As the new semester pushes on toward springtime, the Wisconsin softball team finally gets to return to the field for a fresh run at a conference title and a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
Under the direction of third-year head coach Chandelle Schulte, the Badgers will work with a roster of nine returning letterwinners and eight new faces - six freshman and two transfer athletes - in an effort to improve on the 6-12 conference record and 27-20 overall record the team amassed last season.
We're capable of great things, but we're very young,"" Schulte said. ""We have eight new players, so it takes some time for things to come together. This team gets along well. Their chemistry is good.""
Among the new faces are three first-year players recruited from within the state: infielder Jennifer Krueger from Portage, pitcher Dana Rasmussen from Madison and utility Kristyn Hansen from Franksville.
Despite the return of junior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven and sophomore pitcher Letty Olivarez, Schulte has given consideration to the right-handed Hansen, a 2007 First-Team All-State selection, as a potential candidate to take the No. 1 pitching position.
""Between the three of them, they are very different types of pitchers. We feel that we have a pitching staff who will help us win some ball games,"" Schulte said.
The other three freshmen come from across the country. Livi Abney from Lawrence, Kan., and Cassandra Wilkosz from Hinckley, Ohio, are both freshman infielders who have the potential to see playing time at first and third, respectively.
Ashley Hanewich is a freshman outfielder/pitcher from Bradenton, Fla., who could potentially contribute in right field this season. She will likely work behind junior Valyncia Raphael, who made all 35 starts in left field last year but may be shifted to the opposite side.
""Valyncia Raphael is fundamentally the best outfielder that we have,"" Schulte said. ""She's coming back from injuries and didn't practice this fall so we are watching her progress.""
Junior outfielder Tara Hiteman, a transfer from Rhode Island, is a native of Chesterton, Ind., while junior catcher Nichole Whaley, a junior college transfer, hails from Riverside, Calif. Whaley earned several accolades last year while playing for the Mt. San Antonio College state championship team in Los Angeles County and is expected to back up returning senior catcher Joey Daniels.
""Nichole brings a wealth of experience. She's played at the highest level with the most elite athletes,"" Schulte said. ""She has a true understanding of the game and will be able to help us at that position.""
The nine players who remain from last year's squad include Vanevenhoven, Olivarez, Raphael, Daniels, senior shortstop Lynn Anderson, redshirt junior left fielder Ricci Robben, sophomore center fielder Katie Soderberg, junior third baseman Theresa Boruta and first baseman Alexis Garcia.
Fans can expect Daniels, Garcia, Anderson, Boruta, Soderberg and Raphael to start at their respective positions, but the positions of pitcher, second base and left field are yet to be determined.
This year's schedule will be difficult for the Badgers, as they will take on 16 teams that qualified for the 2007 NCAA softball tournament. Four of those teams came from within the Big Ten conference, including World Series qualifier Northwestern.
""This year, I think we have one of the toughest schedules we've ever had,"" Schulte said. ""Last year was also pretty tough for us, and we held our own. This year is difficult, but we're going to take that experience into the Big Ten.""
The Badgers will take to the road for the first eight weeks of the season, making stops in Utah, Nevada, Florida, Austin, Missouri and California before starting off the Big Ten season in Evanston, Ill., and East Lansing, Mich. The Badgers will not have a home game until April 2, when they host Loyola on Goodman Diamond.
The first stop for Wisconsin is on Friday in Provo, Utah, where the Badgers will take part in the Red Desert Classic. Over the course of the weekend, Wisconsin will play against the likes of Utah, Northern Colorado and Utah Valley State, as well as NCAA tournament contenders from last year Loyola Marymount and BYU.
- uwbadgers.com contributed to this report
