New coach Jackie Ferranti leads Heights Softball in 2011

Hasbrouck Heights is hoping that this head softball coach will be the one to start getting the program going and being competitive.

On Friday it will be the debut of Lady Aviators head coach Jackie Ferranti when Hasbrouck Heights hosts Weehawken (4 p.m.).

Ferranti comes to Heights after being an assistant coach at Montclair State University for the last two years. She played softball at both Montclair State and also at Bergenfield High School.

Ferranti believes that the team that includes 28 players on the junior varsity and varsity has five players who played on the varsity last season that are returning for 2011. "My goal is to bring up this team to .500 and to enjoy the sport," said Ferranti.

As part of any spring coach job, Ferranti is watching the weather reports and was hoping that they can get at least one of the two games this weekend in without the weather (be it rain or snow) keeping them from playing.

One of the top returnees in the circle is junior Julie Sheridan, who will be pitching her third season on the varsity. One of the highlights for the hurler last season was when Sheridan struck out 17 Becton batters.

Unfortunately, the Aviators lost to Becton in that game 3-2 in the early going a trend that would continue through most of the season.

"She throws four different pitches and I want her to throw more (type of pitches)," said Ferranti. "She has good speed and control on her pitches."

The new Heights head coach said that she is still expecting to whiff several batters and was striking out between 10 to 15 batters in the scrimmages.

The other returnees are senior Noel Paredes, who moves from left field to centerfield this season and could be either the leadoff or second spot in the order.

Two other juniors are back in shortstop Jodee Giarratana, catcher Jordyn Anderson and Daniella Castellanos. Castellanos played half the season in 2010 at third base and moves to second base this season.

The Aviators will benefit from the return of Anderson to go with Sheridan. "They are both the same age and have been playing with each other since they were eight years old," said Ferranti.

While Ferranti has some players back, Heights is very young with a pair of freshmen on the corners in Carolyn Clites and Kayla Dickman at third base and first base respectively.

While Paredes captains the outfield in centerfield, senior Jhanna Arias and freshman Swarti Shivkumar are on the left field and right field respectively.

Other players who will see time in the outfield are sophomores Gabby Hanna and Sam Stroviero.  Sophomore Melissa Petersen can play several different positions on the field.

The top hitters, Ferranti believes, this season should be Giarratana, Clites and Sheridan. Both Paredes and Arias are lefty slap hitters as they try to get on base to set up the rest of the lineup.

Unfortunately for Ferranti and the Lady Aviators, they are in the same North Jersey Interscholastic Conference division as three of the best softball teams in  the conference, the Meadowlands B division.

In a scheduling quirk Heights will face those top three teams, Immaculate Conception, Saddle Brook and neighborhood rival, Wood-Ridge, all in a row the first go around and that comes next week.

While at this stage, she knows that her Aviators will struggle against the likes of Immaculate Conception, Saddle Brook and Wood-Ridge, she believes that the team can up against the rest of the teams on her schedule.

Hasbrouck Heights softball schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

April 1        Weehawken
April 2        Hudson Catholic, 11 a.m.
April 4        at Immaculate Conception
April 5        Saddle Brook
April 7        at Wood-Ridge
April 8        at Verona
April 11    at Wallington
April 12    at St. Mary
April 13    North Arlington
April 25    at Queen of Peace, 6 p.m.
April 27    Becton
April 28    at Harrison
May 2        Secaucus
May 3        Lyndhurst
May 5        at Weehawken
May 6        Immaculate Conception
May 9        at Saddle Brook
May 11        at Hawthorne
May 13        St. Mary
May 17        Wallington
May 19        Wood-Ridge