Season Preview: Softball looks to continue success under first-year head coach Jackie Mangola
By Caleb Scott
ADA — The Ohio Northern softball team will look to continue its recent success in 2017 under first-year head coach Jackie Mangola.
The Polar Bears are coming off of their ninth top-3 finish in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings in the last 10 seasons.
Northern posted a 24-19 record a season ago and finished second in the OAC standings with an 11-7 record.
"Our team has a great mix of returners and freshmen," said head coach Jackie Mangola. "The girls have really bought in to what we want to accomplish and I think we have a really good shot at playing at a very high level this season."
Here is how the team breaks down in 2017, by position:
Pitching
The pitching staff will be led once again by junior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge).
Sophomore Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) will also look to play a big role for Northern at the pitching position.
Lightel, the former OAC Pitcher of the Year, is coming off of a solid season where she led Northern with a 15-8 record, while fanning 122 opposing batters.
The juniors 242 career strikeouts currently ranks third all-time at ONU.
Her career 1.75 ERA ranks fourth all-time in school history, while her 32 victories on the mound are good for eighth all-time.
Surdej had a strong freshman campaign as she ranked second on the team with nine victories and 71 K's.
The sophomore made appearances in 22 games last season, including 16 starts in the circle.
"Kirsten and Kaitlin will handle the majority of the innings for us on the mound this season," said Mangola. "These two girls have a lot of experience and we think we can be very succesful on the mound."
Infield
The infield will be led by two time letterwinners and juniors Gia Saturday (Ashtabula/Edgewood) and Miranda Huddle (Versailles).
Saturday and Huddle combined for 33 hits a season ago and both return for Northern after lettering in each of their first two seasons.
"The infield is going to be a good mix of returning player and freshman," said Mangola. "The freshmen class has a lot of potential this season and will help us out up the middle. I am excited to see some of these new athletes step up in big situations."
Outfield
Senior Megan Hupp (Delaware/Olentangy) and juniors Jenna Hollar (Lima/Bath) and Anna Martin (Huntsburg/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) will look to be the anchors in the outfield for Northern.
Hollar, Hupp and Martin ranks first, second and third among returners in hits, respectively.
Hollar recorded 52 hits, while Hupp posted 36 hits and Martin had 31 hits in 2016.
Hollar leads all returners with a .371 batting average and had a team-best 31 stolen bases in 2016.
The junior currently ranks second all-time at Northern with 58 career stolen bases and needs only five hits to become the 37th member to join the 100-hit club in Polar Bear softball history.
Hupp ranks second among returners with 36 hits last season and ranked third on the team with 16 stolen bases in 2016.
Martin ranks third among returners with 31 hits a season ago.
The junior recorded 24 stolen bases a season ago and currently ranks sixth all-time at Ohio Northern with 49 career stolen bases.
Hollar and Martin currently own four of the top five single season records for stolen bases at Ohio Northern.
Schedule
Northern will open its schedule with a 12-game swing in Florida as they compete in the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. on Mar 5-11.
The Polar Bears will then open the northern portion of their schedule with a double header at Anderson (Ind.) on Mar. 23 before opening Ohio Athletic Conference play and the home schedule with a double header against Marietta at the ONU Softball Field on Mar. 25.
Other non-conference matchups for Northern features double headers at Bluffton on Mar. 28, and No. 20-ranked Trine (Ind.) on Mar. 29.
Northern will host non-conference foes Transylvania (Ky.) and Wooster on Apr. 2 and Apr. 24 in double header action at the ONU Softball Field.
The home schedule with feature home double headers against John Carroll on Apr. 1, Wilmington on Apr. 11, Baldwin Wallace on Apr. 22, and Heidelberg on Apr. 22.
ONU will travel to Otterbein on Apr. 5, Mount Union on Apr. 8, Muskingum on Apr. 14, and Capital on Apr. 29 in conference double header action on the road.
The OAC Tournament is slated to be played May 5-6 on the campus of the Regular Season Champion.
"I'm excited for the season to start and see who steps up this year," said Mangola. "If our freshmen and returners all step up into some different roles this year we will be able to compete at a very high level. Florida will be tough as we play some good teams, but as long as we take care of ourselves we'll be successful."