Coming off of a school-record 39 wins and an NCAA tournament run last year, the Penn State softball team is expecting even better results this season and has set some lofty goals for the spring.
"I, myself, want No. 1 in the Big Ten for sure," junior shortstop Jen Acunto said. "If we don't win the Big Ten, there is something wrong."
Acunto's optimism is fueled by the all-around strength of the team, especially in the field.
The Lions only lost two starters from last year's squad and return seven who saw ample playing time.
The foundation of the Penn State defense is up the middle.
Catcher Hollee Haines threw out 28 percent of base stealers last season while starting 55 of 56 games. Her .998 field percentage tied for first among Big Ten catchers, while her two passed balls also led the league.
Getting the ball to Haines will be pitchers Ashley Esparza and Jenn Reynolds. Both ranked in the top five in the conference in ERA while registering 10 wins apiece.
While most softball teams rely on one pitcher, the Lions will give the ball to both Esparza and Reynolds -- and Penn State head coach Robin Petrini is never reluctant to make pitching changes. During their opening tournament two weekends ago, no Lions' pitcher registered a complete game.
"As our staff gets stronger, we'll get complete games, but I'm clearly not opposed to combined wins," Petrini said. "You do whatever you need to do to get wins. If someone can finish a game, great, if they need a little bit of relief to get that game done, nobody takes it personally."
Though some pitchers may be offended if they are taken out of a game, the Penn State staff is team-oriented. The 'whatever it takes to win' attitude is prevalent up and down the roster, especially with Esparza and Reynolds.
"If someone can come in and help me [get a win], I'm always up for it," Esparza said.
The two hurlers will also split time in the field -- whoever is not pitching will play first base. The duo combined to commit only four errors in the field all last season.
The pitchers' comfort level in the circle increases greatly with Acunto and sophomore center fielder Danielle Kinley behind them.
Though undersized, Acunto's athleticism and strong arm allow her to venture into the hole and behind second base to turn potential hits into outs. Her range allowed her to record a .973 fielding percentage, which was good enough to garner second-team All-Great Lakes Region recognition.
Kinley patrols center field, and Petrini refers to her as the anchor of the outfield. Kinley did not commit an error last season while throwing three runners out. The second-team All-Big Ten pick has already shown off her arm this season when she registered an assist by gunning a Tennessee runner out at home.
Because Penn State rotated its outfield last season, Kinley is joined by two other starters from the 2006 squad: Jen Williams -- a second team all-conference pick -- will play left and Meghan Wolfer will play right.
Petrini adds that the Lions' depth will be a great asset, especially in the outfield. She said Ashley Griffith and Kari Lucas are both capable of starting and will push Kinley, Williams and Wolfer for their spots in the lineup.
"The strength is our experience," Petrini said. "We've got a lot of returnees and we need a couple of people who are younger to step up to add to that roster, but clearly our experience is our strong point."
The most difficult holes for Penn State to fill are at second and third. Sophomore Kayce Zielinski, who ended last season at second, is attempting to move her .967 fielding percentage to third in order to solidify the left side of the infield.
Junior Rebecca Bautista, who made 23 appearances last season, looks to replace Zielinski at second.
With much of their defense solidified, the Lions embark on one of the most demanding schedules in the program history. With 12 ranked teams on the schedule, Petrini hopes to test her team early so that it will be ready for success in the postseason.
"I put [the schedule] together feeling pretty confident that this group would be able to handle [it], and I'm not worried it's going to come back to bite me," Petrini said. "I have put a team through a schedule like this before that wasn't prepared ... and it hurt us. But I feel very good about the fact that this group is ready to take on this caliber of schedule week in and week out."
P- Jen Reynolds/ Ashley Esparza
C- Hollee Haines
1B- Jen Reynolds/ Ashley Esparza
2B- Rebecca Bautista
SS- Jen Acunto
3B- Kayce Zielinski
LF Jen Williams
CF- Danielle Kinley
RF Meghan Wolfer
