JR OLYMPIC
TRYOUTS
Day Two, Wednesday
Competition intensified at every position on Wednesday.
Nowhere was that competition more intense than at shortstop where at least five players displayed range, glove control, and arm strength: Caitlin Benyi, Jodie Legaspi, Candice Baker, Courtney Bures and Krista Colburn. And, shortstop Holly Krzan showed her quick release to engineer a double play. Norelle Dickson, Andrea Duran, Mindy Cowles and Colburn also showed good glove work and arm strength at 3rd. Tough choices.
There was also spirited competition for other positions, and the coaches are commended for allowing players to demonstrate their skills at multiple positions.
No pitcher was as dominant as Monica Abbott had been on Tuesday, striking out 20 of 29 batters, but several of the ten pitchers in camp stepped up their games – even as more hitters were finding their stroke.
The national selection committee’s 17 choices will be announced Monday.
Hazarding a guess as to their decisions is made even more
difficult because the committee is not limited in its selections to the 44
players in camp. As was indicated
Monday night by Coach Pam Newton, and reiterated today by Committee Chair Marty
McGuire, the committee has agreed to consider past performances by players who
are currently medically restricted: Lisa Dodd, Anna Beardman, Christina Clark,
and Lauren Lappin. Moreover, the
committee has the latitude to consider previously evaluated players such as the
seven players from the Junior World team which played in
However, several of those players are also injured and/or
recovering from surgery, and, the Committee has very able players in camp for
each of the positions which those players filled in
Additional games are scheduled for Thursday morning, perhaps followed by additional drills, which will give more reps to all players. Eg, in some games, very few balls have been hit to the outfield, limiting those players opportunities to test their skills.
Random Game
Comments
Game Three
Using the same format in which pitchers switch sides after facing each batter once, Lisa Dodd and Laura Ferreira pitched Game Three. Dodd had 9 Ks, Ferreira 4; Dodd gave up five hits, Ferreira 4. Hits were recorded by Jaisa Creps, Caitlin Lowe (2), Stephanie Van Brakle (2), Courtney Bures, BettiJo McGonigle, Emily Zaplatosch, and Candice Baker. Three runs were scored. Lowe beat out an infield hit off Ferreira, stole 2nd, and scored on a passed ball. Ferreira walked Dani Sidoti who scored on McGonigle’s rbi. Van Brakle and Zaplatosch hit successive singles off Dodd, Van Brakle eventually scoring. Lowe stoled 2nd and 3rd after the second infield hit. Norelle Dickson was robbed of a line drive by a leaping Mindy Cowles playing 3rd (and also playing other positions). When the pitchers switched sides, Dodd took over from Ferreira with two runners on base and struck out the next two batters. Both Dodd and Ferreira used changeups effectively. Krista Colburn, Mindy Cowles and Norelle Dickson all turned good plays at 3rd, and Colburn triggered a double play when she switched to shortstop.
Game Four
Michelle Grinage and Brianne McGowan pitched.
McGowan had 8 Ks, Grinage 5; McGowan gave up 5 hits, Grinage 3.
But, one of those 3 hits was a homer by Caitlin Benyi.
Andrea Duran followed with a walk, followed by an infield hit on a bunt
by Lindsay Schutzler, and Duran scored the only other run.
Kristi Fox, Jessica Gilmore, Mindy Cowles, Lisa Dodd, Benyi, Schutzler
(2), and Sara Mason had hits. Cowles
hit a hard line drive back to McGowan; other hard hits included Fox, Gilmore,
Benyi and Mason. Jaisa Creps also
cleared the fence – foul. Brittany
Vanderink turned in a good play at 2nd.
But, a problem which occurred intermittently in
Game Five
This game produced the final pitching match-up: Stephanie Van Brakle v Desire Williams. Van Brakle gave up five hits, Williams seven as the team rotation had them facing what were probably the hardest hitting lineups. Each had 4 Ks. Kristi Fox (2), Jackie Rinehart, Anna Beardman, Jessica Gilmore, Mindy Cowles, Elana Meyers (double), Caitlin Lowe, Jodie Legaspi, Emily Zaplatosch, Candice Baker, and Williams had hits. Lowe again opened the scoring, singling to left and scoring on an error. With Legaspi on base (walk), Mindy Cowles saved a run, snaring Zaplatosch’s line drive. Norelle Dickson reached when the second baseman was late covering 1st; she and Legaspi (single) scored on Zaplatosch’s hard single to center. Williams drove in the final two runs for her team with a single to right. Successive singles by Fox, Gilmore and Cowles set up a run for the other team, the run scoring on Monica Abbott’s sacrifice fly. Elana Meyers drove in the final runs for her team with a double.
Game Six
The format was slightly altered to allow more pitching time for Lisa Dodd and Brianne McGowan who pitched for one team, and Megan Denny and Brittany Detwiler who pitched for the other team. Chelsi Lake (double), Andrea Duran, Chanel Roehner, Brianne McGowan, Norelle Dickson, Jodie Legaspi, Norelle Dickson, Desiree Williams (ground rule double driving in two runs), Tara Henry all had hits. The longest blow of this game was hit by Caitlin Benyi, a head-high smash that was speared by Lindsay Schutzler against the fence, depriving Benyi of another homer. Lots to like in this game: Dickson stealing 2nd; Holly Krzan turning a nifty double-play, snagging Danielle Soule’s line drive and doubling off Tara Henry. Courtney Bures dove to stop Courtney Lewis’ hard grounder into the hole, and lying down, flipped to 2nd for the fielder’s choice. McGowan also plowed some real estate, diving for and catching a foul ball hit by Duran. Schutzler, Benyi and Dickson also displayed their arm strength.
Happy Birthday
Today was Megan Denny’s 18th birthday. Happy Birthday.
End