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2009 Softball Preview: Quest For State Crown Begins

Tribune File Photo

Second baseman Marissa Menendez is one reason why Chamberlain has high hopes for its 2009 softball season.

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By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: February 9, 2009

Updated: 02/09/2009 12:33 am

It's been four years since a Hillsborough County softball team captured a state championship, and six years for a county public school.

Many have come close in the past few years, but failed to walk away with the state trophy. Last year, Durant High reached the Class 6A state semifinals, falling in extra innings to Palm Beach Gardens.

This season, there are a handful of teams capable of hoisting the state trophy in April. Shortstop Kelsey Horton, who has signed with the University of Florida and is rated one of the top 10 players in the nation by ESPN, returns for her senior season at Durant. Plant has arguably the top pitcher in the county in senior Kayla Suskauer, who led the Panthers to the Class 5A region final. Then there is Chamberlain, a program that routinely makes the playoffs and produces Division I players. The Chiefs boast five D-I commits on this year's roster, highlighted by Florida-bound senior shortstop Samantha Holle.

And as we wait for the playoffs to arrive, there are countless rivalry games to be played and numerous players hoping to build a reputation as one of the county's elite athletes.

Preseason Top 10 Teams

CHAMBERLAIN: Chiefs continually makes the postseason and have five Division I commits, highlighted by Florida-bound shortstop Samantha Holle and UCF signee Marissa Menendez.

PLANT: Panthers reached Class 5A region final and return three Division I commits in Kayla Suskauer (Furman), outfielder Erika Arcuri (FIU) and infielder Sarah Bowling (Michigan State).

DURANT: Cougars reached Class 6A state semifinals last season and return Florida signee Kelsey Horton, who hit five home runs as a junior.

NEWSOME: Wolves return core group of players that reached Class 5A region final last year.

PLANT CITY: Senior pitcher Megan Still will make the Raiders a district title contender while Tara Thomas is one of the better infielders in the area.

EAST BAY: N.C. State commit and junior pitcher Kayla Cox leads a young Indians squad that has the potential to reach the playoffs.

GAITHER: Former USF catcher Lauren Wolf will be the new coach for the Cowboys, a team that lost in the Class 6A quarterfinals to Durant.

SICKLES: Gryphons return hard-hitting catcher Mya Anderson and sisters Ashli and Courtney Goff.

BLOOMINGDALE: Led by senior pitcher Kaylyn Camacho and sophomore slugger Kaelyn Castellanos, Bulls will be playoff bound once again.

ACADEMY OF THE HOLY NAMES: Don Barron takes over the coaching position for a Jaguars team that went 15-6 and reached the Class 3A region quarterfinals.

Top 10 Games To Watch

Tuesday: Newsome at Durant
Thursday: Alonso at Sickles
Feb. 17: Bloomingdale at Newsome and Plant at Chamberlain
March 3: East Bay at Plant City
March 6: Durant at Plant
March 11: Plant City at Durant
March 13: Chamberlain at Plant
March 19: Countryside at Gaither
March 25: St. Petersburg Catholic at Holy Names

Players To Watch

FEATURED PITCHER
KAYLA SUSKAUER
PLANT, SENIOR
ABOUT SUSKAUER: Suskauer, who was named to the Tribune's All-Hillsborough County first team as a junior, led Plant to the Class 5A region final with an 11-5 record, a 0.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts. The right-handed pitcher has signed to play college softball with Furman.

FEATURED HITTER
SAMANTHA HOLLE
CHAMBERLAIN, SENIOR
ABOUT HOLLE: Signed to the University of Florida, Holle recorded a .471 batting average with 33 hits, 35 RBIs and 35 runs as a junior and was selected to the Tribune's All-Hillsborough County first team after helping the Chiefs reach the Class 5A region semifinals. A shortstop, she also had eight doubles, seven triples and three home runs.

