Alas, spring has not quite sprung. Be that as it may, that does not mean the Virginia softball squad cannot start their season of bloom.
This weekend the Cavaliers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to play in the UNC Triangle Classic. In their first tournament of the spring season, they will take on UNC Wilmington today, East Tennessee State and Radford on Saturday and North Carolina on Sunday.
Virginia looks to build upon a promising 2004 campaign, a season when they went 38-26 overall and finished tied for second in the ACC with a 6-4 conference record.
The Cavaliers have set the bar high for themselves this season. Picked fourth in the preseason ACC poll which features seven softball teams, Virginia coach Cheryl Sprangel said she believes they can be better than fourth.
"I think we should definitely be in the top of the conference, one of the top three teams," Sprangel said. "As for the ultimate goal, we'd like to get to Regionals and represent the University in the postseason."
Sprangel can have confidence in her team for a plethora of reasons. The biggest and brightest of those reasons is junior third baseman Sara Larquier, a vocal leader who was voted to the third-team All-American squad last year. Larquier also won the honor of being on the All-ACC squad in her first two seasons. A .365 hitter last season, Larquier started all 64 games and led the team in RBIs with a total of 49.
"We really count on Sara Larquier," Sprangel said. "She had a great year last year. We really count on her a lot to bring a lot of leadership, a lot of offensive power."
Larquier does not have to do all the heavy lifting, though. The Cavaliers also are led by their general behind the plate, senior catcher and captain Jenn Wynn. Wynn hit for an average of .299 last season and led the team in doubles with 19. She said she believes that this Virginia squad has the potential to go do special things on the field.
"I would definitely like us to win the ACC," Wynn said. "We have a really strong team. I think we are going to do great."
The Cavaliers' two leaders see their greatest asset as their profound chemistry forged on and off the field.
"As a team overall, as 22 women out here, we are extremely close," Larquier said. "I have never played on a team that gels so well. We are extremely tight and that helps the atmosphere and aura on the field."
While Virginia's hitters have big-time experience, the pitching staff will be a mix of veteran arms and fresh faces. Due to some early season injuries, the Cavaliers will be relying on sophomore Meghan O'Leary, who came to Virginia as a volleyball player and joined the softball squad just this year, as well as freshman Whitney Hulston, who was recruited to play third base for the Cavaliers but will be forced to showcase her abilities on the mound. Both newcomers have garnered strong praise from teammates.
"Meghan is going to be a tremendous attribute to our team," sophomore catcher Michelle Salmiery said. "She is a really strong pitcher, has a lot of good control, and we are looking to see what she can do."
The staff also returns sophomore Coty Tolar, who pitched her way to a 9-7 record and 2.45 ERA, as well as junior Erin Horn, who went 17-11 last year.
Virginia played a fourteen-game schedule in the fall, going 12-2 over that stretch, with notable victories over Penn State and new ACC foe Virginia Tech. The competition allowed Virginia to integrate the freshmen into the system as well as continue to build the ever-important team chemistry.
"We're coming in very confident," Wynn said. "We had a lot to work on after the fall, and I feel like we did a good job covering all those areas."
Yes, softball season is upon us. The air is still cold, basketball continues to dominate the headlines and the flu is ravaging the student population. But to Sprangel and her softball players, the start of the season means a new kind of fever.
"I've definitely got spring fever -- softball fever," Sprangel said.
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