Sophomore core powers Red Devils

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Sports

February 18, 2011 - 12:00 AM

Allen County Community College’s Red Devils set a high standard for the program a year ago. The Red Devil softball team had the program’s best season, 39-22, since 1989.
The Red Devils finished third in the Jayhawk Eastern Division at 21-5. They were third in Region VI, Division II action at 25-5.
What’s planned for 2011, a season which is scheduled to open Saturday? With the snow gone, work began this week to dry out the ACCC softball field for the season-opener against Maplewoods Community College.
“We have a strong group of sophomores back from last year. Our pitching is a definite strength and we’ve looked pretty good defensively,” said Ed Wilkerson, the 2010 Jayhawk East coach of the year.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) was our first day outside since earlier this semester. We’ve spent a lot of time inside working on pitching, hitting and defensive situations. We need to play some games.”
Leading the core group of sophomores are 2010 Jayhawk East freshman of the year Jenna Sigg and Lenzie Boring, who set a team freshman single-season strikeout record with 235. Sigg is the Red Devils’ starting third baseman and Boring is the ACCC pitching ace.
Also back are catcher Kylie Taylor, who earned All-Jayhawk East second team honors with Sigg and Boring, shortstop Kelci Owens and outfielders Callie Umholtz, Kayla Johnston, Javyn Carl, Denise Swanson and Kelsey Walters.
Sophomore Jori Graf, an infielder, is out with a knee injury. The Red Devils lost first baseman Brandie Hutchinson in the fall when she left school and outfielder Megan Dillow left the team recently for medical reasons.
Allen County added two freshmen pitchers in Alex Hill of Iola and Ashley Ribelin of Mayetta. Tesla Allison of Carbondale is a catcher while fellow freshmen Erin Schwant, Topeka, and Brianne Smedley, Thayer, will see action in the infield.
“Our sophomores have shown good leadership and are focused going into the season,” Wilkerson said. “We need their experience to help us compete in a very tough conference.
“All the teams in the Jayhawk East are going to be a little stronger this season.”
Sigg and Boring earned All-Region VI, Division II District E first team honors. Sigg was named a second-team NJCAA Division II All-American by the  National Fastpitch Coaches Association
Sigg led the ACCC softball team and the Jayhawk Conference in home runs with 18. That was third best in the nation.
The Iola native was second on the Red Devil team in batting average at .398. Sigg was the team’s leader in stolen bases, 36 of 38, which was 13th best in the nation.
She also led the team and conference in RBIs with 63, 18th best in the nation.
Sigg scored 55 runs and had 76 hits. She had 10 doubles and four triples.  She had a fielding percentage of .927 at third base.
“Jenna put up some strong offensive numbers last year. She is just more comfortable at third and at the plate. That will help her to play more relaxed and continue to improve,” Wilkerson said.
Boring earned All-Jayhawk East second-team honors as did her battery mate, Taylor of Iola.
Boring, who is from Humboldt, went 19-12 pitching for the Red Devils with a 1.97 earned run average (ERA).
Her strikeout total was the 18th best in the NJCAA ranks last season.
Boring issued 49 walks and allowed 181 hits in 206 2/3 innings of work.  At the plate, Boring hit .241 with eight RBIs, six doubles, and two home runs. She scored 17 runs and had nine stolen bases.
“Lenzie had good movement on her pitches and good control,” Wilkerson said. “She had an outstanding freshman season and we expect her to continue to get stronger on the mound.”
Joining the pitching staff are Hill and Ribelin. Hill, like Boring, throws from the right side and has put on speed to her pitches with some movement, Wilkerson said. Ribelin is a left-handed pitcher.
“Ashley missed our fall season because of an ankle injury. She is catching up and she moves the ball well and has a good change-up pitch,” Wilkerson said.
“Alex and Lenzie have been hitting the ball well in the off-season. Ashley is a good defensive player and will see some time in the outfield.”
Handling the pitching staff is Taylor, who threw out nine base runners on 26 attempts and had four pickoffs last year. Wilkerson pointed out that teams did not run on the Red Devils like they did in 2009, when ACCC gave up 75 stolen bases.
Taylor hit .298 with 20 RBIs. She had six doubles and one home run.
“Kylie has a great arm and is a good defensive catcher and should continue at the same level as she showed last year,” Wilkerson said. “She is stepping up with the bat in the off-season. And we’d like for her to be more productive with the bat.”
Allison is a solid all-around player who will work in behind the plate plus at first base. Smedley, who pitched for ACCC in the fall until she developed problems in her elbow, has been moved to first base.
“Bri, Tesla and Denise Swanson will rotate at first base. It comes down to who provides us with consistent hitting,” Wilkerson said.
Schwant is slotted at second base to open the season. The freshman is a good defensive player “who needs to develop more confidence and become comfortable at second base,” Wilkerson said. “She has played shortstop but because of injuries we moved her to second.”
Providing a strong left side of the infield with Sigg is Owens at shortstop. Owens of Humboldt had a .218 batting average last year with 27 singles and two doubles.
Owens drove in 11 runs and scored 10. She was 14 of 17 on stolen base attempts. She also had a fielding average of .934.
Wilkerson said he wasn’t sure which players would be where in the outfield, where is plenty of depth.
Umholtz is a returning starter in the outfield. The Humboldt native hit .294 with 35 singles, four doubles and one home run.
Umholtz scored 21 runs and had 18 RBIs. She had two stolen bases.
Swanson of Oxford, Johnston of Rossville, Walters of Longmont, Colo., and Carl of Wilsey are in the outfield mix. Swanson hit .284 with 23 hits and two doubles plus had four stolen bases.
Walters hit at .208 with five hits and three RBIs. Carl had a .200 batting average with one hit. Johnston had one at-bat with a hit and a run scored last year.
“There will be a lot  shifting around to try to find the best combination of defensive and offensive players in the outfield,” Wilkerson said.
“We’ve had some position changes and we’re trying to find ourselves.”
One of the other things the Red Devils are trying to find is a consistent batting order. Wilkerson, who is in his fifth season as ACCC head coach, said he noticed the past two years that his team works a lot inside on hitting during the winter but it takes a while to get untracked in spring games.
“It has to be about the visual aspect of being outside. It takes a little time for the techniques we got down inside to show up outside,” he said.
Wilkerson and third-year assistant coach Jamie Amerine are working to have the Red Devils ready to play as well as they were last year.
“If it doesn’t rain between now and Saturday afternoon, the field should be dry enough to play on,” Wilkerson said. “We’re excited to get the season started.”
The Red Devils open Jayhawk East play at home against preseason seventh-ranked Johnson County Community College March 1.

