CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston softball team under first-year head coach Linda Kalafatis and her newly assembled coaching staff has completed their fall scrimmage and practice schedule, a productive couple of weeks in which the squad constructed the building blocks in preparation for the 2014 spring campaign.
The fall season was a crucial time for the new coaches to learn about their team and identify strengths and weaknesses across the diamond, in the circle and at the plate.
“I am very excited about the potential the team has already shown,” said Kalafatis. “The kids have bought into our teachings and philosophies and are working extremely hard to be at their best.”
The Cougars dropped their first two games of the fall to Coastal Carolina, but bounced back with four consecutive wins to finish the slate.
The Cougars had to battle from behind in both games of a doubleheader sweep of Anderson, the second game ending with a game-tying run when the Cougars were down to their final out in the seventh inning and a walk-off homerun by senior Kelsey Hodgson (Woodstock, Ga.) in extra innings.
In their final doubleheader, the Cougar defense shined as they earned two shutout victories over crosstown rival Charleston Southern to close the fall campaign.
“I was really impressed with our final two games,” said Kalafatis. “It was an accumulation of our progress to this point. We were very clean defensively, the pitchers were great, and we hit the ball hard.”
The Cougars will be a well-balanced unit for the 2014 season under the leadership of 10 upperclassmen who have already displayed their veteran experience and offered a highly-productive fall.
“The fall is all about making adjustments,” said pitcher Hope Klicker (Walla Walla, Wash.), now a junior on the squad. “We’re all gelling with each other and the new coaches and learning their styles and expectations. We’re laying the building blocks and improving in areas we’ve struggled with previously. I think our abilities are higher than previous years and we’re ready to see what we can do with that potential.”
Under the veteran group are 11 freshmen and sophomores, some of whom have already made their presence known and others who are ready to make an immediate impact.
“We finished the fall really strong,” said Chandler Frisbie who last year provided a highly-impactful freshman season and looks to expand upon her success as a sophomore. “We were playing so well down the stretch that I honestly wish we could have played more games. It’s been a complete team effort and we’re confident heading into the spring.”
Kalafatis had to negotiate and handful of injuries and a coaching staff which was until-recently incomplete, but is excited about the team’s progress and future potential now that they’re at full strength.
“Despite the injuries we’ve been able to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses which allows us to move forward. The players who were out have worked extremely hard and been dedicated to getting healthy.
“We’re still evaluating a couple positions, but the veterans were great and the newcomers showed promise too. There is still a lot of work to do, but the players’ willingness to improve is what’s going to drive us forward into the spring.”
