New players, more offense, more speed, and the same defense as last year are the reasons the 2006 women's softball team is feeling the hype.
Starting their season on Friday, the women of the Bulls softball team are looking to make an impact coming off of a 22-28 season in which they were 11-8 in the Mid-American Conference.
"Ultimately, we're hoping to make it to the MAC Championship and of course win it," said junior pitcher Sophie Barstad. "We want a winning season and we want to come out strong. Last year, we came out and we struggled a little bit, so that's our main goal, to come out strong."
Barstad was the recipient of the Most Outstanding Player Award last year with 10 wins, 70 strikeouts, three shutouts, and a 2.18 ERA, good for ninth in the MAC. As one of the returning leaders for the Bulls team, Barstad believes that the changes to the team happened in all the right places.
"Our offense is a lot better this year and our defense is strong just like last year, so hopefully our bats will get us there," Barstad said.
Major changes to the team consist of five new freshmen spread across all positions. This includes two infielders, Ashley Kanavy and Dana Carter, a pitcher, Jennifer Biernacki, a catcher, Kim Hanzlian, and an outfielder, Erin Zilka.
Senior shortstop Lauren Picciano advises that the best approach for the freshmen is to try to stay positive, learn from everybody else's past mistakes and not dwell on how long the season can feel at times.
Zilka, the most highly touted new athlete, noted that being a college freshman in softball is the same as in any other sport. It isn't easy. She explained that adjusting to the different level of play will be the toughest transition from summer league softball to what she expects to see in college.
"There is a lot more intensity in college ball," Zilka said. "There is also a lot more to gain in college ball though. I just have to keep doing what I do, working 120 percent and keep up a good attitude."
Despite making it to their first-ever MAC tournament last year, the women fell short of the title, losing two out of three games in the playoffs. This year will only get more difficult as the Bulls face nine nationally ranked teams.
However, an advantage falls into the lap of the Bulls' women in the form of a late schedule start, according to head coach Marie Curran. Seeing what other teams have to offer before actually playing them allows for adjustments to be made.
"As the first games, St. Johns and Notre Dame are the most important games of the year right now," Curran said. "We're lucky (we'll) get to see them play before we face them. We know their pitchers throw hard, but they've also given up a lot of runs this year, so that could weigh to our advantage."
Curran explained that the depth at each new position should enhance a number of aspects of the team, including movement on pitches, power in hitting, and speed on the bases. She went on to cite the largest improvement, though, as being the players' attitudes toward the game, adding that a lack of confidence was the only thing that held the team back last year.
"Offensively, every one of the girls on our team believes they can hit this year, whereas last year that was a question," Curran said. "We knew we had the talent, but a lot of the girls would question themselves before they got to the game and this year they really believe in themselves."
Heading into a five-game stretch over the course of three days this weekend, Curran stressed the importance of relaxing just the right amount, and finding a balance between having fun and playing hard.
"It's just really going to be getting used to dirt," Curran said. "We should have a really good weekend. All the games are winnable, so if we play our game, relax and have fun, we should get some wins. That'd definitely be a nice way to start the season."
The Bulls start their season in Miami, Fla. at the Golden Panther Invitational. The five-game tournament spans from Friday through Sunday and sets Buffalo against four different opponents, including St. John's, Notre Dame and Memphis. First game begins at 10 a.m. on Friday.
