Bandits open on the road
No team in National Pro Fastpitch struggled away from home like the Chicago Bandits did last season.
They won a league-worst four times on the road. Nineteen home wins helped their cause, but it couldn't save them from finishing in the last place.
Thursday night as they open their season with a four-game series in Rockford, the Bandits plan on putting their road woes behind them and setting a new trend for 2008.
Looking back on last season, Bandits coach Mickey Dean doesn't believe his team's road troubles were due to its own ability. The problem was the Bandits never were the same team from one day to the next. They had players coming and going all the time.
"It's hard to get into a rhythm when your lineup is different every day," Dean said. "We never had back-to-back games or a series where we had the same lineup the entire season. That's hard on the players. It's difficult to develop any kind of playing relationship or any kind of team chemistry."
Dean doesn't anticipate that happening this season. Aside from U.S. Olympic players Jennie Finch and Vicky Galindo and Canada's Caitlin Lever, the rest of the Bandits are expected to be in attendance every game. Finch is expected to make a few appearances throughout the season.
The Bandits won't be the only ones affected by the Olympics. Everyone in the six-team league will lose some talent. The hope for the Bandits is the newcomers can step in and step up.
Pitcher Kristina Thorson (acquired from Philadelphia), catcher Rachel Folden (Marshall University), outfielder Ashley Carlson (Radford) and infielder Aileen Morales (Georgia Tech) are among the new players expected to contribute immediately. The Bandits do return Jaime Clark (6 home runs and 24 RBI last season), Stacy May (.293 average) and pitcher Jessica Salinger (9-6 overall).
Last year's league champs, the Washington Glory, are expected to be the favorites again as their only big loss will be Monica Abbott from last season. Yet, it could be any one's title.
"All the teams are pretty good," Dean said. "It think, to be quite the honest, it's a season where the championship is wide open for someone to take. Everyone lost a good pitcher, everyone picked up a good pitcher. It's all about performance."
The Bandits' home-opener at Judson College will be June 6 against the Akron Racers.
Bandits 2008 schedule
All HOME games in CAPS
May 29: 6:35 p.m. at Rockford Thunder
May 30: 6:35 p.m. at Rockford Thunder
May 31: 5:35 p.m. at Rockford Thunder
June 1: 3:05 p.m. at Rockford Thunder
June 6: 7:05 p.m. AKRON RACERS
June 7: 7:05 p.m. AKRON RACERS
June 8: 3:05 p.m. AKRON RACERS
June 9: 7:05 p.m. AKRON RACERS
June 13: 7:05 p.m. CANADIAN NATIONALS
June 14: 7:05 p.m. CANADIAN NATIONALS
June 15: 3:05 p.m. CANADIAN NATIONALS
June 16: 7:05 p.m. CANADIAN NATIONALS
June 26: 7:05 p.m. VENEZUELAN NATIONALS
June 27: 7:05 p.m. VENEZUELAN NATIONALS
June 28: 7:05 p.m. VENEZUELAN NATIONALS
June 29: 3:05 p.m. VENEZUELAN NATIONALS
July 4: 7:05 p.m. at Washington Glory
July 5: 7:05 p.m. at Washington Glory
July 6: 7:05 p.m. at Washington Glory
July 7: 7:05 p.m. at Washington Glory
July 10: 7:05 p.m. WASHINGTON GLORY
July 11: 7:05 p.m. WASHINGTON GLORY
July 12: 7:05 p.m. WASHINGTON GLORY
July 13: 3:05 p.m. WASHINGTON GLORY
July 16: 7:05 p.m. PHILADELPHIA FORCE
July 17: 7:05 p.m. PHILADELPHIA FORCE
July 18: 7:05 p.m. PHILADELPHIA FORCE
July 19: 7:05 p.m. PHILADELPHIA FORCE
July 21: 7:05 p.m. at Philadelphia Force
July 22: 7:05 p.m. at Philadelphia Force
July 23: 7:05 p.m. at Philadelphia Force
July 24: 7:05 p.m. at Philadelphia Force
July 25: 7:05 p.m. at New England Riptide
July 26: 5:05 p.m. at New England Riptide
July 27: 5:05 p.m. at New England Riptide
July 28: 7:05 p.m. at New England Riptide
Aug. 2: 7:05 p.m. at Akron Racers
Aug. 3: 7:05 p.m. at Akron Racers
Aug. 4: 7:05 p.m. at Akron Racers
Aug. 5: 7:05 p.m. at Akron Racers
Aug. 8: 7:05 p.m. NEW ENGLAND RIPTIDE
Aug. 9: 7:05 p.m. NEW ENGLAND RIPTIDE
Aug. 10: 3:05 p.m. NEW ENGLAND RIPTIDE
Aug. 11: 7:05 p.m. NEW ENGLAND RIPTIDE
Aug. 14: 7:05 p.m. ROCKFORD THUNDER
Aug. 15: 7:05 p.m. ROCKFORD THUNDER
Aug. 16: 7:05 p.m. ROCKFORD THUNDER
Aug. 17: 3:05 p.m. ROCKFORD THUNDER
All home games at Judson University, Elgin; tickets available at www.chicagobandits.com