With spring just around the corner, the Clarion University softball team under first-year head coach Natalie Martin is ready to take flight. The Golden Eagles season starts Monday with games against Dominican College and Assumption College at the Tucson Invitational in Tucson, Arizona. In all the Golden Eagles will play 11 games in Arizona before returning to the East Coast.

"We have been counting down the days until the first game for over a month now," Martin, who comes to Clarion from Olympic College in Washington state, said. "We are more than ready to play."

Martin, who takes over a team that was 7-32 overall last season and 4-14 in the PSAC-West, is looking to bring stability the program, which has seen three coaches in the past four seasons.

"I want to set a foundation for a consistent program," Martin said. "I would like to see more consistency within the program. The PSAC has a good softball reputation with the top teams having good reputations nationally. I would like us to be able to compete with those teams.

"Now that being said, I don’t have a time table set as to when that might be without seeing those teams first hand. It is hard to see where we are before I see where the other teams are. We will take a season-by-season approach. This year I expect us to be more competitive, and I think we will be."

One of the reasons Martin is confident the Golden Eagles will be more competitive in 2003 is because of the hard work being put in by the players.

"If hard work is to be rewarded, we will do well," Martin said. "We have been working hard all year from the fall until now. We could see a lot of improvement from the team since last season."

One of Martin’s first priorities in helping the Golden Eagles rebound from last year was to emphasize pitching and defense. A year ago Clarion had the second highest ERA in the PSAC at 3.62 while allowing 81 unearned runs and committing a PSAC leading 82 errors.

"Right now we are concerned with pitching and defense," Martin said. "Those are two areas that need to be addressed, and they go hand in hand. Defense sets the table for pitching. The more chances the other teams gets against a pitcher, the more effective they are going to be. When the defense is committing errors, it makes the pitchers feel like they have to strike everyone out.

"If the pitching and defense are solid, then our offensive requirements are less. Instead of us having to score eight runs a game, we might need to only score three to win."

With the emphasis being on pitching and defense, Martin said she wants her pitchers to throw a lot of ground balls.

"Our philosophy is to get more ground balls," Martin said. "I believe our defense has shown our pitchers during the fall that they can get to those ground balls and field them cleanly."

Helping the Golden Eagles in their quest to build around pitching and defense is an experienced pitching staff led by seniors Kim Overholt and Allison Stodart, junior Jen Reis and freshman April Shannon.

"We have a ton of experience on our pitching staff," Martin said. "They have been workhorses for us since the fall. I am not sure if they have ever faced the level of physical preparation in their lives they have this year."

Overholt should be the No. 1 pitcher for the Golden Eagles. Two seasons ago she was 7-12 with one save and a 2.34 ERA. Last year she struggled going 0-11 with a 5.88 ERA, but Martin believe she will bounce back and have a solid senior season.

"I think Kim is going to shock some people this year," Martin said. "She is dedicated to having a successful senior season. She has increased her speed and has a better focus."

Stodart, who also plays basketball for Clarion, will join the team after the basketball season is complete. Last year she was 3-8 with a 3.11 ERA. Two seasons ago, she was 1-7 with 1 save and a team-leading 1.92 ERA. Reis is another experienced pitcher for the Golden Eagles. Last year she was 4-13 with a team-leading 2.11 ERA, while Shannon is an outstanding freshman pitcher with unlimited potential, according to Martin.

While the pitching staff is in place, the rest of the Golden Eagles line-up is still being sorted out.

"We have no clear cut starters at any position," Martin said. "A lot will be determined on the Arizona trip. I see a lot of great things in the gym, but that is not competing against someone outside."

In the mix for the catching spot are Emily Sowers, Angie Allgeier, Heather Alterio and Katie Forsyth.

Sowers, a senior, was the starting catcher two seasons ago but was limited to DP duty last season because of an injury. She was the top hitter on the team hitting .268 with 1 home run and a team-leading 12 RBI’s. Two years ago Sowers hit .270 with a team-high four home runs and 18 RBI’s.

