As the defending NCAA Division III national champion, Pacific Lutheran enters the 2013 as the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason poll. Having tasted the fruits of their hard work in 2012, the Lutes come back with the desire, work ethic and talent to repeat this season, a feat that has been accomplished only three times in Division III softball history.
While last season for the Lutes was about earning the respect and proving that they belonged among the elite of Division III softball, this year is, well, no different. With the respect that the national title brought, the 2013 team wants to prove it wasn't a "one off" event, and that Pacific Lutheran will be a national tournament contender for years to come.
In the minds of the players and coaches, last year's successes were just that – last year's successes. To that end, said fifth-year head coach Erin Van Nostrand, the team has a motto for this season. "Yesterday is as old as the dirt. Make your masterpiece today.
"It's different to go from having to work to prove yourself every day, to making and winning the tournament, to being number one in the country," Van Nostrand said. "We are learning how to play with a great big target on our back, which is something that we haven't experienced."
The goal, as it was last year, is to qualify for the Division III postseason playoffs, either by winning the conference tournament, or through an at-large bid. "Our conference is strong and our schedule is difficult. We can't think about anything but playing our best softball in April and putting ourselves in a position to make the playoffs," Van Nostrand said.
While most season previews don't start with a list of players not returning, but this one does for an obvious reason.
Pacific Lutheran loses only two starters from last year's national title team. Outfielder Amanda Goings was a .300-plus hitter, the program's most prolific base stealer, and a two-time all-conference selection during her two seasons as a Lute.
Unquestionably the biggest loss, however, is pitcher Stacey Hagensen, a two-time Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Year and a 2012 NFCA second team All-American. She finished last season with a 28-5 record and a 0.97 earned run average. Though not a strikeout pitcher to speak of – she fanned 137 batters in 216 1/3 innings – she made it difficult on opponents by hitting her spots time and time again, limiting them to a .207 batting average. Hagensen pitched every inning in PLU's undefeated eight-game run through the postseason, four games at the Texas-Tyler regional and four more at the national level, to earn Most Outstanding Player honors in both tournaments. She limited conference rival Linfield to just three hits in a 3-0 shutout victory in the national title game. When not pitching, Hagensen played right field and provided an outstanding offensive presence as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup. She finished with a .363 average, five homers, 37 runs batted in and even 11 steals in as many attempts.
Ironically, it was Hagensen's personal success that helps drive this year's team to be even better. The Lutes are out to prove that, while Hagensen's talent and competitive nature carried the team a very long way in 2012, "it takes more than one player to have that kind of success," Van Nostrand said. "Stacey was a great player, but the rest of the players were pretty good, too."
As a result, the Lutes are not basking in the glow of 2012, and their preseason work ethic reflects that. "We're talking about putting ourselves in a position to get better every day as the season goes along," Van Nostrand said.
Where Hagensen was PLU's undisputed leader a year ago, the 2013 team's seven seniors "in their own different ways are leading," Van Nostrand said.
There are plenty of reasons – seven position starters and the designated player are back in 2013 – to believe that the Lutes are quite capable of making another long run into the Division III postseason.
Leading the way is 2012 NFCA first team All-America designated player Kaaren Hatlen, who hit .426 with 10 homers and 56 runs batted in 2012. A two-time first team all-conference and all-region performer, Hatlen will be the team's designated player when not in the pitcher's circle. She compiled a 13-4 record and a 2.90 earned run average last season, and is poised for an even better year as a pitcher. Offensively, she will continue to be one of the most feared hitters in all of Division III softball.
Hatlen is just one of four pitchers that Van Nostrand can use in either starting or relief roles. Leah Butters, a sophomore, was the team's third pitcher a year ago and showed a lot of promise with a 4-2 record and 2.57 earned run average. The other two pitchers were prep standouts at nearby schools. Sophomore Kelsey Robinson, a transfer from Troy University, played at Puyallup High School, while freshman Kelli Crawford starred at nearby Franklin Pierce High School.
The team's primary catcher will be junior Katie Lowery, who earned second team all-conference honors in 2012 with a .295 average and 26 runs batted in. A defensive stalwart, Lowery will anchor what could well be the best "up-the-middle" defense in all of Division III softball.
Adding to the outstanding middle defense are senior second baseman Glenelle Nitta and junior shortstop Lindsey Matsunaga. That Hawaiian double-play duo is arguably the best in all of Division III softball, and both have been position starters throughout their PLU careers. Matsunaga, a two-time first team all-conference pick, continued to be a run-producer with six homers and 37 RBI. Nitta finished with a .267 average and two homers, and her defensive work at second base resulted in an impressive .979 fielding percentage. She was an honorable mention All-NWC pick.
The corner infield spots are equally solid, and both have returning starters. Senior first baseman Amanda Hall, a second team all-conference honoree, finished second on the team last year with a .374 average, including 14 doubles and five homers. The last of those round-trippers was a game- and tournament-changer, leading the Lutes to a comeback win over Linfield in the second game of the 2012 national tournament. Hall proved herself on the big stage by earning all-tournament recognition at both the regional and national tournaments. Senior Haley Harshaw came into her own at nationals and earned all-tournament honors with five hits and flawless defense in the four games. She finished the 2012 season with a .292 average and two homers and earned honorable mention all-conference accord.
Two of the three outfield positions are set. Senior Montessa Califano was a first team all-conference honoree and also earned all-tournament recognition for her play in left field in both the regional and national tournaments in 2012. She hit .372 last year, scored 33 runs, led the team with three triples and also stole 12 bases. Having struck out only three times in 177 plate appearances last year, Califano is the team's table setter. Fleet-footed junior Spencer Sherwin, the final piece in the stellar "up-the-middle" defense, covers a great deal of ground in center field. Last year she was primarily a defense-only player who also flashed her speed on the base paths as a pinch runner, but this season she is hoping to get more at-bats because of her improved slapping ability.
There are several other veteran players returning from the 2012 national title team that give Van Nostrand plenty of flexibility. Those players include senior first baseman Lauren Watson, senior utility player Melissa Harrelson, sophomore utility player Tori Hamura and junior catcher Samantha Pryor.
The list of solid newcomers includes catcher (Alicia) Dewey Davis and Emily Streeter, both of whom have pop in their bats. Outfielder Alison Behrends earned all-state honors at Marist High School in Eugene, Ore., and is in the mix with Harrelson and Hamura for the starting job in right field. Holly Hawkins, a pitcher and infielder, and Molly Yoshikawa, a catcher and infielder, add versatility to the roster. Because of the depth and talent of the returnees, however, the newcomers can take the time necessary to get adjusted to college softball.
Pacific Lutheran opens defense of its 2012 national title with eight consecutive conference road games, starting Saturday, Feb. 23, with a doubleheader at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.
The non-conference slate is loaded with difficult opponents, which is part of Van Nostrand's way of getting her team ready for conference play while adding to the team's potential national tournament at-large credentials. The Lutes will play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., from March 8-10, and, like last year, will make a Spring Break trip to Texas, this time to play three doubleheaders.
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