Into the swing of things

Young softball team has big bats and strong pitching

Harwood softball jumps to Division I play this season, but many games on the schedule are against Division II teams. The season will feature a continued rivalry with Lyndon and benchmark contests against Colchester and Essex.

The Harwood squad is young, but with a mix of good pitching and big bats, spring hopes are high.

Eight players from last year’s team have graduated and been replaced by eight freshmen. Those freshmen show promise, according to first-year Harwood softball coach Jamie Sheltra.

The new skipper, who has 15 years of coaching experience, wants his squad to first come together as a team, build up the freshmen, improve confidence and develop skill levels.

Sheltra said the team’s goal “is to be playing our best softball at the end of the season and ride that success into the playoffs.”

Harwood’s last game on the schedule, a road trip to Lyndon Institute — which will likely be a double-header — should be key in deciding playoff seeding, Sheltra said.

Snowy, soggy field conditions have caused many pre-season scrimmages to be canceled, and some early games have been postponed or canceled. The team’s first game of the season is now scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at Colchester.

Sluggers and hurlers

The Lady Highlanders will look for senior leadership from pitcher Sammie Stolar and sluggers Rebecca Lovely and Katie Martin.

Defensively, expect Harwood to stress the fundamentals. Freshmen will platoon the outfield, and returning players will protect the infield.

Offensively, look for Harwood to play “small ball” to advance runners and score runs.

“We have quite a bit of speed on the team,” said Sheltra. “We’ll get runners on and use the bunt to move them into scoring position. We have a couple of power players to do some hit-and-run and steal bases and try to hit well,” he said.

Sheltra said Stolar, a four-year starter, is “probably one of the most exceptional pitchers and infielders that I’ve seen play at this level in a long time.”

Lovely can smash the ball pretty well, Sheltra said. “She gets a lot of contact on the ball and has a lot of speed,” he said.

Martin is very aggressive, Stolar has a serious bat, and Caitlyn Marino can hit the ball hard as well, he added.

Stolar, who also plays summer ball, said she’s excited about the start of the season and the team’s ongoing rivalry with Lyndon.

“I love the game, how it makes you think and the team aspect of it and how you know your teammates are going to be there to make the other half of the play,” she said.

Sheltra believes the team has the players it needs to succeed. “Extraordinary athletes make extraordinary plays,” he said.

Harwood made it to the semifinals last year, but lost to eventual state champions BFA-Fairfax in an 8-0 shutout.

Baseball team

Harwood Union’s baseball team heads into 2014 with a veteran squad and high hopes. The roster includes at least eight seniors, along with several juniors.

Their first game is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at Colchester. Their first home game, field conditions permitting, will take place Saturday, April 19, against Northfield.

Last year, Harwood’s baseball team made the playoffs but was eliminated in the first round by Lake Region.