The graduations of back-to-back NESCAC Players of the Year Courtney Bongiolatti and Katie Smith are only two of many hits with which the softball team will be dealing as it begins the 2006 season.
There are also the 44 hits that 2005 Rookie of the Year Danielle Lopez ripped last season. And the 30 hammered by sophomore pitcher and designated hitter Erica Bailey. Don't forget the 26 from sophomore Megan Cusick, the 25 from junior Annie Ross, and the 24 from sophomore Mara Dodson.
The 2006 squad returns several key components of an offensive rotation that blazed through the 2005 season, leaving broken records and inflated ERAs in its wake. Last season, the team sported NESCAC bests in team batting average (.302), slugging percentage (.496), and on-base percentage (.353). The Jumbo bats were not just active, but heavy as well; the team's 42 home runs in 35 games were the best in the country.
And while much of that slugging came from Bongiolatti, who hit a Tufts record 14 home runs last season, the team returns a solid mix of power hitters who will be complemented by the team speed missing from previous squads.
Lopez, a third-team All-American last season, had 44 hits, a .379 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage, and 26 runs, all team-highs, and amassed 76 total bases, second in the league only to Bongiolatti. Bailey pounded eight home runs and sported a nasty .708 slugging percentage that earned her the DH spot when she wasn't on the mound. Cusick, a first-team All-NESCAC and All-New England pick last season, came through with a .302 batting average and clutch power hitting to keep the Jumbos in games.
The infusion of a speedy freshman class will compensate for some lost power and round out the offense, adding yet another weapon to the team's arsenal and changing the face of Tufts' run production.
"We'll have a more balanced offense, with still a lot of power in our lineup," coach Cheryl Milligan said. "We're not going to slug our way to 28 wins, but we'll base-hit our way there. We'll run a productive offense, no doubt about it, but the difference will be the way those runs are going to score."
The quick legs will also add some consistency at the plate, which is often a weakness for teams reliant on power hitting.
"Right now, with our freshman class, we have an offense that can get things going," coach Cheryl Milligan said. "Our bats will sometimes take some important days off, but speed doesn't take a day off."
The Jumbos return their entire pitching and catching roster. Bailey led the rotation with 11 starts and a 1.58 ERA, recording 35 strikeouts and two shutouts en route to a 7-3 record. She will be joined by Conroy - whose 9-1 record and 42 strikeouts last year were the best of the team's hurlers - as well as senior Julia Brenta, junior Lauren Ebstein, and freshman Lauren Gelmetti.
On the receiving end will be a pair of sophomores who formed the strongest behind-the-plate team in the league last year. An ankle injury limited Dodson's playing time in 2005, but she still managed 24 hits in just 75 plate appearances (.320) and caught seven runners stealing.
"Not having Mara's bat in the lineup last season hurt us and I can't wait to see what she does this year," Bailey said. "She's got a great bat and she's a smart hitter."
Cusick also threw out six runners, and her three pickoffs were a league best. The pair's .567 stolen bases-against percentage was the lowest in the league.
Despite the holes vacated by Smith at first base and Bongiolatti at shortstop, the Jumbos will likely not see a defensive drop-off. Defense was never the team's strength last year - with a mediocre .946 fielding percentage, the Jumbos relied on their heavy bats to outscore their opponents - but with sophomore Heather Kleinberger likely moving over from third base to split time with freshman Meghan Foley, Bongiolatti's defensive presence should be covered. Bailey, Cusick and freshman Cara Hovhanessian will be splitting time at first base to replace Smith.
Lopez, who brings a .964 fielding percentage from last season when she started every game at second base, will be a mainstay in an infield likely to shift this year, as pitchers and catchers pull double-duty in the field on their days off.
"[Lopez] will be our anchor in the infield," Milligan said. "As pitchers, Roy and Julia are not necessarily going to be on the field every time, and while they'll do a great job of leading no matter where they are, a lot of that rests pretty squarely on D-Lo."
In the outfield, senior Annie Ross returns to center field, where she played flawlessly- literally - last season, committing no errors for 37 catches and 31 putouts. While battling some nagging injuries during the preseason, the junior should return to her role as watchdog of the outfield. She will be joined by returning starters junior Alaina Thiel in left and senior co-captain Jess Barrett in right, as well as a host of freshmen jockeying for playing time.
The season kicks off next week when Tufts travels to the Sun West Tournament in California for a week of two-a-day games against some of the nation's best teams.
