Softball preview, Northwestern College Red Raiders

2008 Softball Preview

The 2008 Northwestern College softball team returns four starters from a 2007 squad that finished with a 32-19 overall mark and its third straight appearance in the regional tournament. Northwestern went 1-2 at regionals, falling to top-seeded Dickinson State and GPAC rival Dana in the elimination round. The 2007 Red Raiders finished the GPAC season tied for second with Dana with an 18-6 record, just one game in back of league-champion Morningside. With just four starters returning, the Red Raiders will look to an outstanding recruiting class to contribute right from the start.

Head Coach Melanie Mason, a two-time NAIA All-American for the Red Raiders in the late 1990s, enters her seventh season at the helm of the Northwestern softball program. Her teams have compiled an impressive 98-36 league record (.731) and gone 203-109 (.651) overall. Coach Mason has led the Red Raiders to one national tournament, four regional tournaments and one GPAC championship during her tenure.

Headlining the list of returners for Coach Mason’s squad are senior outfielders Lizz Swanson (Johnston, Iowa) and Michelle Van Duyn (Bellflower, Calif.). Swanson, a two-time second team all-GPAC centerfielder, hit .283 with 36 runs and 19 RBIs last season. She also stole 25 bases and did not commit an error all season. Van Duyn led the Red Raiders at the plate with a .349 batting average, 26 RBIs and 30 runs scored. She stole 14 bases last season. Infielders Amy Larson (Denison, Iowa) and Sara Curry (Fort Collins, Colo.) are the other returning starters for the Red Raiders. Larson hit .250 with 10 runs scored and 11 RBIs after joining the team following the basketball season. The senior second baseman will join the team in late March this year as well. Curry, a sophomore, will make the switch to shortstop after playing third base last year. She batted .220 with 12 RBIs in 2007.

The Red Raider pitching staff will be led by talented newcomers freshman Lexy Determan (Terril, Iowa) and junior Gabrielle Burrola (Gallup, N.M.). Determan earned all-state honors while starring for Graettinger-Terrill High School, where she recorded a 35-8 record with 16 shutouts last year. She struck out 431 batters and walked just 29. Burrola, a transfer from St. Joseph’s (Maine), earned first team all-independent honors and was named NCAA D-III pitcher of the week four times last year. When not on the mound, both Determan and Burrola will play first base. Jessica Hooper (Phelan, Calif.) will also provide some innings for Coach Mason’s staff.

Freshmen Rachel Harris (Akron, Iowa), Stacey Godfrey (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Lara Vonnahmen (Brighton, Ill.) will add additional offensive firepower to the lineup. Harris, an all-state player for state champion Akron-Westfield, will start in the outfield for the Red Raiders. Godfrey will call the signals behind the plate after she earned all-region honors and played for the all-star team in Arizona. Vonnahmen earned all-conference honors while playing for Marquette Catholic High School last year. She will play third base this season.

One of the strength of this year’s squad, according to Coach Mason, will be the pitching staff and defense. “We picked up two great pitchers (Determan and Burrola), and we should be very solid behind them defensively.” Another strength is at the catching position. “Our catchers, led by Stacey Godfrey, will be a definite strength for us and will lead our defense,,” says Mason. With so many newcomers in the lineup, the team’s offensive abilities are somewhat of an unknown coming into the season. But, says Coach Mason, “We hit extremely well in the fall and were able to get valuable experience which should help us this spring.”

As always, the Red Raiders will play a tough schedule. In the conference, Morningside, Midland Lutheran, Concordia and Dana will again be the teams to beat. Northwestern will also have non-conference games against Simpson (NCAA D-III), Grand View and Winona State (NCAA D-II). The Raiders will also take a trip to play some early season games in Florida on their spring break, which will help prepare them for the rigors of conference play and postseason. “Our goal is to play hard and play at our best by the end of the season,” says Mason.