TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Offseason Program Boosts Sunlake

ADVERTISEMENT

By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: March 5, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - Sure, call Sunlake a young team.

The roster provides the evidence: one senior, two juniors, seven sophomores and three freshmen. In the starting lineup, five are sophomores, two are freshmen, one is a junior and one is a senior. But their record is 9-3 entering Friday night's game at Nature Coast.

"They've got three or four different players. They've improved," Zephyrhills coach Craig Milburn said Tuesday night following the Bulldogs' 7-6 loss to the Seahawks.

Six times this season Sunlake has scored 10 or more runs. The squad has also surpassed last season's 6-16 ledger. The Seahawks didn't reach win No. 6 until April 3, 2007. This time around, the team needed just two weeks to reach that mark.

The big difference is what the team has done during the offseason. Many of the players are on competitive travel softball teams. Some play together on those teams, which has helped from a chemistry standpoint.

"The good thing is, they're very coachable, they love to play, they enjoy being out here and ... a lot of them are starting to buy in to what we're selling," Sunlake coach Johnny Dawkins said. "It's just exciting to be around such an enthusiastic group. They're very relaxed for such a young team."

It also helps when nine players - Alex Rodgers (.658), Samantha Dittman (.553), Stephanie Perintoni (.500), Meghan Durbin (.452), Courtney Durbin (.432), Ashley Orta (.385), Sarah Jones (.379), Chloe Fletcher (.333) and Shelley Stohler (.312) - have batting averages .312 and higher.

WEIGHTY IDEA

According to Land O' Lakes coach Jamie Martin, her team just needed a change.

In the past, the Gators have participated in a weightlifting program before the season. This year, they've committed to an in-season program.

"We're doing a good thing where we have a building program and we have a maintenance program. The girls are willing to put in the time. After you put in a whole practice then to head over to the weight room. The girls are dedicated."

The roster only has 12 players and to keep that dozen injury free, Martin admits, the plyometrics program has been a big help. There's been a nice spinoff as well. Of her 12 girls, nine can steal and of those nine, six steal at will.

"We've done a lot of plyometrics, so I think that's helping us be a more explosive, fast team," she said. "Already on the season we've had five different girls hit home runs and that's not some of the bigger bats.

"We're just trying to be that complete team and the girls are working hard. Where there's a will, there's a way."

BY COMMITTEE

Zephyrhills has put the pitcher-by-committee rule into effect so far this season. According to Coach Craig Milburn, he'll use as many as three pitchers during a contest.

Tuesday night against Sunlake, he started Kaitlyn Hutchinson, brought in Emily Kiedaisch and followed that up with Lauren Pasquale.

Pasquale has been worked into the lineup during the last 10 days, Milburn said. When she does come in, she typically moves from her shortstop spot to pitch.

"Our pitching is a big question mark. We've been pitching every game by committee," Milburn said. "We haven't had one girl pitch a whole ballgame yet. We've just kind of pitched two or three people each game. Getting them all to be on at the same time sometimes is tough."

Sometimes, it's all about when you insert a new pitcher into the fray.

"You never know when you make the right move," Milburn said. "You just have to go with your gut feeling. Sometimes it works out, changing pitchers, and sometimes it doesn't. But Lauren came in Tuesday night and shut Sunlake down. If I had brought her in a run or two earlier, it might have been a different game."

TOP 5

Here is the first installment of the Pasco Tribune's Top 5 softball teams.

1. Pasco

2. Land O' Lakes

3. River Ridge

4. Sunlake

5. Zephyrhills

Coaches who want to add their team's information can contact Eddie Daniels by calling (813) 948-4214 or e-mailing edaniels@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT