Softball | 2/3/2015 2:41:00 PM
BALTIMORE – The Coppin State softball team enters the 2015 season under the guidance of first-year head coach
Ty Robinson.
Last year, the Eagles competed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament for the fifth straight season. Coppin State has plenty of experience to earn another postseason trip as it returns nine letter-winners from last season.
"We're looking to win the Northern Division in the MEAC and make a run in the conference tournament," Robinson said. "The keys to our season will be in trusting the process of the program and never giving up."
One of the main sources of confidence for the Eagles is the return of senior
Candice Van Horn, a preseason All-MEAC second team selection.
Van Horn was named to the 2014 All-MEAC First Team and College Sports Madness All-MEAC First Team. She led Coppin State in 11 categories, including batting average (.410), runs scored (38) and hits (48). Nationally among Division I players, Van Horn ranked 44th in runs per game, 53rd in stolen bases per game, 55th in slugging percentage, 68th in on-base percentage and 69th in batting average.
She had a month-long 15-game hitting streak that produced eight multi-hit games. As a pitcher, Van Horn made 10 appearances and had an 8.40 earned run average.
Van Horn's talents extended into the classroom as she earned All-MEAC Softball Academic Team and the MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team honors last year.
The Eagles are also looking to senior pitcher/first baseman
Samantha Denlinger to produce at the plate. Denlinger finished with 29 hits and 15 runs last season. Her .302 average was third on the team. She had five multi-hit games including a pair of three-hit outings.
Junior third baseman
Kimberlynn Brown finished with a .225 batting average. She had 23 hits and was tied for fourth on the team with 16 runs batted in. She slammed a pair of home runs, had five doubles and hit .270 (10-for-37) with runners in scoring position. She ended the season by reaching base in seven straight games.
Coppin State will be glad to have junior shortstop
Danielle Smith, junior infielder
Shelby Mendoza, sophomore pitcher
Ellie Vogel and junior outfielder
Michele Saunders back in the line-up after they suffered season-ending injuries in 2014. In the 26 games she started, Smith had a .297 batting average with 22 hits and 17 runs scored, which was second for the Eagles. In 2013, she made her mark with a team-best 48 hits, the most by a freshman in Coppin State history.
Mendoza hit .333 in nine appearances. In 12 games, Vogel tallied two runs and two hits. She made seven appearances as a pitcher for a 7.55 earned run average. Saunders appeared in one game before getting injured. Although she was disappointed to miss the season, she worked hard in the classroom and was named to the All-MEAC Softball Academic Team and the MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team. Juniors
Lauren Rogers and
Alanna Williams are also expected to see action during the season. Rogers scored 12 runs and had 11 hits in 38 games. Williams recorded 15 hits and scored seven runs.
The Eagles are looking forward to seeing what incoming junior Oashaja Dobie can do on the mound. Dobie transferred to Coppin State from Rainy River Community College. As the primary pitcher for the Voyageurs, Dobie held the top spot nationally among Division III NJCAA softball players with 289 strikeouts and 9.92 strikeouts per game. She ranked second with 23 wins in 34 appearances.
She was also one of the best NJCAA hitters with a .565 batting average that ranked fourth. Dobie's on base percentage (.604) and slugging percentage (.935) stood fifth nationally. During the Division III National NJCAA Tournament, Dobie received the tournament's Marucci Elite Hitter Award. All of her accomplishments last season earned her second-team All-American honors in the NJCAA.
Additional newcomers for Coppin State include freshmen
Taylor Haller and
Tanysha Tennassee along with sophomore Salonika Muhammed.
Coppin State has a challenging schedule with 76 percent of its season being played on the road. The Eagles open the season at defending SEC Champion Georgia on Thursday afternoon. It is the first of 19 consecutive contests off-campus.
The Eagles play their home opener on Thursday, Mar. 19 against Lafayette. Coppin State will continue home play that weekend to open MEAC competition against Norfolk State in a three-game series on Saturday, Mar. 21 and Sunday, Mar. 22. The Eagles will host defending Northern Division champions Delaware State in another three-game series on Apr. 11-12.
Coppin State closes out the regular season at home with a three-game weekend conference finale against cross-town rival Morgan State on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
The MEAC Tournament will take place from Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9 in Ormond Beach, Fla.