TOP 5 PITCHERS
Alexandra Hartshorn, Chamberlain, senior
Kayla Cox, East Bay, junior
Megan Still, Plant City, senior
Kaylyn Camacho, Bloomingdale, senior
Bailey Schinella, Newsome, sophomore

5 MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kelsey Horton, Durant, senior, shortstop
Marissa Menendez, Chamberlain, senior, infielder
Nicci Hopps, Seffner Christian, junior, catcher
Nicollette Levine, Newsome, sophomore, shortstop
Sarah Bowling, Plant, junior, infielder

District Outlook

Class 6A-District 7
Countryside, the defending district champ, will be led by Pinellas County's top pitcher, University of Florida commit Alyssa Bache. Gaither, now coached by former USF catcher Laura Wolf, advanced to the postseason as the runner-up. Phil Giarrizzo will take over as coach at Sickles while University of Charleston-bound senior catcher Courtney Clark will lead Alonso.
TRIBUNE PICK: Countryside
RUNNER-UP: Gaither

Class 6A-District 8
Senior shortstop Kelsey Horton, outfielder Brandi Regan and infielder Kelly Jones return from Durant's state final four season. Pitcher Megan Still will lead Plant City, last year's runner-up, and will be supported by infielders Tara Thomas and Amanda Alba. Junior pitcher and N.C. State commit Kayla Cox will lead East Bay while senior pitcher Katie Gwinn, a Saint Leo signee, will lead Riverview.
TRIBUNE PICK: Durant
RUNNER-UP: Plant City

Class 5A-District 8
Newsome again will be the team to beat, led by hard-hitting first baseman Ally Ledenham, University of Florida commit and shortstop Nicollette Levine, and sophomore pitcher Bailey Schinella. Bloomingdale, last year's runner-up, returns playmaking sophomore Kaelyn Castellanos and senior pitcher Kaylyn Camacho. Florida Atlantic signee Kirstin Austin will lead King while Freedom, Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech will be guided by new coaches.
TRIBUNE PICK: Newsome
RUNNER-UP: Bloomingdale

Class 5A-District 10
Chamberlain defeated Plant in the district title game, but lost to the Panthers in the region semifinals. Plant and Chamberlain, led by pitcher Alexandra Hartshorn, boast the strongest rosters in the district, but Hillsborough, Jefferson and Robinson are three programs on the rise.
TRIBUNE PICK: Chamberlain
RUNNER-UP: Plant

Class 4A-District 9
Lake Wales, who won the 4A state title in 2007, advanced to the region final while Bartow was eliminated in the region semis. Spoto fielded its first varsity squad last season, but were winless in district play.
TRIBUNE PICK: Lake Wales
RUNNER-UP: Bartow

Class 3A-District 11
St. Petersburg Catholic, the defending district champ, returns pitcher Chloe Saganowich, who has committed to Notre Dame. Academy of the Holy Names finished as district runner-up and, under first-year coach Don Barron, will rely on senior Alex Valdes. Tampa Catholic and Clearwater Central Catholic should battle for third place and Berkeley Prep, which graduated one senior from last year's 6-12 team, will be led by freshman pitcher Jenny Weissman, among the state's leaders in strikeouts last year.
TRIBUNE PICK: St. Petersburg Catholic
RUNNER-UP: Academy of the Holy Names

Class 2A-District 9
Tampa Prep won the district title, defeating Indian Rocks Christian in the championship. The Terrapins return their top hitter and starting pitcher Kirsten Kelsey.
TRIBUNE PICK: Tampa Prep
RUNNER-UP: Indians Rocks Christian

Class 1A-District 9
Only two teams in this district. Seffner Christian reached the region finals and will look to junior catcher Nicci Hopps, who had the highest batting average in Hillsborough County last season.
TRIBUNE PICK: Seffner Christian
RUNNER-UP: Sonrise Christian

Class 1A-District 10
Cambridge Christian won the district title, defeating Bayshore Christian in the championship. Tampa Bay Christian failed to beat out the Faith Warriors for second place. Cambridge and Bayshore were both eliminated in the region quarterfinals.
TRIBUNE PICK: Cambridge
RUNNER-UP: Bayshore Christian

Class 1A-District 11
Canterbury won the district title and reached the 1A state semis last season. Academy at the Lakes made it to the postseason and was district runner-up.
TRIBUNE PICK: Canterbury
RUNNER-UP: Academy at the Lakes

Nick Williams

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