The Rocket

Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Archived Photo Four-year coach Vashion Johnson talks to his team during a game last season. In 2006, the Rock went 20-24. [Click to enlarge]

Coming off a 20-win season that didn't include a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoff berth last year, the Rock softball team comes into the 2007 season with high hopes and serious playoff aspirations.

Four-year head coach Vashion Johnson believes that the team and his staff have shown promise in the early stages of the season.

"Overall I've been impressed with what I've seen so far, but of course there are always areas to improve," Johnson said. "We need to be better offensively, which sounds a little crazy after the number of runs we've put up the first four games.

"Those four games were huge for many reasons, first of which was we got to see other girls in the lineup that wouldn't be there normally. I feel great about our depth right now."

Through their first four games this season, the Rock has outscored opponents 41-3 en route to a perfect 4-0 record. In two of the team's four games, Rock pitchers have tallied no-hitters.

Senior Courtney Conron tossed a no-hitter in the first game of the season against Johnson C. Smith University, while sophomore Liz Pittman bettered her teammate with a perfect game against Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C.

Johnson said he believes much of the success the Rock will have this season is in the hands of the pitching staff. Conron, an infielder last year, has gone back to pitching, while the rest of the staff consists of all underclassmen.

Though things have looked promising so far, Johnson knows his team has a lot of filling in to do as the Rock only returns four starting position players, and four pitchers. He believes a couple of the players that must step up are junior infielder Stacey Rhoades and junior outfielder Meghan McHenry.

Even though the team has lost so much, Conron has formulated some lofty goals, both for herself and for her team.

"I want to be the all-time winningest player at the Rock," Conron said. "I also want to make the record books in other categories like wins, shutouts and ERA.

Continued...

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