2009 SEASON PREVIEW

It will be a season of new faces for the Concordia fastpitch softball team. The Cobbers will have a new head coach and a roster that has a cupboard full of freshman. Megan Johnson steps up from her duties as the assistant to take over the head coaching duties from Stacey Holm who left to take a job at NDSU. Johnson was the team’s assistant coach for two seasons and played for Concordia from 1999-02. She was the head fastpitch coach at Perham High School in 2007 and her brand of enthusiasm and knowledge of the Cobber program will serve her well throughout the season.

Johnson will have several experienced players to lean on during her transition into the spring season. The team returns seven of their nine regular starting players. They also return their All-Conference battery from 2008 so Johnson won’t have to jump into the deep end right from the start of the season.

Leading the way for the Cobbers in 2009 will be senior catcher Amanda Michaelson (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) and junior pitcher Erin Johnson (Fargo, N.D./West Fargo HS). Both players earned All-Conference honors last year. Michaelson was named to the MIAC All-Conference First Team. She had a breakthrough year at the plate in 2008. She finished the year with a .323 average, marking the first time in her career at any level that she has batted above .300. She led the team in hitting and had an identical .323 average in conference play. She finished the season by hitting in 12 consecutive games - the longest hitting streak by any CC player in the season and longest since the 2006 season.Michaelson also led the team in hits (32) and doubles (8). She was also second in slugging percentage (.465), on-base percentage (.373), RBI's (18) and stolen bases (7).

Johnson earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors as the team’s workhorse on the mound. She appeared in 19 of the 22 conference games and started 18 MIAC contests. She carded a 3.85 ERA in league games and finished the year by winning three of her final four league games. Johnson had an overall ERA of 4.45 and was responsible for nine of the team's 10 wins on the season. Her best game in conference play came against Hamline - who went on to earn one of the four playoff berths in the conference. Against the Pipers in the first game of the doubleheader she did not allow an earned run in 10 innings of work. Johnson struck out a career-high eight batters in the Cobbers' win over St. Ben's in the final series of the year. She struck at least four batters on 10 different occasions.

Other players that will have an impact on the Cobber fortunes in 2009 include senior Laura Johnson and juniors Emily Jensen and Maddie Haroldson. Laura Johnson has been the team’s starting firstbaseman for the past two seasons and will add stability to the right side of the infield. She led the team in triples in 2008 (4). Jensen and Haroldson were the team’s power sources in 2008. Both players had a team-leading four home runs on the year. Haroldson also led the team in slugging percentage (.531), RBI’s (20) and total bases (51). Jensen led the team in at-bats (108) last year and was a leader in the outfield.

Concordia’s 2009 roster features 10 freshmen. The influx of new talent could help the Cobbers improve on their ninth-place finish from 2008. The pitching staff will benefit the most from the addition of youthful players. Kesley Jones (Billings, Mont./Billings West HS) is a hard-throwing pitcher who was an All-State player in Montana. She has a chance to come on and make an impact right away. Other first-year players that could see playing time include Emily Salo (New York Mills, Minn.), Sara Gruber (Belgrade, Minn./B-B-E HS), Kayla Trobec (Sartell, Minn.) and Kasi Huschle (Eden Valley, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins HS).

If Johnson can blend her experienced players with the group of promising freshmen then the Cobbers could make a run for one of the top six spots in the conference.

2009 MIAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL

St. Thomas enters the 2009 season atop the preseason coaches' poll earning 11 first-place votes. The Tommies, winners of the last five MIAC titles, return senior second baseman Kaitlyn Wightman and junior outfielder Alison Wright, both All-Americans in 2008. Gustavus, runner-up to St. Thomas each of the last three seasons, feature senior All-Region performers in shortstop Rachael Click and center fielder Emily Klein.

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (1 for first, 2 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of lowest point total to highest with first place votes shown in parentheses.

2009 MIAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. St. Thomas (11)
2. Gustavus (1)
3. Hamline
4. Augsburg
5. Saint Mary's
6. Bethel
7. Saint Benedict
8. St. Catherine
9. St. Olaf
10. Concordia
11. Macalester
12. Carleton