Cedars, February 2018

February 2018 SPORTS by Tim Miller T he 2017 Cedarville Lady Jackets soft- ball team experienced a whirlwind of outcomes last season. The squad featured contributors who earned hon- ors including G-MAC Pitcher of the Year, G-MAC Co-Coach of the Year, and NCCAA All-American, among others. The Lady Jackets were the top-seed- ed team in the G-MAC Conference Tour- nament after amassing a 21-4 conference record, 3.5 games better than second place Kentucky Wesleyan. However, Cedarville suffered back-to- back upsets in the conference tournament and was ousted by Trevecca in a 9-0 shel- lacking. Cedarville made it out of the NC- CAA Midwest Regional, run-ruling both of its opponents, but failed to win a game in the national tournament, scoring just nine runs in three games. “Our bats were very flat during postsea- son play last year after winning the regular season,” senior pitcher Danielle Wolgamot said. “While we remember that feeling, we are training even harder so we will not burn out and will finish the season how we should have last year.” Cedarville is one of the youngest teams in the nation with just one of its top pitch- ers owning senior status and three of its top four hitters holding sophomore status. “Last year, we had a very young team with no seniors and 10 freshmen,” soph- omore infielder Kara Eiginer said. “Now, each player is stronger individually since they have more experience, so I believe collectively we will have a successful sea- son.” The Lady Jackets were bolstered by their pitching last season, sporting the best ERA in the conference, second best BAA, and third most strikeouts in 2018. Head coach Wes Rowe said he expects junior Morgan Arbogast (2.67 ERA in 160 innings) and Wolgamot (2.61 ERA in 94 in- nings) to anchor the Lady Jackets inside the circle this season yet again. Offensively, Cedarville was just as strong, finishing in the top three among G-MAC teams in batting average, runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging percentage last season. The Lady Jackets will have to fill the void that Brianne O’Dell leaves. O’Dell led the team with a .430 batting average and 57 RBIs, but Cedarville returns every other key offensive contributor from last season. Five players hit above .330 last season, and Rowe expects two of them to lead the team at the plate this season. “We are counting on Jessica Steger and Kara Eiginger to have outstanding offensive seasons,” Rowe said. Steger played in 44 games last season as a freshman, turning in a .303 batting average and leading the team in triples. Eiginger, a sophomore, hit .343 and had the sixth most RBIs last season for the Lady Jackets. Sophomores Heather Lord (.356 aver- age, 16 stolen bases) and Danae Fields (.344 batting average, .421 on-base percentage) should also slap the ball around for Cedar- ville. Rowe tasks his team with what seems to be an impossible goal: perfection. Rowe understands it’s an elusive pursuit, but that wins will come as long as they concern themselves with perfection. “We want to represent Christ and Cedarville University well, both on and off the field,” Rowe said. “Secondarily, it might seem strange, but our goal is not to win. Rather, our goal is to play the perfect game every game on both offense and de- fense.” There’s a surplus of confidence for the Lady Jackets this season. Eiginger expects the nation to be on notice of Cedarville soft- ball in 2018. “I expect the team to clinch the G-MAC early on and win the conference tourna- ment,” Eiginger said. “From there, we hope to advance through the NCAA tournament. I am excited to see where this season takes us.” Rowe thinks the success from last sea- son will carry over to an even better 2018 campaign. “Our players are very talented and truly on any given day can beat any team in the nation,” Rowe said. “If we stay healthy and accomplish our goal of play- ing well each time that we step onto the field, we are capable of doing well in the postseason.” Tim Miller is a sophomore marketing ma- jor and sports editor for Cedars. He enjoys having a baby face, sipping Dunkin Donuts coffee and striving to be the optimal combi- nation of Dwight Schrute and Ron Swan- son. Youthful Lady Jackets Look to Build off 2017 Photo by Lydia Wolterman A member of the Cedarville University softball team swings and hits the ball during practice. Photo by Lydia Wolterman A catcher and pitcher duo plan their strategy during a practice. 19