 

Allen County Community College
2011 Softball Schedule

Feb. 19 — Maplewoods, 1 p.m.
Feb. 25-26 — Evangel University tournament
Feb. 27 — Marshalltown, 1 p.m.
March 1 — Johnson County, 2 p.m.

March 4 — Butler, 3 p.m.
March 6 — Iowa Central, 1 p.m.
March 8 — Neosho County, 2 p.m.
March 10 — Maplewoods, 2 p.m.
March 12-13 — Midwest Classic
March 15 — Fort Scott, 2 p.m.
March 18 — Pratt, 3 p.m.
March 19 — Dodge City, 1 p.m.

March 20 — Cowley County, 1 p.m.
March 26 — Independence, 1 p.m.
March 28 — Cottey College, 2 p.m.
March 29 — Kansas City, Kan., 2 p.m.
April 1 — Brown Mackie, 2 p.m.
April 2 — Cloud County, 1 p.m.
April 5 — Labette, 2 p.m.

April 8 — Hutchinson, 3 p.m.
April 9 — Hesston College, 1 p.m.
April 12 — Highland, 2 p.m.
April 14 — Cottey College, 2 p.m.
April 19 — Coffeyville, 2 p.m.
April 21 — Ottawa University JV, 3 p.m.
April 30-May 1 — Region VI, first round
April 7-8 — Region VI, second round
Home games in bold.
All are doubleheaders unless noted.

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