Spring Break
Column: Spring brings optimism
Collin Whitchurch / Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: Sports
Even as the women's basketball season came to a disappointing end, optimism reigns supreme in the Eastern athletic department.
As winter sports come to an end, spring sports have gotten into full swing with several promising teams.
Leading the way is the Panther baseball team. Coming off a successful season that culminated in an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship a year ago, expectations are soaring for the Panthers as they return almost the entire core of the team that guided them last season.
Senior center fielder Brett Nommensen, senior second baseman Jordan Tokarz and a plethora of pitching talent have the Panthers dreaming of an OVC regular season title as well as a repeat performance at the OVC Tournament this May. The Panthers were predicted to finish second in the conference in the preseason coaches poll, just behind conference favorite Jacksonville State.
They are off to a 6-3 start on the young season, and do not play their first home game until March 25 - 18 games into the season - but once they get into the thick of their home schedule, Eastern athletic fans will want to get out to Coaches Stadium and check out a squad that should be a lot of fun to watch.
Likewise, the Eastern softball squad is dreaming big this season.
The Panthers got off to a red-hot 7-0 start on the season before cooling off to their current mark of 9-7.
They were predicted to finish fifth in the OVC in the preseason coaches poll, but after the hot start, expectations have reached new heights for the program, which is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Kim Schuette.
The Panthers are stocked with experienced talent, led by junior outfielder Denee' Menzione and senior infielder Sarah Coppert, both of whom were named second team All-OVC performers a year ago. Additionally, sophomore pitcher Amber May has emerged as the ace of the staff, compiling a 1.46 ERA to go along with a 6-4 record thus far.
She has struck out 64 batters while only issuing 18 walks.
The women's golf team posted several high finishes during the fall season and have a good chance to continue that success this spring. The Panthers finished fourth at the OVC Tournament last season.
The men's golf team posted middle-of-the-pack finishes in the fall and have a young squad looking to build experience. Both tennis teams are also young and looking to develop experience this year, while the outdoor track seasons should be filled with more glory after a successful indoor season.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.
As winter sports come to an end, spring sports have gotten into full swing with several promising teams.
Leading the way is the Panther baseball team. Coming off a successful season that culminated in an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship a year ago, expectations are soaring for the Panthers as they return almost the entire core of the team that guided them last season.
Senior center fielder Brett Nommensen, senior second baseman Jordan Tokarz and a plethora of pitching talent have the Panthers dreaming of an OVC regular season title as well as a repeat performance at the OVC Tournament this May. The Panthers were predicted to finish second in the conference in the preseason coaches poll, just behind conference favorite Jacksonville State.
They are off to a 6-3 start on the young season, and do not play their first home game until March 25 - 18 games into the season - but once they get into the thick of their home schedule, Eastern athletic fans will want to get out to Coaches Stadium and check out a squad that should be a lot of fun to watch.
Likewise, the Eastern softball squad is dreaming big this season.
The Panthers got off to a red-hot 7-0 start on the season before cooling off to their current mark of 9-7.
They were predicted to finish fifth in the OVC in the preseason coaches poll, but after the hot start, expectations have reached new heights for the program, which is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Kim Schuette.
The Panthers are stocked with experienced talent, led by junior outfielder Denee' Menzione and senior infielder Sarah Coppert, both of whom were named second team All-OVC performers a year ago. Additionally, sophomore pitcher Amber May has emerged as the ace of the staff, compiling a 1.46 ERA to go along with a 6-4 record thus far.
She has struck out 64 batters while only issuing 18 walks.
The women's golf team posted several high finishes during the fall season and have a good chance to continue that success this spring. The Panthers finished fourth at the OVC Tournament last season.
The men's golf team posted middle-of-the-pack finishes in the fall and have a young squad looking to build experience. Both tennis teams are also young and looking to develop experience this year, while the outdoor track seasons should be filled with more glory after a successful indoor season.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
BOB
posted 3/10/09 @ 12:33 AM CST
no offense to the golf team but gets a line on how they were 4th in OVC and all the track team gets is one line how the outdoor season should be successful? this is a joke, the track team has been the most dominating athletic teams in the OVC and in Eastern athletics in general in the last 10 years just coming off an indoor championship and also have 2 runners participating at the NCAA national meet this coming weekend. (Continued…)
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