Girls Softball News 2006
Classical Softball
Hopes for More Depth this Season
By Joyce Erekson, The Daily Item of
Lynn, Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The Classical High
softball team is coming off a respectable 10-11 season and a trip to the state
tournament, but the one thing the Rams lacked in 2005 was depth.
Coach Chris Warren is optimistic heading into the season and with good reason,
it would seem. He has most of his starters returning and in another stroke of
good fortune, he has two healthy pitchers with varsity experience to call upon.
He also had 67 girls show up for the first day of tryouts, including 24
freshmen.
"We have a little more depth all around," Warren said.
Most coaches would consider themselves blessed to have one solid pitcher. The
Rams have two, Afton Dean and Melissa McLaughlin. Dean was the mainstay on the
mound last year after McLaughlin was forced to miss her sophomore season with a
shoulder injury that required surgery.
"Melissa's very healthy," Warren said. "She pitched in the
off-season (as did Dean) on a winter league team. Just having two quality
pitchers, that's something we've never had and it's a problem I've always wanted
to have. We have two girls who can throw the ball. They'll be sharing time.
We're a little deeper than we have been in years past."
The returning contingent also includes senior captain and catcher Stacey Sport
and junior captain Courtney King, who played shortstop last year when Dean was
on the mound. Junior Jen Saravia and senior Alex Pierre can both play third
base. Lauren Kolodziej at first base and Cierra Campbell at third round out the
infield.
The Rams did lose a talented outfielder with the graduation of Jen Allder, but
Ashia Holcombe, a junior, is back, as is Savannah Clemens, also a junior.
Katelyn Stanger, a senior outfielder who missed some games last year, is also
back.
Warren also brought up a couple of girls, junior outfielder Ashley Laramie and
sophomore infielder/outfielder Samantha Barker, from the junior varsity last
year to play in the tournament. They're also back.
Warren said he has a strong pre-season scrimmage schedule lined up with a field
day planned at Bishop Fenwick for April 1. The team will get in a couple of
regular season games and then it's off to Florida over spring vacation. The team
will play some softball and take in the sights. The coaches, players and parents
have been busy fundraising for the past year.
"We're all pretty excited about the Disney trip," Warren said.
Warren said he expects the Northeastern Conference to be tough again this
season: "Pitching is the name of the game. I think Gloucester and Saugus
will be up there and Danvers (the defending NEC champion) is there until someone
knocks them off."
Classical opens the season Monday, April 10, at Winthrop and then the Rams are
home against Saugus before their Florida trip.
"It's going to be very competitive," Warren said. "We'll have to
work very hard to compete this year."