Cindy Cohen gazes onto the field and sees talent everywhere she looks. But in Cohen’s mind it is the things that cannot be picked up by the naked eye that will make the difference in 1999. “If we are going to be successful, we have to be a team with a purpose,” says Cohen, now in her 17th season as Tigers softball coach. “The key to this season, and I’ve made it very clear to the team, is our heart and our determination. It has nothing to do with our physical ability. Physically, we have question marks...everybody does. But physically we can compete with anybody. It is all going to be a matter of how hungry and how determined we are.” The Tigers have had the past two years to work up an appetite. While their 59-36 record and two second-place finishes in the Ivy League would be considered a smorgasbord at some schools, it was barely an appetizer for a program that has won 12 Ivy titles and reached the NCAA Women’s College World Series in 1995 and 1996. After losing just three seniors from last year’s 30-16 team, Cohen feels that youth holds promise this season. “I have two outstanding young classes,” she says. “My sophomores and freshmen are talented and will push some of the returning kids. I’ve got seniors who haven’t started yet and see this year as a chance to play. So there should be a lot of hungry players.” The team’s biggest strength is solid pitching and defense, good foot speed and versatility that will provide Cohen with flexibility. The major questions will be offensive production and mental toughness. | |
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A position Cohen calls “one of the most underrated in softball” will be handled by sophomores Devon Keefe and Vicki Siesta, senior Katie Bay and freshman Melissa Kemp. Keefe has the most experience and enters the season No. 1, while Siesta and Bay are both strong at calling games. Kemp will serve in a reserve role as she becomes acclimated to college. “When you build up the middle, Devon is a good start,” Cohen says. “Vicki calls a better game than you should as a sophomore, and Katie also calls a good game.” |
Junior Sarah Peterman, a second-team All-Ivy selection, leads a precocious staff that features freshmen Brianne Galicinao, Sarah Jane White and Dana Freiser. Peterman will improve upon last season while also taking on the added duties of leading her younger mound mates. Galicinao is the staff’s lone lefthander, always a nice commodity to have in softball. Freiser is the staff’s hardest thrower and has good movement on her pitches and also showed tremendous improvement during the fall. White comes in with a variety of pitches and good athletic ability. “This is the most athletic pitching staff I’ve had as a group,” Cohen says. “They all can hit and field, which gives us some options. They may not blow the ball by anybody, but they have enough movement on the ball to keep us in the game.” |
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This could be one of the most settled areas on the team, or the most chaotic. “I’m probably one of the few coaches who returns her infield, then says, ‘I’m not sure who’s going to play in the infield,’” Cohen says. “We are very athletic and versatile. If our infield is similar to last year or different, we will play good defense.” |
Last year’s infield featured senior Wendy Herm, a first-team All-Ivy player, at first base, senior Tanya Hendricks at shortstop and sophomore Lauren Poniatowski at third. But it may not be that simple. Hendricks can play second, third or short, senior Emma Owings continues to challenge at second, and freshman Kim Veenstra is an outstanding athlete who hits the ball hard and can play all four infield positions. Sophomore Amanda Haines returns from a broken foot and hopes to challenge at first. Brianne Galiciano also could compete for time. |
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