucleus of returning veterans are a pair of first team All-HCAC selections in seniors Heather Thornton and Bree Wood. Thornton hit .342 last season with a team-high 41 hits and 19 RBI. She added eight doubles and started all 36 games in center field. Wood batted .320 with a team-high three triples and a .433 slugging percentage to go along with 18 RBI.
Rounding out the talented senior class are starters Erin Cook (.300, 12 doubles, 17 RBI) and Jessica Spain (10 RBI, .951 fielding %). Senior Elizabeth Snavely will also return to the team after sitting out last season. She hit .336 and belted three homeruns as a sophomore on Bluffton’s HCAC championship squad. Senior Amy Aschemeier will miss this season due to a shoulder injury. She started all 36 games last season and hit .265 with 16 RBI.
“We need to have more balance,” said Cook. “We need to fine-tune our defense and then do the little things to help us score runs.”
Junior Emily Kurtz will step into the #1 pitching slot this season after posting a 2.93 ERA and a 7-10 overall record last season. The list of returning starters also includes sophomores Melissa Neal (.295, 8 RBI) and Melissa Alexander (16 walks). Sophomore Paul Fry (10 runs) is also back after 17 games of varsity action last season, and sophomore Stacy Herr returns after missing most of the 2000 season with a back injury.
Five first year players will lend their services as well, as Amanda DeVaul (North Baltimore), Amber Fitzwater (Dalton), Jamie King (Archbold), Amanda Payne (Tiffin/Mohawk) and Steph Rush (Berea) make up this season’s freshmen class. Also new to the team is assistant coach Holly Bruder, who recorded successful seasons as a player at Alma College and as a coach at Albion College.
“There’s not a team in our league that we can’t beat,” said Cook, “but any team can also beat us if we aren’t our best that day. We are improving every day and hope to peak at the end of the season. The Heartland Conference comes down to whoever is best on the last two days of the season,” she said noting that the HCAC tournament will be hosted by Hanover College on May 4th and 5th.
“We have so many different people with different talents that will help put us over the top,” said Cook. “And I’m looking for any of our athletes to be the next Heartland Conference MVP.”
