Chipola softball looks to overcome injuries, inexperience

With the bulk of the the 2009 roster either gone or on the injured list, the Chipola Lady Indians begin the 2010 season this weekend with a variety of question marks.
Gone is the entire pitching staff from last season, as well as big bats Meredith Heath and Tera Gainer.
Sophomore star Kara Gordon will start the season as a spectator after surgery last fall. Third basemen Nikki Roddy is also out with a broken leg. That leaves centerfielder Michelle Hewett and catcher Kellie Todd as the lone members of last season’s 30-21 team who will be active, when CC starts the season Saturday in Henderson, Nev.
Chipola coach Belinda Hendrix said it’s quite a challenge for her team to overcome the injuries and inexperience through the early part of the schedule.
“It’s going to be very difficult. We’ll have to lean on Todd and Hewett to carry us through and help us out,” the coach said. “Right now, we’re looking at two returning sophomore starters, so we just have to fight every game. I hope everybody will be healthy by the time we get (to Panhandle Conference play).”
While the Lady Indians aren’t big on experience, they aren’t short on talent either.
Former Marianna High School star Hewett brings blazing speed to the lead-off spot, and Todd gives Chipola a commanding presence behind the plate. Hendrix has also brought in a collection of newcomers who the coach said could potentially form one of the best offensive lineups she has had.
Former Cottondale High School star Selentia Pittman gives the Lady Indians another speed merchant at the No. 2 spot, and fellow Lady Hornets alum Shae Dickens will bookend the order from the 9-hole.
The bulk of the power will come from Austin Peay transfer Brittany Black, red-shirt freshman Ariell van Hook, and 6-foot, 3-inch freshman Andrea Sullivan.
Arkansas Tech transfer Trish Bliss will bat sixth.
“They’re all very good hitters,” Hendrix said. “I think our offense is going to be a strength this year for us. Our lineup is very well balanced this year.
“We haven’t had a lot of power hitters in the past, but with Black, Van Hook and Sullivan, that will put some power in our lineup, and we’ve got a lot of speed at the top two spots in the order.”
While the lineup may produce more runs in 2010, Hendrix expressed concern about how her current group would stack up defensively with last year’s squad.
“(The lineup) is more of an offensive threat than we were last year,” the coach said. “But we just don’t have the defense we’ve had in the past, simply because Kara was our second basemen and we ran a lot of plays through second base.
“The offense is pretty strong, I just hope our defense can make all the routine plays.”
The biggest area of inexperience for the Lady Indians, however, is the pitching staff.
Chipola will have six freshman pitchers this season — none who threw a single pitch last season.
“Kellie Todd has got her hands full,” Hendrix said.
The third Cottondale alum on the team, Liz Krauser, will be a part of the staff, as will Chipley graduate Skylar Davis.
Rise-ball pitcher Emma Stevenson will also spend time in the circle, as will Black and Sullivan.
Heather McAfee rounds out the Lady Indians pitching staff.
Of all the Chipola pitchers, Davis has perhaps earned the most trust from Hendrix to this point.
“Skylar will probably spend a lot of time in the circle,” the coach said. “She did well for us in the fall against Division I schools. I think we’ll lean heavily on Skylar. She’s just got to remember that you can’t make that big mistake, that one pitch can cost you the game.”
Hendrix hinted that Stevenson could be the second starter, but the coach said she’s playing it by ear as to who will be counted on to close games.
“I don’t know right now. It will depend on who we’re playing,” the coach said. “Heather McAfee can close, Sullivan can close, maybe Liz ... it just depends on the team we’re facing and the kind of hitters we have to get out.”
Chipola will open the season Saturday with games against Pima, defending national champion Yavapai, and South Mount.
On Sunday, it will be Salt Lake, Central Arizona, and Arizona Western, with North Idaho and Chattanooga State on the docket for Monday.
Of the eight teams the Lady Indians will play over the weekend, seven have been to the national tournament and three are past national champions.
“It’s going to be a test real early to see where we are,” Hendrix said. “It would’ve been nice to have all of the potential starters we thought we’d have in the fall, but you can never expect or anticipate injuries.”
Last season, Chipola advanced to the state tournament, but was knocked out early.
Hendrix said this team has the talent to make it back and make a more significant run, but that’s not something she and her players talk about often.
“The year we won it all (2007), I don’t know if we ever made that a goal. It was just about getting to the state tourney and giving ourselves a chance,” the coach said.
“We’ve got a long way to go before we’re at that level. We’re just going to have to take each game and learn from it. Most of our players have no idea what the Panhandle Conference is about.”
The Lady Indians will make their home debut Feb. 24 against Lakeland.