The Stuyvesant softball team has improved in each of coach Vincent Miller’s two seasons – from four wins to six wins to 12 last year. With just one senior graduating from the 2009 team, the same thing is expected once again.
“The expectations are to do pretty well,” Miller said. “We want to get a little bit of a higher seed to get a home game in the playoffs. That would be an advantage.”
PSAL Manhattan A is wide open, so Stuyvesant has as good a chance as any team to finish on top. The Renegades were second to undefeated Manhattan Center last year, but the Lady Rams are rebuilding somewhat.
Stuy returns both pitchers – sophomore Morgan Higgins and senior Alex Albright. Both of them will share time in the circle, Miller said, like they did last year.
“It’s a pretty good 1-2 punch,” he said.
Audrey Fleischner returns at catcher and the Renegades will have an extremely experienced infield. Kelly Quinn is back at first base, Dot Weldon and freshman Miranda Kalish will split time at second, Marlee Melendy will play short and bat third and either Albright or Higgins will be at third base when they aren’t pitching.
In the outfield, Ana Slade will be in left field and Carolyn Lehman will be in center. Right field is still open and there are a few promising freshmen competing for the job.
“We’ve been improving every year,” Miller said. “Twelve wins would be nice again, especially with only 13 league games. We don’t want just the playoffs, we want to get a good seed in the playoffs.”
Stuy’s biggest competitors in Manhattan A figure to be Murry Bergtraum and Environmental Studies, along with Manhattan Center.
Bergtraum, which finished just 2-15 last season, returns junior windmiller Holly Garcia, who was dominant as a freshman, but didn’t play last year. Garcia was 9-0 with a 0.38 ERA and struck out 134 in 92 innings in 2008. The Lady Blazers also get back slugger Heimy Espinal.
Environmental Studies has pitcher Jocelyn Jimenez back, along with its best hitter, Charlotte Bradley. The Eagles were 11-6, right behind Stuyvesant in third place in 2009.
George Washington, which also made the playoffs with a 9-9 record, will return slugger Nieves Mercado, but the Trojans lost a ton of firepower. Pitcher Yaniris Figueroa is back though.
Art & Design lost star windmiller Nathaly Sanson to graduation, while Hunter College HS returns pitcher Tiffany Ramos and star hitters Daniella Bartalini and Deirdre Kessler. Brandeis, which didn’t earn a win last year, moved down to the ‘B’ league.