Head Coach Bill Rosner recaps the fall 2015 softball season

St. Louis, Mo. - Below is a note about softball's fall 2015 season as well as what to expect from the upcoming 2016 season from head coach Bill Rosner:

It will be a very unique upcoming season in the fact that we have 12 new players added to the program. So we have a big number for our team which hasn't been the norm and we have plenty of competition for playing time at all positions.  Our fall games went very well as we went 1-1-1. We played well in all three and found some great surprises in the brief snapshot. We found out that our most pressuing issue is that our defense has to improve. We ended the fall with our alumni game which was a very happy time with a bunch of awards to past teammates and some present players for last season's achievements. Players back from Fontbonne's first-ever team attended, the '97 class, to go with another 20 returners for the game.

Our strength this season will be in our pitching and catching. Madi Leonard (SLIAC Pitcher of Year/1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-Region and 3rd Team ALL-AMERICAN), Lindsay Schaefer (1st Team All-Conference) and Emily Smith (2nd Team All-Conference and 3rd Team All-Region) are a strong, strong battery. We will go really as far as they can take us. I know it's a team game and WE really are about the team but to play at the level we've been able to play at the last few years, it starts in the circle and behind the plate. Leonard returns for her senior her and she will tell you it's a team game and she couldn't do it without WE. Pitching right along side her is our other number one in Schaefer. It's unfortunate for Lindsay that she isn't able to get more innings because she is extremely talented but Leonard can be that good and Leonard only pitches while Lindsay plays defense for us and Lindsay can really hit so that's where we do what's best for the team. Smith enters her fourth season behind the plate and is as good a catcher as there is in the area. She contributes with her bat so you get the best of both worlds. Our pitching isn't the best for no reason, Emily makes it all go around. Left out of the above is pitcher Michelle Boyer, who is unfortunate to have both Leonard and Schaefer as teammates so innings are tough but she had some really good moments for us last season when we needed her so she'll be ready to help as well.

Also returning we have Courtney Kraus, an outie that has played behind some very good ones her first three years so she is looking to find some innings to help us. We return our middle innie set with Courtney Kedroski and Lauren Faulstich along with middle innie Isabel Hotop and outie Samantha Brown (SLIAC Freshman of the Year and 2nd Team All-Conference.)  It's a group that can help us keep the speed of the game up while we get our new players to speed.

Speaking of new, we have twelve freshmen that are going to have a monster opportunity to help the program and some are already on their way to it. They all have a ton to learn in a short time but it's a very good class and we think we'll have plenty of competition by January from them. We brought in pitching with Diamond Thomas and Maddy Strickland, both hoping to get some innings this spring on the rubber and both can play a little first base. We have Alleigh Kruse, Melanie Russo and Hannah Evans competing for time on the infield.  The three have brought good competition to our returners and new outies competing are Maddie Cooksey, Sarah Kitchen, Emily McNiff, Raven Krist, Leah Almstedt and Kayla Winkler, all hoping to find a starting spot. The last recruit, a very strong pickup, was Emelia Modglin who will get the opportunity to learn under Emily Smith to be our future catcher and also will find time on the corner at third base. 

We need to have some of our underclassmen contribute throughout the spring season but I'm thinking we'll be a by-committee team next season for the first time in a long time. We have a bunch of kids that are talented in different aspects of the game and if that will make us better we'll make changes as needed as games progress. We have work to do to replace so many talented players through graduation but we really have a strong group of young players that are gaining valuable time to learn with us.