COLUMBUS, Ohio – Heading into the 2023 season, the Capital University softball team will be aiming to shake off a difficult 2022 campaign in order to improve both their results and standing in the conference.
This season, the Comets will be playing a 40-game season, set to commence this Saturday, March 11th and surely will be hoping for an improvement of their 5-27 record from a season ago. This spring, along with improvement, Capital will be hoping for fewer cancellations as the Comets lost out on eight games last season due to weather and umpire issues.
A LOOK BACK ON 2022
As mentioned, the Comets put together a 5-27 mark last season, which included just a 1-17 record in the OAC.
Despite the difficult record, the Comets shared celebrations around winning the Oar from Otterbein and sweeping Miami Hamilton late in the season.
Capital came home from Florida with a 1-7 record, with the lone win coming over Eastern Nazarene. In their first games back, the Comets played two of their better games of the season, falling to Otterbein in extra innings of game one, then defeating the Cardinals in the bottom of the seventh inning on
Kelcie Schnitzler's walk-off single.
After that win, the Comets would pick up their other wins against Kenyon and two vs. Miami Hamilton. In those three wins, Capital powered out four home runs to help their cause.
FAMILIAR FACES
Returning to lead the team back onto the field in 2023 is All-OAC recipient
Liz Stonerock and fellow seniors
Lexie Leggett,
Tiffany Zuelzke, and
Brianna Shearer.
Last season, Stonerock, Leggett and Zuelzke finished as the top three on the team in batting average as all three hit .315 or better. Stonerock led the category with a .351 average on 33 hits, 10 doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. Leggett was next with a .322 average on 28 hits, four doubles, one triple, five homers and 19 RBIs. Zuelzke hit .315 as the lead-off hitter, collecting 28 hits, five doubles and five RBIs.
Shearer on the other hand is back as the most experienced pitcher on staff. A first team All-OAC honoree in 2021, Shearer had a bit of a down year in 2022, but still led the team with three wins and 78 strikeouts.
Other key returners are
Krislyn Bayles (.300, 24 hits, seven RBIs),
Kelcie Schnitzler (.250, 18 hits, five RBIs). In addition to their offense, Bayles and Schnitzler both saw significant pitching time last season as they each finished with a win and combined for 37 strikeouts.
Other fielders back to have an impact this year are
Karri Albertini,
Hannah St. Clair and
Maci Stults.
WHAT'S NEW?
Heading into 2023, Capital will have one new coach as 2021 alum
Alyx Wulff returns to her alma mater to assist the program. As a member of the Capital team, Wulff collected 12 career hits and was twice named an NFCA Scholar Athlete.
In addition to the new coach, Capital will have several new players looking for time in the lineup. In total, 13 freshmen and one transfer joined the team this off-season.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
One key difference on this year's schedule for the softball team is the omission of the Florida trip as Coach Nagy has filled the schedule with more local and inter-region competition.
Things get started for Capital this weekend with a pair of games at Hanover College on Saturday, March 11th at 1 and 3 p.m. From there, Capital will play doubleheaders at Bethany and Ohio Christian before opening up their home schedule.
The home opener will be on Friday, March 24th at 3 p.m. as Olivet visits Clowson Field. From there, Capital will go on to host non-conference doubleheaders with Kenyon, Wooster, and Oberlin throughout the year.
Other road non-conference games will be played at Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, Miami Hamilton, and Clark State.
OAC play will commence on April 1st at Otterbein for Capital. The team will then turnaround and host Heidelberg on Tuesday, April 4th. Throughout the OAC season, Capital will travel to Muskingum, Ohio Northern, and Baldwin Wallace, while hosting John Carroll, Mount Union, Wilmington and Marietta.
