2009 Fastpitch Outlook

There will be a new look to the 2009 Pacific Lutheran University softball program, and that new look will go well beyond new uniforms. That’s because Erin Van Nostrand has taken over the program’s reins from Rick Noren, who left after winning eight Northwest Conference championships in his 13 seasons as head coach.

Van Nostrand comes to Pacific Lutheran from the east coast, where for the past four seasons she served as head coach at NCAA Division III Pine Manor College in the Chestnut Hill area of Boston. In those four years, Van Nostrand compiled a 101-62 overall record, leading the Gators to the 2008 Greater Northeast Athletic Conference tournament title game and to a pair of semifinal appearances. Her 2008 Pine Manor team won 31 games, tying a school record for most victories in a season.

Van Nostrand would be the first to tell you that was Pine Manor College and the Great Northeast Conference, not Pacific Lutheran and the Northwest Conference. Without a great knowledge of the Northwest Conference and its teams, Van Nostrand is concentrating on what the 2009 Lutes offer and what they can do to be as successful as possible in her first year leading the program.

“I’d like to know what other teams have, but right now I just want us to be as sound as we can be. If we can handle our end of the business we’ll be okay.” She added that a reasonable goal is to “improve upon our record from last year.” Pacific Lutheran was 21-19 overall and finished fourth in the conference standings with an 18-10 record in 2008. “More specifically, I would like us to be more competitively consistent in the conference. It would be great if we could finish in the upper echelon of the conference.”

Van Nostrand’s teams will utilize “small ball” tactics with frequent bunting and base running designed to take advantage of the opponents’ defensive lapses. “I want to have an attacking offense for seven innings. I want teams to realize that when they show up to play PLU they can’t be sleeping, that they’ll have to pay attention to every minute detail because if they don’t, they’ll be in trouble.”

Among the keys to the season, said Van Nostrand, will be cutting down on high strikeout totals of recent years and also playing solid defense. Van Nostrand hopes that by bunting and running more than in recent years, her team will cut down on strikeouts. Defensively, she expects her players to field and throw well and to stay focused and alert against aggressive opposing offenses.

Several returning players will form the foundation of this year’s team, and Van Nostrand is counting on a couple of newcomers to provide important contributions.

Pitching:
Freshman Stacey Hagensen is the key newcomer this season, and her performance will help determine the Lutes’ success. Hagensen earned KingCo MVP honors at Bellevue’s Newport High School last year, and she has moved into the No. 1 pitching role for the Lutes. She will also provide a key bat in the middle of the lineup. “Stacey is going to be really good,” said Van Nostrand. “She throws hard, has good movement on her pitches, and is smart and very competitive.” Called by Van Nostrand “one of our best athletes,” Hagensen will see time on the infield or at designated player when not pitching.

The other top hurler is junior Rachel Wheeler, who was 11-5 with a 3.16 earned run average last year. “She can throw four or five pitches with good control,” said Van Nostrand. “She’s moving the ball all over the place, keeping hitters off balance and uncomfortable. She doesn’t throw hard, but with Stacey throwing hard those two are going to help each other a lot.” Like Hagensen, Wheeler will be a middle-of-the-order hitter when not pitching.

Cathy Kirkevold, one of only two seniors, will also see some time in the pitching circle.

Catching:
First team all-conference catcher Vanessa Bryant is in a battle for a starting position. She will likely split time behind the plate with Stephanie Mullen, last year’s starting shortstop but a catcher in high school. Bryant hit .324 with three homers while Mullen hit .326 with two homers last season.

Infield:
Caitlyn Brown, a sophomore who last season set a PLU single-season fielding record with no errors in 92 chances at third base, will start at shortstop, where she played throughout her high school career. Brown led the Lutes regulars with a .393 batting average in 2008. “She is getting better every day,” said Van Nostrand. “As far as hitting, being able to understand a defense and what they’re doing is going to be a big advantage to her.” Karen Henjum, who last played in 2007, returns to the team and figures to start at third base. The real battle for starting spots is at second base between sophomores Brittney Weissenbuehler and Beth Haahr and freshman Melissa Natwick. Junior Shelby Johnston, who last season hit .350 with two homers in time limited by a broken hand, figures to start at first base.

Outfield:
Missy Waldron will start in the outfield for the fourth straight year but for the first time in center field. “She knows the game and has really taken leadership of the outfield,” said Van Nostrand, who hopes to get greater offensive production from the slap-hitting senior. Eryn Beal, who played three games in 2008, returns to the team this year and figures to start in right field. “She is a huge addition,” said Van Nostrand. “She is a slapper who understands what she is supposed to do and when.” Lauren Gazdik, a freshman, figures to get most of the starts in left field.

The Lutes open their season during the first week of February, traveling to Southern California to take on NAIA schools Concordia-Irvine and Vanguard. Van Nostrand sees the trip as an opportunity to play a lot of different players. “In California, I anticipate one lineup for one game and another lineup for the next game, with some staples. We’re trying to find out what we’ve got.”

The end game, she added, is to get better every day. “We want to set a precedent for how we play, how we attack practice and games, how we carry ourselves, and we’ll go from there.”