From 2009 to 2011, the Youngstown State softball program nearly tripled its win total from 8 to 22 and showed marked improvement in all phases of the game. And the Guins did it with many young and inexperienced players.
Now as the Guins prepare for the start of the 2012 season, they enter the campaign with the most experienced squad during Head Coach Brian Campbell's tenure. The Guins have four seniors, four juniors and a total of 15 returning letterwinners and eight starters.
Included in that group are six players that have appeared in at least 79 games and all four seniors have played in at least 126 contests during their careers.
"There is no question this is our most veteran group," Campbell said. "We have the necessary leadership from our upperclassmen, but we also have a group of talented younger players that are going to play significant roles for us this season."
Over the last two seasons, the Guins turned in the two best offensive seasons in program history, but Campbell feels his team's improved defense and deeper pitching staff will be the key to its success this year.
"We have been fortunate to be able to score a lot of runs over the last couple of seasons," Campbell said. "We have also been making strides defensively and in our pitching. I think our experience this season will even enhance from a defensive standpoint."
Pitching
Last year, the Guins received two solid seasons from two young hurlers in Casey Crozier and Hana Somogyi.
Crozier, a sophomore, became the first freshman in seven years to win at least 10 games and led the Guins with 12 wins and 97 strikeouts.
Somogyi, a junior, showed a vast amount of improvement from her rookie campaign to last year. Somogyi picked up nine victories with 72 strikeouts during her sophomore season compared to just one win and just 15 whiffs as a freshman.
"We have a very deep pitching staff led by Casey and Hana," Campbell said. "But I also like what freshman Kayla Haslett and Paige Miller bring to us. We have a staff in which all four pitchers bring something different.
Haslett helped lead Ambridge Area High School to the 2011 state playoffs and was named the 2011 Beaver County Times Softball Player of the Year. In 2010, Haslett struck out 144 and finsihed with a 0.97 earned run average.
Miller, a 6-foot right-hander, was a two-time all-state selection and set the school records for career strikeouts with 481 and career earned-run average of 0.75. She also set the single-season mark with a 0.19 earned-run average as a senior.
Catcher
A significant strength for the Guins in 2012 will be behind the plate. Junior Vicky Rumph and senior Amanda Palmore will be charged with protecting the dish and working with the Guins' hurlers.
Rumph, who also played third base last year, batted .303 with doubles, four home runs and 27 runs batted in. Rumph also scored 20 runs.
Palmore posted a .283 batting average and .441 on-base percentage in 2011. Palmore was most effective with two outs, batting .368 and driving in nine runs.
Freshman Kaitlyn Kite is also expected to see some time behind the plate. Kite, a second-team all-state pick, finished her career at West Liberty-Salem High School with a .483 batting average, 28 home runs and 132 runs batted in.
Infield
With the departures of Kim Klonowski and Kristina Rendle, the Guins lost the entire right side of the 2011 infield.
This season, Campbell has decided to do some shuffling in an effort to improve the entire infield.
"We are fortunate that we have players that are versatile to play different positions and we are going to utilize that to strengthen us," Campbell said.
The biggest change will be up the middle. Three-year starting shortstop Kristen Philen, who has started 140 games at shortstop, will slide over to second base to fill the void left by Rendle.
"Kristen showed a lot of maturity and was on board with her moving to second base." Campbell said. "She has great hands, mobility and arm strength and will be a great fit at that spot."
Freshman Brooke Meenachan, a four-year letterwinner at Boardman High School, is also slated to see some action at second base. Meenachan was a four-year all-conference pick and batted .561 with 17 stolen bases and 26 runs batted in last season.
So to fill slot at shortstop with Philen's shift to second is freshman Samantha Troxell. Troxell, from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, was a second-team all-state pick in 2010 and a two-time all-district selection.
Sophomores Sarah Ingalls and Courtney Ewing are slated to move to first base. Ewing appeared in 21 games last season and batted .200 while Ingalls played in 20 games and also batted .200.
Sophomore Samantha Snodgrass, who will start at third base, is the lone infielder remaining in the same position as last season. Snodgrass batted .233 with two home runs, three doubles and drove in 17 runs.
Outfield
The most experience area of the 2012 team is the outfield. Seniors Jordan Ingalls and Haley Thomas, who both have played the last 146 games, are set to patrol the outfield in right and center field, respectively.
Ingalls, a All-Horizon League First-Team selection in 2011, led the league with a .385 batting average and and posted nine doubles, four triples, five home runs and drove in 40 runs.
Thomas, who ranks second in school history with 106 career runs and owns a .338 career batting average, batted .313 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 27 runs batted in during the 2011 season.
Juniors Sarah Gabel and Caroline Krombach are expected to see most of the time in left field.
Gabel, who appeared in 42 games with 39 starts, turned in a solid sophomore campaign batting .294 with seven doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs.
Krombach, who played in 24 games before an injury, batted .260 and scored 12 runs last season.
Sophomores Kelly Fox and Shayla DeCapita are also expected to see time all three outfield slots.
Designated Player
At the designated player slot, Campbell expects to use Palmore and sophomore Haley Knight as the DP.
Knight, who played 23 games last season, batted .286 with two doubles and scored six runs in 2011.
The Guins open the 2012 season at the South Carolina-Upstate Spartan Invitational against UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.
