Brandon’s varsity softball team hopes to build upon a successful 2005 season with an even more successful one in 2006.
In Coach Carl Gabrielson’s first season at the helm of the Blackhawks? program, Brandon went 30-10-1 and won district and regional championships. The Blackhawks are returning 10 players from last year’s squad.
Gabrielson said the Blackhawks should be a well-rounded team, with strong pitching and a team capable of a .350 team batting average. He also said the Blackhawks committed just 33 errors in 41 games last season.
One area which the Blackhawks hope to improve upon from last season is winning one-run games. Gabrielson said the Blackhawks lost six games last season by one run.
‘We want to improve our intensity to win big games when they’re on the line,? he said. ‘We don’t get the key run or hit when the game is on the line.?
Senior pitcher Jill Perry will anchor the Blackhawks? pitching once again this season. Perry, who has signed to play college softball at the University of Detroit-Mercy, went 18-5 last season with a 1.03 earned-run average and 193 strikeouts.
In her three years so far at Brandon, Perry has compiled a 51-23 record with 550 strikeouts.
‘I believe she’s one of the best pitchers in the state,? Gabrielson said. ‘We’ll rely heavily on her.?
The Blackhawks should also feature a potent lineup. Leading the Brandon offense is junior first baseman Chelsea Wengren, who batted .390 overall last season, including a .409 showing in Flint Metro League play.
Sophomore third baseman Jenny Sherman (who batted .350 last season) and junior catcher Lauren Ross (.367) should also bolster the Blackhawks? lineup. In addition, Gabrielson said senior shortstop Jessica Liebner, who hit .306 last season while battling an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, should be a key contributor to this season’s Brandon lineup.
The three other returning seniors are Annemarie Solley, who will play second base and bat leadoff, right fielder Brooke Schaefer, who batted .290 last season, and Ashley Brady, who will add versatility to the Brandon lineup, as she will play in the outfield and back up Ross at catcher.
Two other seniors are newcomers to this year’s team. Andrea Lewis returns to the Brandon program this season after a two-year absence, and will bring speed to the Brandon lineup as a courtesy runner and utility player.
Asiah Lowe, a transfer from Detroit Cass Tech, is another utility player whom Gabrielson said should bring a potent bat to the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks have two sophomores on this year’s varsity, Hayley Lewis and Ashley Prescott (who will replace the graduated Meridith Dura as the team’s center fielder).
Rounding out the Brandon varsity is freshman pitcher Kim Michal, who will be the team’s number-two pitcher behind Perry this season. Gabrielson said Michal can throw in excess of 54 miles per hour and has four pitches in her arsenal.
As far as this year’s Flint Metro League race is concerned, Gabrielson said Fenton, which has two quality pitchers, will be Brandon’s toughest opponent ‘without a doubt.?
Gabrielson said the Blackhawks have the potential to make a state championship run this season, and are so far displaying the necessary cohesiveness and work ethic to make that happen.
‘Everybody pretty much understands what they need to do to make this a state championship team,? he said. ‘They’re working diligently in practices. In the long run, I think we have as good a team as you can have to accomplish what we want to. We just need to put it all together.?