Season Preview: Softball eager to build upon last season’s success in 2022
By Wes Mayberry
ADA — Fresh off an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title in 2021, the Ohio Northern softball team is ready to get the 2022 season underway after having its postseason cut short a year ago.
As champions of the OAC Tournament last season, the Polar Bears were eager to make the trip to Marshall, Texas, to compete in the 2021 NCAA Division III Tournament. But the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans, as protocol issues forced the team to withdraw. With the return of 10 letter winners from last year's roster, the Polar Bears are excited to see what this season holds under sixth-year head coach Jackie Price.
"I am very excited about this upcoming season. We return a lot of key players but will also have some young players step up for us," Price said. "Last year was devastating that we weren't able to compete in the NCAA Tournament, so I know my players are ready to come out and take care of business."
Northern, which finished the 2021 regular season in fourth place in the OAC and closed the year with an overall record of 24-18-1, returns six starters, including three All-Conference players, from that squad. Senior pitcher Stacey Walters (Sunbury/Big Walnut) and junior third baseman Sydney Motylinski (Ida, Mich.) earned All-OAC Second Team honors in 2021, and senior shortstop Lauren Renner (Columbus/Hilliard Bradley) was an Honorable Mention selection.
"Stacey, Sydney and Lauren are definitely great assets to have returning," Price said. "Their abilities coupled with their experience will help this team grow."
In terms of experience, the Polar Bears are a very balanced group featuring five seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and six freshmen.
"We have a lot of different players from each class who will be able to contribute," Price said. "I think this is key to our success this season, truly working as a team."
Here is a breakdown of the 2022 Ohio Northern softball team, by position group:
Infield
Motylinski and Renner headline a talented group of infielders for the Polar Bears in 2022.
Motylinski started 39 games in her sophomore season, which was highlighted by her eighth-inning 2-run home run that led ONU past Muskingum in the championship game of the OAC Tournament. She finished with 14 multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI games and led the team in batting average (.362), runs (34), hits (47), home runs (10) and RBIs (34). She ranked second in the OAC in home runs and fourth in RBIs and finished tied for third in runs and tied for fifth in hits.
Renner started all 43 games a season ago and added Academic All-OAC and All-OAC Tournament Team honors to her All-Conference accolade. She hit .336 and tallied 46 hits, including a team-high 11 doubles to go with one triple, three home runs and 20 RBIs. She finished with 12 multi-hit games, including a 3-for-4 showing in the OAC Tournament title game win over Muskingum. In her 50 career games, she has posted a .938 fielding percentage.
A three-year letter winner, senior Hannah Rubel (Swanton/Notre Dame) was an Academic All-OAC selection last season during which she made 23 starts and hit .261 with 14 RBIs. She has made 71 starts in her career at shortstop, first base and third base and enters 2022 with a .263 batting average, 31 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
Junior Annika Murray (Hilliard/Bradley) is a returning two-year letter winner who was named Academic All-OAC in 2021. She started all 43 games at second base last season, hitting .287 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Murray has started all 53 of her games as a Polar Bear and boasts a .947 fielding percentage.
Junior Kaylee Ballou (Upper Arlington) and freshmen Taylor Hilty (Kettering/Fairmont) and Bella Spano (Vienna/Mathews) round out the position group.
"The infield is looking solid this year, as we are excited to have a lot of returners back in those positions," Price said. "They have really stepped up and will be able to help guide the younger players."
Outfield
A pair of three-year letter winners in seniors Abby Elliott (Loveland/Ursuline) and Rachel Hish (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) headline the Polar Bears' outfielders for 2022.
Elliott started all 43 games in 2021, 40 of which came in the outfield and three at catcher. She hit .318 with nine doubles and a team-high four triples to go with 21 RBIs and 27 runs scored. A Second Team All-OAC selection as a freshman, Elliott is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree and needs just 14 hits to join ONU's 100-Hit Club. She has started all 91 of her games as a Polar Bear and is a career .317 hitter with 46 RBIs and 48 runs scored.
Also just 14 hits shy of 100, Hish started 38 games a season ago and is a two-time Academic All-OAC selection. An All-OAC First Team honoree as a freshman in 2019, Hish hit .287, scored 18 runs and led the team with seven stolen bases (in seven attempts) in 40 games as a junior and enters 2022 as a career .335 hitter with 51 runs scored.
Junior Lauren Walls (Grove City), a two-year letter winner, made six starts and played in 17 games in the outfield in 2021.
Sophomore Marika Johnson (Columbus/Worthington) also returns after appearing in nine games last season.
Freshman Mariana Alejandro (Gibsonburg) rounds out the position group.
"The outfield is sound with our upperclassmen who are returning to play," Price said. "They will do great things as well as our younger players who will come in and be able to contribute in any way."
Pitcher
Two-year letter winners Walters and junior Allie Bican (Solon) return as the top two pitchers from last season.
A two-time Academic All-OAC selection and a 2021 All-OAC Tournament Team honoree, Walters went 15-5 in 24 appearances last season, including 20 starts. She threw 148.2 innings, including 18 complete games, and posted a 2.83 ERA and 103 strikeouts. She led the OAC in wins, innings pitched and complete games and ranked second in strikeouts. Walters threw a complete-game five-hitter in ONU's OAC Tournament championship clincher over Muskingum last season and enters 2022 with a career record of 20-9 with 121 strikeouts and 4.06 ERA.
Bican posted a 5-8 record in 19 appearances, including 13 starts, in 2021. She threw 91 innings, including nine complete games, and finished with a 3.69 ERA and 95 strikeouts. She owns a career 3.36 ERA and 118 strikeouts over 118.2 innings of work.
Sophomores Alex Daum (Wapakoneta), Demi Sauter (Upper Arlington), MarcQue Harris (Fremont/Old Fort) and Sierra Perry (Galena/Big Walnut) also return to the pitching rotation after making a combined 17 appearances, including 10 starts, in 2021.
Freshmen Ashley Lenser (Brookville) and Katelyn Aldred (Williamsfield, Ill.) provide additional pitching depth.
"The pitching situation this year will be fun," Price said. "We have a lot of returning pitchers as well as some freshmen pitchers who I think with the mix of each and every one could do some great things in the circle this season."
Catcher
Sophomore Kaylie Griffin (Grafton/Elyria Catholic) and freshman Callie Rosser (Republic/Monroeville) will be behind the plate for the Polar Bears this season following the graduation of Gabby Stewart, who ranks in the top five all-time at ONU in home runs (17), RBIs (133) and doubles (43).
"We will have some new faces this season behind the plate with Kaylie and Callie, but I believe our pitchers will be in good hands with either of them back there," Price said.
Schedule
The Polar Bears open their 2022 campaign with a trip to Florida for a 10-game set in The Spring Games in Leesburg and Clermont. They will play two games each day on March 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 in a slate highlighted by a matchup with No. 25 Alfred (N.Y.).
The remainder of ONU's schedule consists of doubleheaders.
Other road non-conference doubleheaders include matchups at Alma (Mich.), Calvin (Mich.) and No. 16 Trine (Ind.). ONU will host non-conference doubleheaders against Wittenberg and Wooster.
The Polar Bears open OAC play at home with a doubleheader against Marietta on March 26.
Northern will also host OAC doubleheaders against Wilmington, John Carroll, Baldwin Wallace and Heidelberg.
ONU will travel for OAC doubleheaders against Mount Union, Otterbein, Muskingum and Capital.
The 2022 OAC Tournament is scheduled for May 6-8.