NSU Softball Season Opener
NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State softball program enters its sixth season in the MEAC Northern Division after making the switch from the South. And in each of those first five years, the Spartans have finished either second or third out of the seven teams in the division. But as the program enters its 35
th season overall, the Spartans are looking to do more than just finish in their normal spot.
NSU gets set to begin its season on Saturday when the Spartans host Marist for a doubleheader beginning at noon. Perhaps more so than any other recent season under head coach
Heidi Cavallo, the team enters the new campaign with more unknown than ever before. Unknown in the sense of how the lineup will shake out? With 14 players, including two walk-ons, the coaching staff has a good sense of who fits where. Unknown in the sense of what kind of production NSU will get from its lineup? The Spartans will have plenty to prove to doubters.
Three of the team's top four hitters from a season ago ended their careers as seniors, including sisters Heather and
Megan Dunning and
Whitney Williams, the latter of whom finished tied for the all-time program home run record. Throw in the loss of starting shortstop
Stephanie Davenport, and NSU lost three of its top four RBI producers from a season ago. In addition, senior
Mikki Haury and sophomore
Shelby DesChamps, both expected to make contributions last year, both missed a good portion of the season due to injury.
The Spartans were still respected enough that they were picked to finish second in the division in the preseason voting after going 18-25 overall and 11-5 in the league last season. And with preseason All-MEAC players
Kayla McNair,
Seana Moriarty and
Megan Przeslawski leading the way, NSU is not ready to give up its standing in the North. Throw in one of the program's most prized recruits in recent memory – the state of Virginia's all-time leader in home runs at the high school level – and Norfolk State has plenty to get excited about no matter how it looks on paper.
Infield
Every year, Norfolk State must replace at least a few key players, but the Spartans also have someone back who can anchor the middle of the lineup. This year, it is McNair's turn to play the part. She hit .327 a season ago with 28 RBI, both second on the team. She was very adept at reaching first, posting a .500 on-base percentage thanks in part to 25 walks and 14 hit-by-pitches. She also anchored the first base position, starting all 43 games there. With Williams,
Megan Dunning and Davenport gone, McNair returns as the most productive hitter back.
Moving one spot to McNair's right in the field, Moriarty also started all 43 games last year, including 39 at second base. She walked 23 times last season while also hitting .246. Moriarty led the team in runs scored with 33 and added 12 RBI. With the left side of the infield breaking in new players, the right side of McNair and Moriarty will serve as a veteran presence in the field.
NSU replaces one power hitter at third base with another. With Williams gone, freshman
Meaghan Barfield takes over the role at the hot corner. Barfield, the aforementioned high school home run leader, was a two-time state player of the year at First Colonial HS in Virginia Beach. She set the Virginia High School League record with 36 home runs during her career. Now a Spartan, Barfield has big shoes to fill as NSU searches for middle-of-the-lineup answers.
The fourth infield position was also vacated after last year when Davenport did not return. In her place enters junior college shortstop
Jaylene Pryor. Hailing from Tampa, Fla., through Tallahassee Community College, Pryor played two full seasons before transferring to NSU for her junior season this year. She totaled 35 runs, nine doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI during her time in Tallahassee. With two seasons of eligibility left, Pryor is being counted on to shut the revolving door that's existed at short the last several seasons.
Norfolk State also returns its starting catcher from a year ago in sophomore
Kylee Lopez. She started 39 of the team's 43 games and showed some pop in her bat with eight extra-base hits. With her and both of the team's two most productive pitchers back, the Spartans can relax knowing their battery mates can grow from their first year together.
Technically listed at utility, Haury will also be listed here under the infield. It's a place she has seen time at in the past, particularly at shortstop. She looked to be finally shaking off the inconsistencies of her first two years, hitting .300 in 30 at bats last year before missing the rest of the season. One of the biggest wild cards on the team, there is a sense of mystery to the senior, at least among outsiders, in regards to her bat now that she's getting back to full health.
Outfield
Senior
Devon Bitler anchors the outfield for the Spartans after the loss of the Dunning sisters. Bitler started all 43 games in left field, joining McNair and Moriarty as one of three players to compete in every game. She contributed 26 runs, nine doubles and 15 RBI at the plate and was a perfect 5-of-5 in stolen base attempts. One of the team's most experienced players, Bitler will provide veteran leadership in the outfield no matter who else starts.
After making 18 starts in right field last year, senior
Hannah Haustein is in the position to set her sights on a starting spot all year long. After knocking in 10 runs last year, she is one of several players looking to find a more consistent bat as NSU looks to improve upon its team .264 average from a year ago. How certain players, including Hannah, respond to their changing roles will determine how far NSU can go to make up for the loss of three above-.300 hitters.
DesChamps made 12 starts last year in right field before seeing her season cut short due to injury. Following months of rehab, she is ready to get back on the field and earn her spot back. She hit .276 in just 29 at bats last year, and like Bitler, a healthy DesChamps can provide speed to the lineup. How much rust exists will be a key question moving forward as NSU's outfield lineup shakes out.
A fourth name to add to the outfield mix is junior college transfer
Julianne Gillo. A teammate of Pryor's at Tallahassee CC, Gillo played in 39 games during her two years there. Another one of those players ready to prove the doubters wrong after getting healthy, Gillo adds an element of intrigue to the outfield race with the aforementioned three players.
The Spartans also welcome two walk-ons to this year's team in freshmen
Keira Randolph and
Alyssa Cowan. Both can play outfield and various spots in the infield, and with a team that was stretched thin last year after DesChamps and Haury went down, both newcomers could prove to be valuable backups as the season goes on.
Pitcher
Przeslawski and sophomore
Hunter Halford showed promise last year at pitcher, and following the loss of
Marissa Marrero, the duo will form the strong 1-2 punch the Spartans have been looking for. It starts with Przeslawski, who made 12 starts last year to Halford's 11 while also making 12 relief appearances. Przeslawski finished with the best ERA on the team at 4.14, striking out 74 in 96.1 innings of work while posting a 6-4 record.
One key question centers around her bat, as Przeslawski also hit .281 last year with six doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI. With the Spartans unsure who will step into bigger roles this year, at least until the season gets going, Przeslawski's already-proven bat will be needed right away. When not pitching, Przeslawski also saw time at DP last year. Where she and Haury ultimately fall into the lineup, though, is one of the biggest questions in the preseason.
Halford is looking to take that next leap as she enters her second year in the program. She threw 66 innings a season ago and went the distance in nine of her 11 starts. A player with plenty of stats and accolades from her time at Northside HS in North Carolina, Halford's development will go a long way in solidifying a pitching staff that gave up six and a half total runs per game last year.
Schedule
NSU faces Marist this weekend and then Hartford and Buffalo twice each next weekend as part of the Spartan Classic. Norfolk State will also compete at tournaments at Campbell and Elon and a doubleheader at North Carolina Central prior to the start of conference play.
That portion of the schedule begins on March 18 when NSU travels up to Coppin State. The Spartans host Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore in back-to-back weekends. In April, NSU takes trips to Morgan State and Hampton while also hosting Howard for a normal three-game MEAC series.
In addition to N.C. Central, the Spartans also play non-conference doubleheaders at Radford and Towson while hosting North Carolina A&T in the last regular season games of the year.
