As the No. 3 ASU softball team heads into the offseason there is much to be excited about for next season.
Despite having to replace senior starters Annie Lockwood, Katelyn Boyd, Taylor Haro and Hillary Bach, the Sun Devils are once again set up for another deep postseason run. One of the reasons is the wealth of experienced freshmen starters Amber Freeman, Elizabeth Caporuscio and Haley Steele received in Oklahoma.
“This is a great experience,” Freeman said. “There are so many great players that have played college softball, but have never gotten the chance to play in the college world series. We will be here again I have no doubt.”
While Freeman impressed with her .543 on base percentage during the postseason, the catcher still knows there are areas in which she can improve.
“I am really ready to work this offseason,” Freeman said. “The goal each year is to improve. My dad and I have already talked about this. We are going to work so hard this summer with my swing, getting faster, and being more flexible behind the plate.”
It looks as if the Sun Devils will likely start another underclassman to fill the void left by Lockwood as freshman Bethany Kemp pushed senior Christina Zambrana for that position in the fall.
However, Lockwood meant so much more to the team than just a good third baseman with a powerful swing.
Anytime something went wrong it was Lockwood walking to the mound and calming everything down. Freeman knows how crucial that role is.
“When you get in high pressure situations, it’s easy to tense up,” Freeman said. “It’s always awesome to be able to look at your teammates and know they have your back and tell you to relax, that everything is going to be ok. I think that’s definitely an important factor for us to have next year.”
With only one projected senior this upcoming year, second baseman Sam Parlich, the team will need some players to fill those leadership roles.
Sophomore Bailey Wigness looks to be the early favorite to take over for Boyd at shortstop, though she could move over to third allowing Steele to play shortstop like she did in high school.
Another option would be incoming freshman infielder Nikki Girard, who played with Freeman and Caporuscio on the same prep team, the Corona Angles.
Ultimately the player in the best position to become a leader for the 2013 Sun Devils is Freeman as she became a bit of a superstar from her perch behind the plate.
“I definitely think I have matured a lot,” Freeman said. “I still have some maturing to do, but I definitely grew up a lot as a player. Even as a freshman I think I took a leadership role, even though that’s not very common. I am definitely going to use this experience to my advantage because I played a lot this year.”
The left field position is open right now. Junior Kayla Ketchum, freshman Breanna Kaye and sophomore Mary Spiel are options on the roster. Spiel’s sister, Abby, as well as Allie Butterfield and Mandi Grebe are all freshmen looking to compete in the outfield.
Newcomer Alexis Cooper, will compete with sophomores Dallas Escobedo and Mackenzie Popescue for pitching time. Though, it would seem the battle would be between Popescue and Cooper for the backup role.
Overall the 2013 Sun Devils will be much more experienced than the latest edition, and another title could be a possibility for a team that will be very well coached.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