"Emily has a significant amount of experience," Martin said. "She will provide power at the plate. We must have her bat in the lineup."

Allgeier, a junior, was the second leading hitter for the Golden Eagles in 2002 hitting .250 with three doubles and four RBI’s, while Alterio is a freshman from Julian and Bald Eagle Area High School who call an excellent game according to Martin. Forsyth is another freshman who can also play the outfield and is someone Martin is counting on to provide offensive production this season.

The first base position is shaping up as a battle between sophomore Christina Allendorfer and freshman Jacquelyn Brower. Allendorfer hit .170 in 2002 with four RBI’s, while Brower helped Cicero-N. Syracuse (NY) High to a 22-2 record last season while earning second team All-League honors.

At second base, seniors Erin Gallagher and Leslie Mills and freshman Leah Naiditch are in competition.

"Erin has the most experience," Martin said. "But depending on the game requirements, all three should see playing time."

Last season Gallagher hit .159 with a team-leading two triples to go with seven RBI’s. In 2001 she hit .145 with a home run and seven RBI’s. Mills, who can play several infield positions, hit .192 last season with five RBI’s after hitting .140 with 10 RBI’s her sophomore season. Naiditch was a Harrisburg Patriot-News Big 11 Honorable Mention selection last season at Carlisle High School.

A three-way battle has ensued at shortstop between sophomore Kristin Klinger, freshman Maighan Tancrede and freshman Ashley Walker.

Klinger was the fourth-leading hitter a season ago with a .235 average, a team-high six double and 9 RBI’s. Tancrede gas a powerful arm, while Walker is a solid all-around athlete who is developing into a power hitter, according to Martin.

The third base spot will go to one of the three-some of Mills, Walker or Sowers.

"Part of the decision here will be made depending on who wins the other spots these players are battling for," Martin said. "The other factor will be how we can piece together the best overall defensive infield. The third criteria, if everything else is equal, will be offensive production across the board."

There is a wide-open competition for all three outfield positions with the competitors being senior Shintrika Hudson, sophomore Valerie Devine, sophomore Lauren Fortnoff, junior Nicole Furnia, Forsyth, Jordyn Acklin and senior Jessica Waldman, who also is an outstanding diver for Clarion’s swimming and diving team.

"We are working with the players so they will be able to play any of the three outfield positions," Martin said. "We could have any of what seems like a 100 different outfield combinations and be just as strong out there. The balk of things in the outfield is pretty even, so offensive productions might be the deciding factor."

Hudson, a speed burner, was the third leading hitter last year batting .239 with three doubles and two RBI’s. Devine is another speed burner who hit .143 last season with two RBI’s. This year she has learned to slap the ball from the left-side of the plate and good be a force to be reckoned with on the bases, Martin said.

Fortnoff is a strong offensive player with great game instincts in the outfield, according to Martin, while Furnia, who hit .177 with 5 RBI’s last season, has an outstanding knowledge of the game.

Acklin played in 16 games last season but had only four at-bats, while Waldman, who hit .200 with 1 RBI last season after .266 with four RBI’s as a sophomore and .323 with 18 runs scored and three RBI’s as a freshman while winning the PSAC-West Rookie of the Year award, will join the team after the diving season is over.

Clarion’s DP will be a combination of players including Sowers, Brower, Walker, Forsyth and Tancrede.

"The DP will depend on the game situation," Martin said. "It may be determined by who the opponent is, but there are also a handful of conditions that could help determine who the DP will be in a certain game."

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES: Clarion will return to the East Coast with a tournament at Shippensburg March 21-23 ... The Golden Eagles first scheduled home game is March 25 against Mercyhurst ... Clarion’s first scheduled PSAC-West contest is March 29 against IUP, while the first scheduled home PSAC-West game is April 2 with Edinboro ... All regular season, non-tournament games are scheduled doubleheaders ... Clarion has eight scheduled home dates this season and five road dates not including the Arizona trip or the Shippensburg Tournament ... Former Clarion pitcher Missy Gring will assist Martin this year.###