The Girls of spring are back. The 2015 softball season is officially underway as the Schreiber High School varsity softball team prepares for another successful season under the helm of seventh year coach
Eric Sutz and new assistant coach Chrissy Talbot.
Last season, the girls finished
second in the Nassau AA II conference. They finished 13-4 overall, but were phenomenal in conference play, where they were 11-2. After clinching a postseason spot for the second straight year, the team bowed out to fifth seeded Massapequa in the first round. This year, Sutz and the girls are looking to expand on last year’s success.
“I’m really hoping we can return to the playoffs and hopefully advance to the finals,” said senior first baseman Suzie Gil.
This season’s edition features 17 players. This athletic group is an interesting bunch, ranging from four seniors to a seventh and eighth grade player. “The team is extremely cohesive and has a collective passion for the game of softball,” said Sutz. “Most of the girls play year around and it is not just a hobby; it’s a major portion of their life.”
One big standout for Port Washington is their team depth. Sutz describes his team’s culture as a “We Not Me” method. “It’s really about the whole team concept,” said Sutz. “We don’t have one individual talent who’s going to dominate for us.”
The biggest concern for the team will be replacing three seniors who graduated last season. They were starters and key cogs in the lineup. Sutz believes he has the skills both on the field and in the lineup. Replacing those girls will take some time. Also, the weather has played a factor, as far as practicing goes. As the warm weather approaches, things will clear up and the Vikings will be ready for softball.
The big question going into this season is who will fill the void left by Alex Caprariello. Caprariello was a five year player and three time All County pitcher. In fact, she was one of the best pitchers in the county for the past three seasons. Last season was a dominant year for Caprariello as she was not only outstanding on the mound, but also behind the plate. She was also the number three hitter in the lineup.
Stepping up into the pitcher’s circle this season will be a dynamic one two punch in junior Siria Castillo and sophomore Emma Lupoli. These two are expected to share the workload and take that next big step this season. “You can’t fill an All County player with just one person,” said Sutz.
Key players on offense will be outfielder Colleen O’Donnell, who is a great contact hitter, third baseman Lupoli, a good power hitter, and catcher Danielle Elkins, who has been on the varsity team since eighth grade. These three sophomores will be counted on to provide some pop in their lineup.
“This is the most athletic team we’ve had,” said Sutz. “We also need more people to contribute.”
This may come in handy as the lineup features an excellent combination of contact hitters and speedsters. Their approach is to play a little small ball. This allows them to get their running game going and force the opposing defenses to make quick plays.
“To execute the kind of game plan we want, we have to use pinch runners, get down sacrifice bunts, and step up on defense,” said Sutz.
The Vikings’ biggest competition will come from Farmingdale, Baldwin, Herricks and Valley Stream Central. These are the games to watch this season.
Overall, as always, any team’s expectations are the same. Coach Sutz and his squad aim to qualify for the playoffs and make it further than they did a year ago.
“We would of course like to win the conference,” said Sutz. “The top two teams in the conference make the playoffs and we want to do that for a third straight season.”
With two blowouts in the books already against Hempstead and Elmont, the girls aim for more victories when they play four games in five days over this spring vacation week.
