Following a 2-18 season in 2004, the Minnesota West Lady Jays softball team had its best campaign in 2005 -- placing fourth at the state tournament and finishing with a solid 9-18 record.
The Lady Jays looked sharp in their first scrimmage of the year, beating MCCC foe St. Cloud Tech 12-0 and 11-2 on March 10. They hope to build on their strong start when they open the season today against the Dana College junior varsity in Blair, Neb.
"It seems like ages since that scrimmage" West head coach Rosalie Hayenga said regarding her team's first outing. "But I liked what I saw out there and we are looking to build on that. They really exceeded my expectations"
The Lady Jays lost all but two players off of last year's squad, with sophomore outfielders Krista Beek and Stacie Sweetman returning for another season. Luverne product Jessie Behr, a sophomore transfer from Ridgewater, joins the team at first base and will add power at the plate.
"Krista is probably our best returning player -- an All-conference selection, who can do it all," Hayenga said. "Stacie is a leader on the team and is solid anywhere on the field. We may use Jessie as a designated hitter some of the time -- a strong bat."
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With the exception of Amanda Nash, from Tri Valley, S.D., the rest of the young Lady Jays team come from local programs.
Nash will be taking over the catching duties on the club, taking the majority of the pitches from Samantha Baumgarn, who was an ace for the Southwest Star Concept Quasars. Lindsey Potts (Worthington) also will see time on the mound when Baumgarn needs relief.
"Sam is a very consistent pitcher," Hayenga said of her main hurler. "She's not going to blow anybody's doors off with her fastball, but she doesn't walk a lot of batters or throw a lot of balls."
Darcy Stenzl, another former Quasar, will take over second base for the Lady Jays, while Worthington product Alesha Hietbrink will start at third base and Red Rock Central's Mel Quade will round out the infield at shortstop.
"Darcy has great speed," Hayenga said. "She can lay down a great bunt, swings the bat well, and gets to a lot of balls on defense. Alesha has a great arm from third and can really hit the ball hard. Mel also hits the ball well and is a solid defender at shortstop."
Another former Trojan, Jackie Feller, joins the team with a strong fundamental game, while Paige Bergeland, out of Dawson-Boyd, will see her first action in the fast-pitch arena.
"Jackie is solid in every aspect of the game -- can lay down a great bunt," Hayenga said. "Paige played basketball for us and is giving softball a shot. She has a lot of speed and it's always good to a have a lefty with speed."
Hayenga sees no reason the Lady Jays shouldn't be in the hunt in the MCCC South this season. She has a lot of talent, speed and power on the team. A long term goal for the Lady Jays would be to qualify for the regional tournament, but that is well down the road.
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"I don't see any reason we shouldn't finish in the top half of the conference," Hayenga said. "Rochester is always solid and Ridgewater has gone to nationals the last couple of years. But if we continue to play like we did a couple of weeks ago, we should have a good season."
The Lady Jays will host their first doubleheader Wednesday against Dakota County Technical College.
