Scots Set for 10-Day, 14-Game Spring Break Trip to Fort Myers, Fla.

Katelynn Caywood

The College of Wooster starts its 2008 campaign in Fort Myers, Fla., this Monday, March 10, as the Fighting Scots are scheduled to play 14 games over a two-week period ending Wednesday, March 19. Noteworthy, Wooster was supposed to begin its spring break on Sunday, March 9, but a snowstorm kept the team grounded an extra day in Ohio. The annual trip gives ninth-year head coach Lori Schimmel a chance to experiment with her lineup and pitchers, as the team prepares for key conference and regional games when it returns north. The Scots’ only play one regional game in Florida – vs. Olivet College Wednesday, March 12, at 9 a.m. Last season, Wooster returned from the spring break trip with a 6-10 record.

Season Preview: Following a challenging 2007 campaign, in which the Scots struggled to find their identity, a more experienced Wooster team is ready to improve on its overall record (10-28) and make a push for a spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

At the plate, the Scots admittedly struggled last spring, pushing across just 2.8 runs per game, but the talent is there to establish a new swagger this year. Katelynn Caywood (Amherst, Ohio / Firelands), a senior first baseman and team tri-captain, has the potential to lead the way, following a junior season which saw her either lead Wooster or rate second in nearly every category – batting average (.302), runs scored (12), doubles (5), homers (3), RBI (13), and slugging percentage (.448). Caywood’s three home runs tied for third-most in the NCAC.

Molly Gaffney (Tallmadge, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban) has been one of the Scots’ top players each of her first three seasons with the program as the starting shortstop. A .289 career hitter with 16 doubles, 41 RBI, 32 walks, and a .359 on-base percentage, she’s on pace to set the team record for games played. Gaffney has been a defensive standout as well, compiling a .924 career fielding percentage at one of the most challenging positions.

In addition to Caywood and Gaffney, the infield has several other veterans. Battling it out for the second base position could be senior Ali Barone (Akron, Ohio / St. Thomas Aquinas) and sophomore Priscilla Staples (Stoughton, Mass. / Fontbonne Academy). They split time throughout most of last year. Barone started in 25 of the 30 contests she appeared in, batting .205 with four runs, two doubles, and four RBI. Staples, also a member of the Scots’ basketball team, was a starter 18 times and she posted a .136 average, eight runs, three doubles, a homer, and four RBI.

Third base appears to be up for grabs, as a slew of candidates are vying for time there. Sophomore Rachel Gaines (Burghill, Ohio / Badger) spent the most time at the hot corner last spring, starting 20 games while hitting .234 with four doubles, one home run, and five RBI. Freshman Caitlin Gaffney (Tallmadge, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban) will be in the mix there as well as Barone, when she’s not at second base.

Kate Kiley (Dedham, Mass. / Noble and Greenough School), one of the team’s fastest players, and two-time all-NCAC award winner Kim Skully (Brooklyn Hts., Ohio / Cuyahoga Heights) will anchor the outfield. Kiley utilizes her speed to be a defensive force in centerfield where she was the primary starter last year as well as with the bat in her hands, as she produced a .286 average and seven stolen bases. Skully, a junior, spent the most time in left field of anybody on the squad and led Wooster in doubles (6) and total extra-base hits (8) while batting .244, including .323 against NCAC competition.

Another experienced outfielder is junior Courtney Joliat (Canton, Ohio / St. Thomas Aquinas), while other possibilities include newcomers Natalie Worcester (Wellington, Ohio / Wellington) and Ashley Wells (Baltimore, Md. / McDonogh), who both joined the team this year as sophomores. Offensively, Joliat owns a .213 career average and is adept at moving over runners (16 sacrifice hits).

Joliat spent most of her playing time behind the plate last spring with 15 such starts, however, freshman Lauren Sargi (Lyndhurst, Ohio / Charles F. Brush) has the potential to step in there, depending on how smooth her transition is from the high school to the collegiate game.

The Scots’ top-two pitchers return in sophomore Andrea Kelley (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville South) and junior Katie Pifer (Meadville, Pa. / Meadville Area), as they split starts throughout 2007. Kelley, who could see action at first base, too, had a solid freshman campaign, tallying five wins, a 4.03 ERA, and 81 strikeouts (third-best in the NCAC) in 118.0 innings pitched. Pifer looks to build on her experience, which includes a 16-27 record, 4.29 ERA, and 104 strikeouts, during 267.2 career innings pitched.