Lady Vikings Optimistic About Upcoming Season

The temperatures are rising, the fields are thawing, and the bats and gloves have been unpacked. Spring season at Schreiber High School has arrived, and the softball team is preparing for the 2010 campaign.

Coach Eric Sutz brings back an experienced group featuring eight returning players, and a ninth whose return could thrust the Lady Vikings to new heights.

Pitcher Danielle Liebowitz returns for her senior season after missing all of 2009 with a broken, non-throwing elbow. Sutz said her return to the mound already puts the team miles ahead of where they were a year ago.

"[Her injury] left us with nobody with any pitching experience at all," Sutz said. "We went into the season with nobody who'd ever pitched in a varsity or JV game. That really set us back right from the start."

Liebowitz is just glad to be back healthy for her final season at Schreiber. She said focus from both herself and her teammates is key this year.

"I think I definitely need to work on mental toughness," Liebowitz said. "Sometimes you walk a few batters in a row and you've got to pull yourself together ... and get the whole [team] to loosen up and pay attention."

Liebowitz will lead a much deeper rotation than the Vikings trotted out last year. Rounding out the staff are freshmen Sara Marinelli and eighth-grader Alex Caprariello, who both pitched last year on the eighth-grade squad. Sutz said all three bring different styles to the mound, and he intends to utilize that variety as much as possible.

"I think all three of them will get plenty of opportunities," Sutz said. "One game one might start, the next game another might come in. If someone's pitching well, they'll pitch the whole game."

While the injury bug left the Vikings' pitching staff, it unfortunately landed smack in the middle of the lineup. All-Conference star Katie Weil will miss her senior season due to ankle surgery as she prepares for a collegiate soccer career at Brandeis. Sutz said the club will miss her bat and versatility.

"She could play any position for us," he explained. "She was our best offensive player last year. It's a big blow to us."

A healthy pitching staff may in turn boost the offense. Senior Emma Horowitz (.265, 2 HR in '09) had to spend time on the mound last year, but now will be able to focus on her hitting. Third basemen Maria Gardella (.325, 16 runs scored), outfielder Rachel Altman (.393, 9 runs), and infielder Rachel Prowler (.294) are all players Sutz will look for to make up for Weil's absence.

"I've been waiting for this season all year," said Prowler, a senior. "I'm very excited. I think we have a really good team."

Sutz said he plans to stress conditioning early on, as players shake off the winter rust, and he hopes that will lead to a more energetic team on the basepaths.

"If you're a smart baserunner, you can steal a lot of runs in games if you're aggressive," Sutz said. "That's an area we're really going to focus on this year."

The Lady Vikings will compete in Conference AA-IV this year. Sutz said he feels the pitching woes of a year ago prevented a move to a stronger conference, something the coach feels could happen down the road with some talented JV players looking to make their own move up.

While optimistic about the future, Sutz said he is focused on the present, and is looking forward to opening day on March 22, a non-league contest at Malverne.

"I think we should be very competitive," Sutz said. "And I think if we stay healthy and work hard, it will be a very productive season."

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