Softball ready to make some noise in the OAC
The Muskingum University softball team, under the direction of Head Coach Kari Winters, will be looking to make some noise in the Ohio Athletic Conference as they seek to achieve a championship in 2018.
The Muskingum University softball team, under the direction of Head Coach Kari Winters, will be looking to make some noise in the Ohio Athletic Conference as they seek to achieve a championship in 2018.
This season, the Muskies return some core players to the field, including two All-OAC performers in junior outfielder Krissy Hughes and junior pitcher/outfielder Rachel Eberling.
Hughes captured her first All-Region honor after leading the Muskies at the plate batting .403 with a team-best 52 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles and four triples. The First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree saw action in all 40 games last season recording a team-leading 17 stolen bases, which ranked fifth in the OAC.
Eberling earned her first All-OAC honor after making 28 appearances for the Muskies and posting a 2.96 ERA with six wins and 37 strikeouts. At the plate, she notched a conference-best six home runs with 24 hits, 15 runs, seven doubles and 14 RBIs. She concluded the 2017 season hitting .343 with a team-best slugging percentage of .700.
Adding to the depth of the squad will be senior's pitcher Haylea Debolt, infielder Nikki Mantle, catcher Abigail Orr, infielder Melissa Maiorano, and junior infielder Kylie Zifer.
Debolt had 31 hits, four doubles, and a .333 batting average, while Mantle saw action in 38 games. Orr hit .304 with 24 hits and 16 RBIs, while Maiorano produced 16 RBIs and a team-best 189 putouts, and Zifer tallied five RBIs and 13 hits at the plate.
Coach Winters will be relying on this year's recruiting class and veteran players to step up and make the necessary strides in order to achieve their championship goal.
The Muskingum softball team will start their season in Kissimmee, Florida at the D9 Sunkissed Games on Sunday, March 4. All games at the D9 Sunkissed Games will feature Live Stats. The first home game for the Muskies will be a doubleheader against non-conference opponent Denison on Tuesday, March 27, and OAC play begins on Saturday, March 24 at Wilmington.