The television wasn’t tuned to ESPN Sunday afternoon as the NCAA Regional softball selections were announced. Instead, as the Ducks gathered for their end of the season banquet, Oregon coach Kathy Arendsen was left to address her club and discuss its season.
“This wasn’t a time for us to sit there and be sad and mope around. It’s a chance to celebrate our seniors and the tremendous contributions they made over four years and then to also talk about what the team’s accomplishments were but also what we need to do to go further next year,” Arendsen said.
For the first time in Arendsen’s tenure, four seasons, Oregon isn’t advancing to the postseason. The Ducks lost five straight games to end the season at 24-29 overall and last in the Pacific-10 Conference at 4-17. In fact, Oregon dropped nine of its final 10 games, including two at Portland State.
“This is history now. This is something we can’t do anything about,” Arendsen said. “It’s life lessons. That’s what sport is. They learned some life lessons about adversity, about tough breaks … This didn’t beat them down. It is something that is going to motivate them to do better in the future.”
Tough non-league losses marred the Ducks in their pursuit for a school-record fourth straight postseason appearance, while 10 of the Ducks’ conference losses were by three runs or fewer. Five of those losses were by one run.
“Sometimes years like this can really motivate and teach,” Arendsen said. “And that’s what we hope to use it as a positive, not something that drains us and makes us look and say, ‘Are we good enough?’ We are good enough. It didn’t come together this year.”
Four Ducks will leave the team because of graduation, and Arendsen deemed the returnees a battle-tested and experienced core heading into next season.
“The adversity this team faced between weather, injuries, illnesses, eligibility issues; I think they were champions in their own right,” Arendsen said. “I think they set a good basis for next year that we persevere, we
battle, we compete in every game.”
Pitching
On the mound, the Ducks lose senior Amy Harris, the school’s all-time strikeout leader with 593 – 119 more than second place.
Harris has also appeared in 140 games, tied for second in school history.
“Amy is one of the top pitchers that ever pitched at Oregon,” Arendsen said. “I have great respect for her competitiveness. When she took the ball she was tough, she
didn’t back down from anyone. You don’t
replace players like that, you divvy up
the responsibilities.”
Three potential starters return in junior-to-be Alicia Cook and sophomores-to-be Melissa Rice and Elise Orange.
“I think Rice and Cook both proved themselves,” Arendsen said. “They’ve got work to do. They have to get a little better control and focus more on location.
“Our pitchers have to get better. They
are young.”
Cook, who missed almost all of the
non-league schedule because of academic
ineligibility, had a 5-11 record with a 3.36 ERA and eight complete games.
“I plan on spending my whole summer working on my pitching, totally redoing my form, getting back to a more efficient way,” Cook said.
Rice was second to Harris in innings pitched with 113 and in strikeouts with 80. She
finished the season with an 8-5 record in
15 starts. Rice threw four complete games and had a 2.60 ERA.
“Melissa Rice outdid everything we thought she’d do as a freshman,” Arendsen said. “She stepped up and did well. Her teammates
rewarded her with our top pitcher award at the banquet (Sunday). I think that says an awful lot about the confidence our team has in her.”
Orange, who started four games early in the season, was placed in a reliever role for most of the
conference schedule. She finished with a 2-3 record and a 2.90 ERA in 12 appearances.
Outfield
The three regular starters return in the outfield with senior-to-be Kayleen Hudson in right field, junior-to-be Lovena Chaput in left field
and sophomore-to-be center fielder
Sari-Jane Jenkins.
“We made a lot of mistakes this year and we’ve also had a lot of
moments of glory,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to continue to push each other and to persevere through the tough times.
“Next year we’re going to be hungry. We’re definitely going to come out and play to our capability.”
The trio all rank in the top six in all major offensive categories and
combined for only eight errors.
Despite the strong showing, incoming freshman Neena Bryant is expected to compete for a starting job as well.
“She is really going to push the kids who are out there now, give some more competition, bring a strong bat to our lineup,” Arendsen said. “I think the outfield is one of our strongest points without
a doubt.”
Senior Dani Baird also shared in the outfield rotation, appearing in
42 games. She hit .235 and was
second on the team with 16 walks. Baird had no errors this season.
Infield
The biggest question mark in the offseason will be the infield. Two bona fide starters – first baseman Beth Boskovich and shortstop
Breanne Sabol – have completed their eligibility.
Redshirt freshman Jenn Salling, who will be competing as a member of the Canadian National team this summer, will likely fill the void Sabol leaves, but she realizes those are tough shoes to fill.
“Competitiveness is something that has always been a characteristic of me,” Salling said. “I think that I can bring that both on and off the field. Leadership is a big key,
shortstop is a key position. Breanne did a great job for this program the last four years and I have a big step ahead of me.”
Meanwhile, senior-to-be Kristi Leiter – the only left-handed batter/thrower on the current roster – and incoming freshman Carlyn Re from Tualatin High are expected to compete to take over at first base. Leiter played in
41 games this season, starting 23.
Both Boskovich and Sabol ranked in the top five in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, walks and RBI.
“We are going to miss Breanne and Bosko,” Arendsen said. “They were so experienced. Bosko’s humor and ability to kind of defuse tension out there when you got nervous are
going to be things we are going to miss.”
Boskovich finished her career second in school history with 108 walks and seventh in runs with 110. Sabol had a sixth-best 43 stolen bases in her career and is tied for ninth in doubles with 27. She started all but one game at shortstop in her career and missed only two total games.
The Ducks return senior-to-be second baseman Suzie Barnes and junior-to-be Joanna Gail at third base. Barnes led the Ducks in batting average at .320 and in triples; she started every game except one. Gail hit a team-best six home runs.
“I think we’re going to be pretty strong,” Salling said of the infield. “With Suzie at second base and Joanna at third, and those two are just two great leaders on the field. With my competitive attributes at short, I think that can make a difference.”
Behind the plate, junior-to-be Amie Morris and sophomore-to-be Courtney Shlee both return.
“That’s probably the thing we’ll really have to work on,” Arendsen said. “We didn’t throw out as many runners, we had too many passed balls (that were) not all (the catchers’) fault; our pitchers messed up too. They are both very talented and I know they’re the right players for the spot, but we need to improve a bit there.”
After losing only four seniors – despite how decorated they were – the women returning have a nasty taste in their collective mouth that will last until next season’s games begin in February. Until then, they will be left to play catch with each other – something most of the team has scheduled to do this weekend.
“It’s just a feeling of emptiness,” Jenkins said. “Instead of making it a burden on your shoulders, you build
from it and that’s something we’re willing to do for next year. Our season may be over, but next weekend everyone is going to play catch and just continue to do the things they can to make themselves ready for next year.”