MCC softball making switch to Division I

By Roger Bates
Reprinted from the Muscatine Journal

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Change is good, at least that’s the hope of Muscatine Community College softball coach Scott Beatty.

After a nickname switch from Indians to Cardinals, now MCC will move from Division II to Division I for the 2009 season.

The move means the Cardinals will now be in a four-team league, rather than the old eight-team region.

Another change will be dropping the long two-day trips that were necessary to play the teams on the other side of the state. Three of the four Division I schools (Muscatine, Indian Hills and Southeastern) are in eastern Iowa – the lone long trip will be to Iowa Western in Council Bluffs.

Instead of the regional tournament champion automatically qualifying for the Division II World Series, the Iowa Division I winner must win a super district best-of-three series against the champion from a region that includes teams from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. That winner moves on to the national tournament in George, Utah.

“We’ve beaten all of those (Division I) teams and we recruit the same athletes,” said Beatty. “We need to start getting respect around the country.”

The Cardinals return six players, including three who earned all-regional honors, from last year’s team that finished 52-6 and lost to Iowa Lakes in the regional finals.

Two of the three returnees are former Muscatine High School standouts – outfielders Maddy Harmon and Leigha Strong. The third is shortstop Sarah Thomas, who helped lead Rockridge to an Illinois state championship.

Harmon batted .427 with 16 doubles and 45 RBI. The lefty hitter will use the speed that led to 32 stolen bases to hit in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. She is capable of either slapping or hitting away with some gap-power.

Strong is coming off a terrific season in which she batted .412 and led the region in home runs (11) and was second in RBI (53).

“No pun intended, but Leigha is one of the strongest athletes on the team,” said Beatty. “She’s a hard worker who has grown so much since high school.”

Over the years, MCC has boasted some outstanding shortstops and Thomas is no exception.

A pre-season All-American, Thomas led the team with a .434 batting average. She slapped a dozen doubles, banged out six home runs and drove in 42 runs.

“Sarah probably will move to second base because of her size when she moves on to a four-year school,” said Beatty, “but she’s a terrific shortstop. Her mental approach is amazing and she’ll throw her body anywhere.

“We’ve had five All-American shortstops and I hope Sarah carries on that tradition.”

Another Muscatine standout, Cortnie Eagle, was a backup last year who will get a lot of playing time this year at first base and designated player (DP).

“Cortnie contributed something when she played last year,” said Beatty. “She’s an excellent defensive first baseman who has good range for her size.

“She has developed physically and maturity-wise the last two years. She’s become a real team leader.”

The other two sophomores on the 17-player squad are versatile players Katie Loose and Jaclyn Spragg.

Loose will back up Thomas at shortstop and be one of three catchers, while Spragg will split time at third base, catcher and DP.

Muscatine’s entire pitching staff is comprised of incoming freshmen – Rockridge’s Jamie Whitcomb, Canadian Alisha McFadden, Ashley Wailand of Davenport North and Sarah Baetsle of HLV.

Currently listed at No. 1 is Whitcomb, who sparkled in the fall season with a 12-1 record. She is a big, strong hurler who consistently throws 62-63 mph.

“Not only does she have velocity, she has great control,” said Beatty. “She will also play some outfield and third base because she’s a very good hitter. We’re looking for incredible things from her.”

McFadden, who played on the Canadian Midget A junior national team in high school, will follow Whitcomb in the rotation, giving opponents a different look because she’s a left-hander.

A tall, lanky player, McFadden will play some at first base and in the outfield.

Wailand’s best attribute is her rise ball and developing changeup, while Baetsle is called the sleeper of the bunch by Beatty.

“Ashley had a tired arm from pitching so many innings in high school,” said Beatty. “Being just one of four pitchers has helped her speed and velocity.

“Sarah is not overpowering (57-58 mph), but she throws a lot of down pitches – a drop-curve, straight curve and a slip-change. She gets a lot of ground balls and keeps hitters out on their front foot; she’s a great complement to our high-velocity pitchers.”

One of the surprise incoming recruits was Samantha Saladino, who has followed her sisters who starred at MCC after outstanding high school careers at Davenport West. Samantha originally had committed to Cedar Rapids Kirkwood to play basketball, but changed her mind and came to MCC for softball.

“Samantha was an all-state first baseman, but we moved her to second base to take advantage of her range and throwing motion,” said Beatty. “She has terrific knowledge of the game, like her sisters, and pressure doesn’t seem to bother her.”

Hailey Nichol, Saladino’s teammate at Davenport West, will bring her outstanding speed and understanding to the Cardinals. She will start the season in left field.

Moving in to start at third base will be Courtney Poling, another big, strong hitter who will move into the lineup somewhere from No. 5 to 7 in the order. She was a second-team Class 4A all-stater from Boone.

A couple of area players, Calli Kahl of Durant and Laura Tackenberg of Wapello, figure to get plenty of playing time in their first year at MCC.

“Kahl is a big girl who is very strong and can hit,” said Beatty. “We’ll use her at DP and backup at first base. She’s a strong leader whose softball mentality has really grown.

“Tackenberg will be one of our three catchers. She’s another big, strong girl who has very good defensive skills behind the plate. She needs to improve on her confidence level, but that will come with playing.”

Rounding out the squad are Ashton Steinke of Muscatine and Liz Anderson of Albia. Anderson’s speed makes her an asset in the outfield and Steinke could be a diamond-in-the-rough.

“Anderson came from a small school, but she has intriguing skills that need to be developed,” said Beatty. “Ashton is a good find for us. She originally went to Simpson to play soccer, then transferred here and came out for softball.

“She has shown a lot of development since the fall. She probably has the strongest arm in the outfield, and could push for a position.”

Beatty is upbeat about the Cardinals’ chances of battling for the Division I title.

“We have hitting up-and-down the lineup and a bench that will complement the starters,” said the veteran coach.

“Our defense should be strong and we have good speed and power. Even though they’re freshmen, the maturity of all four of the pitchers is good.”

Because of budget cutbacks, MCC will not make a spring trip to Florida this year. The season opener is scheduled for Saturday against Kansas City Community College in Lamoni. The home opener is set for March 10 against William Penn.

“We have a good product with a lot of local and area talent,” said Beatty. “We have 11 home dates; I hope people come out and support us.”

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