Softball Picked 7th in GLIAC Poll
Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay softball team has been picked seventh in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) preseason poll.
For the first time in 14 years, the Oilers softball team will take the field under the direction of someone other than Ron Ammons. That someone is head coach Danielle Lowe who came to Findlay after coaching for five seasons at Urbana University. She inherits a team that last season finished 26-23 and made an appearance in the GLIAC Tournament. Despite the tournament appearance, Coach Lowe knows that there is always room for improvement.
"We are working extremely hard to better our defense and fundamentals. If we do the little things right, it's going to take care of the big stuff and hopefully the big stuff will be the wins."
To get those wins, the Oilers will certainly rely on the pitching efforts of sophomore Chelsea McManaway. In her freshman season, McManaway gave up just 52 earned runs in 143 innings pitched while picking up 177 strikeouts, the most in a season in the history of Findlay softball. By season's end, she found herself second at UF for games pitched in a season (29) and fourth in victories (15). She was a second team all-GLIAC performer in the 2015 season.
Junior Katie Dunphy is the best returning hitter for the Oilers. Last season she led the team with a .356 batting average, led the team with 13 doubles, and was second in RBI with 24. Other top hitters returning are junior Katie Dunphy, junior Lauren Trumpler, sophomore Haley Apple, sophomore Kelley Cejer, and senior Brooke Scherger. Each of these players hit above the .300 mark last season.
Findlay opens their season on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27, when they will play four indoor games in Rosemont, Illinois before heading south to Clermont, Florida.