Feb. 20, 2009

DEKALB, Ill.- The Northern Illinois University softball team opens the 2009 season in Houston, Texas when the Huskies take on Prairie View A&M at the Marriott Houston Classic at Cougar Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. CST.

Northern Illinois will also face Texas A&M Friday and host Houston Saturday, two teams ranked No. 5 and No. 13 in the preseason poll respectively, during the three-day event.

The 2009 Northern Illinois University softball team is a mixture of youth and experience that second-year head coach Lindsay Chouinard hopes will pay dividends at the end of the season. The Huskies welcome eight newcomers in the form of five freshmen and three transfers. Their transition will be made easier with the leadership of five seniors.

Four of the five seniors, Katie Colby, Bailey Ouellette, Jenna Roberts and Dani Thompson, will be wrapping up their fourth season in the NIU softball program.

"We're definitely young," Chouinard said. "We have a lot of new talent in eight new players, and all are going to contribute. It's going to be a big change but I'm excited about it."

What this team may lack in experience, it more than makes up for in depth. NIU has eight players on its roster that can play either in the infield or outfield, allowing Chouinard some flexibility when making up her line up card each game.

"At the end of the day, we're just trying to get nine hitters on the field," she said. "We have a lot of people that can play other positions, but the reality of the matter is that we have ideas of who is going to be where and who can play well where."

Outfield Roberts is one of the Huskies top returning hitters. The Verona, Wis. native started 36 of 37 games last season and hit .252 with 30 hits in 114 at bats. It will be her responsibility to set the table for the rest of the line up.

"Jenna is going to anchor our outfield in center and be our lead off hitter," Chouinard said. "If she can find a way to get things started offensively, it will take a lot of pressure off our young pitching staff and off the younger kids. It will allow them to just go out there relaxed and play. So she is definitely going to play a big role."

Sophomore Andrea Colosimo, who played in left and center field last season, earned her spot as the Huskies' left fielder. She hit .214 as a freshman with 15 hits in 70 at bats and drove in nine runs. Two newcomers, freshman Dani Parrish and transfer Zoe Sinner, will be vying for the final outfield spot. Sinner impressed Chouinard during the fall, with her power at the plate

"Zoe has a lot of power," Chouinard said. "She's complete power, very strong. Again, finding a way to get all these players on the field is going to depend on who earns it and who proves they are ready."

Infield While Roberts will provide veteran leadership in the outfield, the infield features senior leaders Thompson and Ouellette. Ouellette, who will be at first base, batted .202 last season with 17 hits and nine runs batted in. While Thompson is predominantly a second baseman, she can also play shortstop as well. She proved her durability last year as the only Huskie to start all 43 games.

"Dani Thompson in the middle infield has to be a leader and step up with a lot of new kids around her," she said. "Bailey will do a good job at first base and hit in the middle of the lineup. They've been with our program for a couple years so they get it."

Transfer Kayla Kramer and freshman Krista Matsui will be competing with Thompson for playing time in the middle infield. Both Kramer and Matsui proved their ability to handle the bat in the fall. While Thompson is the more experienced of the three, she needs to be effective at the plate to remain in the line up.

"Out of those three, the two who are able to produce the most offensively will be playing in the middle," Chouinard said. "Obviously, Dani has the most experience, but she has to hit."

Two Huskies will split playing time at third base, with freshman Carly Norton and senior Emily Gooding competing for the starting job at the hot corner. Norton may see some playing time behind the plate as well, backing up transfer Michelle Williams.

Pitching After struggling in the circle last year, Chouinard is expecting a big improvement from her pitching staff this season. Injuries hampered NIU last year, but as a result, some younger players were able to gain valuable experience in the pitcher's circle. One such player was Joreigh Landers. The sophomore from Vernonia, Ore. made 25 appearances last year, posting a 4-7 record with a 5.16 ERA. Freshman Morgan Bittner from Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach, Calif. had a solid fall.

"We should definitely see some improvements on the mound," she said. "Joreigh is no longer a freshman. Morgan is very capable and has a great mound presence. She showed in the fall that she could perform and hit her spots."

Schedule Chouinard has put together a formidable non-conference schedule to go along with the already challenging Mid-American Conference slate. Northern Illinois will take on six teams ranked in the Preseason USA Today/NFCA Division Top 25.

The Huskies will be tested right out of the gate in 2009 when NIU travels down to Houston to compete in the Marriott Houston Classic. In addition to their games with Prairie View A&M, Texas A&M and Houston, the Huskies will play in-state rival Illinois and McNeese State.

After competing in the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala., NIU travels to California to take part in the Bingham Toyota Classic where they will face two more teams ranked in the preseason poll. The Huskies open play with No. 17 California and face No. 14 Fresno State the next day. The Huskies will stay in the Golden State for spring break and play Pacific, Santa Clara and St. Mary's before returning to DeKalb.

"We are playing some tough opponents in our preseason tournaments and that's good for the team," Chouinard said. "How else do you get better than to play the best? We get to see what's out there and what level we should be playing at."

The Huskies' home opener is slated for March 18 when NIU opens a seven-game homestand with a doubleheader against Loyola. NIU will be tested during its midweek games as well. Chouinard doesn't have to look far to schedule tough non-conference teams. The Huskies will travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on Notre Dame and to Chicago to face UIC and preseason-No. 15 DePaul. The Huskies will also travel to Evanston to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats, who were ranked in the top-10 in the preseason poll. Northern Illinois closes out the home portion of its 2009 schedule when the Redbirds of Illinois State come to DeKalb April 28.

"Our midweek games are going to be tough," Chouinard said. "I think that there is a lot of parity in softball right now. I don't think there will ever come a day in this program while I'm coaching here where the schedule is just easy and let's see how many games we can win. That's not my style."

Northern Illinois begins MAC play when Akron comes to town March 27 for a doubleheader. Chouinard is hoping playing top competition early will prepare her team for conference play.

"I think its always good to challenge them in the beginning so that they can figure it out and by the time MAC play rolls around, they are prepared," she said.

Northern Illinois plays more than half of its conference games at home this season, with seven of the 11 MAC series being played at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies close out 2009 with a five-game road trip that begins in Madison, Wis. and ends at MAC East foe Buffalo.

-NIU-