Spring will be in the air for the Clarion University softball team when it starts its 2002 season Sunday, Feb. 23, at Florida Southern.

The Golden Eagles will then play three other Florida schools before starting their Spring Break games March 1 at Fort Myers. Clarion will play eight games in Fort Myers and then will return home to host Lemoyne College at 1 p.m. March 16.

"Florida is a chance for us to get our feet wet and a chance for us to learn," second-year head coach Ron Baum said. "We expect to make mistakes, but as long as we learn from them we will be alright."

The 2002 version of the Golden Eagles will be a team that mixes experience with youth. Clarion has nine players back from last season who saw considerable playing time including Nicole Furnia (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles), Erin Gallagher (Enola/East Pennsboro), Shintrika Hudson (Dayton/Dayton), Leslie Mills (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny), Kim Overholt (Wind Gap/Pen Argyl), Jennifer Reis (Allentown/Louis E. Dieruff), Emily Sowers (Manchester/Northeastern), Allison Stodart (Madera/Moshannon Valley) and Jessica Waldman (Cogan Station/Williamsport). A 10^th player, Angie Allgeier (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep), saw limited action last season but could get more playing time in 2002.

The Golden Eagles will be without three of its returning players, Waldman, Stodart and Sowers, at the start of the season. Waldman is a member of Clarion’s Diving team, Stodart is a member of the Women’s Basketball team and Sowers is out with an injury.

In addition to the returning players, Baum believes he has a good group of first-year players coming in that will also help the Golden Eagles improve on last season’s 14-24 overall record that included a 5-15 mark in the always tough PSAC-West.

"I am excited about the new players coming in to go along with a good nucleus returning from last season," Baum said. "But we are going to need our experience to lead the way. If it doesn’t it will put a lot of pressure on our youth."

According to Baum, the Golden Eagles have set some goals for themselves this year to help them improve.

"We want to take games one inning at a time," Baum said. "If mistakes are made we need to forget them and fix the problem the next time. We also want to win more of our one-run games, and we want to end the season at .500 or better."

In order for the Golden Eagles to achieve their goals, Clarion’s pitching staff will have to perform at a high level. Luckily for the Golden Eagles the pitching staff is one of the team’s strengths with Reis, Overholt and Stodart all returning from last season.

"We have a solid three-some coming back," Baum said. "They did their job last season, and they can do even better this season."

Overholt, a junior, was the workhorse for Clarion in 2001 pitching 134.1 innings and going 7-12 with a 2.34 ERA. She had 65 strikeouts while walking only 42. Stodart, a junior, pitched in nine games and was a hard-luck pitcher going 1-7 despite a 1.92 ERA and a 5-2 (50-to-20) strikeout to walk ratio. Reis, a sophomore, appeared in eight games and was 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA. She had 11 strikeouts while walking six.

"All three of them are going to show what they learned from last year to this year," Baum said. "Kim is coming off a solid season, while Ali is a very good pitcher and once she gets into a groove she is as good as anyone. Jen is a hard worker who is coming off a fall."

At the start of the season, the pitchers will be throwing to a new battery mate as last year’s starter at catcher, Sowers, will miss the Florida trip with her injury. In her place, Hudson, a junior, and Kristin Klinger (Snow Shoe/Bald Eagle), will share the catching duties.

"Both are very athletic and sound players," Baum said. "They have been doing a great job in practice, and they will be helped by our experienced pitching staff."

Hudson is a converted outfielder who started all 38 games for the Golden Eagles last year hitting .238 with four doubles and five RBI’s. She led the team with eight stolen bases and will be the lead-off hitter for Clarion in 2002.

Klinger is a freshman who could be a 3-4 hitter for the Golden Eagles. She is a solid hitter and a steady player according to Baum.

"I will platoon them at catcher," Baum said. "When one isn’t catching she will be playing shortstop and vise-versa."

While both Hudson and Klinger should be steady performers at catcher for Clarion, the Golden Eagles will benefit from the return of Sowers who hit .270 a year ago with 10 extra base hits including a team-high four home runs. She also led the team in RBI’s with 18.

In addition to Hudson or Klinger at shortstop, the Golden Eagles infield with consist of freshman Christina Allendorfer (Glenside/Abington) at first base, Gallagher, a junior, at second base and Mills, a junior, at third base.

Gallagher started 22 games for the Golden Eagles in 2001 and hit .145 with one home run and seven RBI’s, while Mills started 37 games and hit .140 with one double, one triple and 10 RBI’s.

"Erin has good range at second base, and her bat is coming along," Baum said. "Leslie is a strong defensive player, and she is hitting better."

According to Baum, Allendorfer is a strong fundamental player and a good hitter.

"She does the little things right," Baum said. "She has a nice glove and is a very vocal leader. We need her to be a middle of the line-up hitter for us."

Clarion’s outfield will be young to start out with Furnia, a sophomore, the only returning player who will start in the outfield at the beginning of the Florida trip.

Furnia, who will be in leftfield, played in 10 games with four starts last year and had one hit in 15 at bats.

"Nicole is a smart ball player," Baum said. "She is steady on defense. They key for her will be her bat."

Freshman Valerie Devine (Pittsburgh/Plum) will get the start in centerfield for the Golden Eagles, while sophomore April Sallee (Henderson, NV/Goddard), a transfer from Patten College, will start in rightfield.

"Valerie has good speed that allows her to go get anything in the outfield," Baum said. "On offense she will bat second and is very capable of moving runners into scoring position, which will be a key for us.

"April is a four or five hitter who has a strong arm. We are expecting good things from her."

The Golden Eagles outfield will get an influx of experience when Waldman returns from diving and Stodart from basketball.

Waldman, a junior who was the PSAC-West "Rookie of the Year" in 2000, hit .266 last season with six double, four RBI’s and four stolen bases.

"Jessica has strong fundamentals," Baum said. "She is a good hitter with a strong glove."

Stodart, who played first base last season, will see time in the outfield this year as well as pitching. In her first season of collegiate softball last year, she hit .274 with two doubles and five RBI’s.

"Ali is a key hitter for us," Baum said. "She will see a lot of playing time when she returns from the basketball playoffs."

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES: Clarion starts PSAC-West play March 30 at IUP. The Golden Eagles first PSAC-West home game is scheduled for 3 p.m. April 3 against Slippery Rock ... The Golden Eagles will be participating in the Shippensburg Tournament March 22-24 ... All of Clarion’s games except for the eight in Fort Myers and the three at the Shippensburg Tournament are all doubleheaders.

by Chris Rossetti