Thunderbirds expect to be South Division contenders

  • By Tony Dondero Enterprise Reporter
  • Thursday, March 27, 2008 2:37pm

SHORELINE

Last year, the Shorewood softball team featured six key players who were freshmen.

The young team qualified for the 4A District 1 tournament and won its first playoff game since 2001.

With everyone back, the Thunderbirds’ young players are ready to get back to the playoffs. The team was picked to finish fourth in the Western Conference South Division in a preseason coaches’ poll.

“We have a lot of seasoned talent that’s young,” senior co-captain Anna Ellersick said. “Our team’s really good this year. We’re experienced this year. We’ll come out looking strong.”

The Thunderbirds have three solid left-handed bats in the outfield: Ellersick, the veteran who hit .313 last year is in center, along with sophomore Ali Hascall in left and Chloe Pope-Levison in right.

“Defensively we should be able to cover the outfield pretty doggone good,” Shorewood head coach Tom Rizzuto said.

“I think we’re better defensively,” Ellersick said. “Our infield is looking pretty sharp. Our outfield’s pretty quick.”

Second baseman Amanda Olsen, a sophomore, is back after being injured last year. Maddy Golden, a junior co-captain who played second base last year, will shift over to shortstop, which is her favorite position. Junior Ashley Salazar will move from shortstop to third base. McCarthy, who has to throw left-handed because of stress fractures in her right arm, is at first again.

Matreya Vanous, who played right field last year, moves to catcher, taking the place of captain Robyn Morton the T-birds’ sole senior last year.

The ace of the pitching staff is sophomore Olivia Jacobs who struck out 114 batters in 123 innings last year and posted an earned run average of 2.51, while walking 35. Shoring up the pitching is freshman Madison Hollenbeck, who will also pitch on junior varsity, Rizzuto said.

On offense, Ellersick will lead off followed by Golden, Jacobs and McCarthy.

The T-birds have speed at the top and fill in with run producers in the third through fifth spots, Rizzuto said.

McCarthy led Shorewood with a.373 average last year and 16 RBI. Jacobs was second the team in RBIs with 12 and batted a solid .311.

Jackson, which Shorewood beat to clinch a playoff spot last year, is the favorite to win the Wesco South again. The Timberwolves ended the T-birds’ season in the district playoffs. Kamiak and Mountlake Terrace were picked to finish ahead of Shorewood in the division.

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