Depth will be ECC’s No. 1 asset
Anne Vogt had to go deep into the storage closet to find enough uniforms to outfit her Elgin Community College women’s softball team this spring.
For the first time this decade, the Spartans have some depth — 15 players on the roster — and what excites Vogt more than anything is the fact she has versatile and talented players up and down the roster.
“We’ve got a little depth and that’s definitely going to help us,” said Vogt, who is beginning her 11th season as the Spartans’ head coach. “We’ve got outfielders who are outfielders and our infielders’ bats are going to have to keep them in the game. If you hit the ball, you play.”
ECC, which was 21-20 last season, would appear to have plenty of offensive firepower. Six sophomores return from last season and of the nine freshman, four were Daily Herald All-area players last spring.
The returning sophomores include Jordan Hogue (Huntley) and Brittany Heine (Larkin), who Vogt projects will be starting outfielders along with freshman Bre Medinger of St. Edward, who hit .356 with 3 home runs and 28 RBI for the Green Wave last year.
The infield will be anchored at third base by sophomore Layla Ismajlaj of South Elgin and freshman Rae Bosteder of South Elgin, who will also see time behind the plate. An all-area player last season, Bosteder hit .400 with 2 homers and 25 RBI for the Storm last season.
Rae Bosteder’s twin sister Courtney, along with Bartlett grad Stevie Treskow, will see the bulk of the time at second base. Courtney Bosteder, who will also play in the outfield, was an all-area player at South Elgin last season when she hit .344 with 20 RBI.
The shortstop position will belong to another all-area standout, Burlington Central graduate Ashley Scheffler, who hit .475 and struck out just 6 times in 95 at-bats last season when she played third base for the Rockets.
“She’s got amazing range at short,” Vogt said of Scheffler. “I doubt my left fielder will ever have to catch a ball. Ashley goes and gets it.”
Starting behind the plate will be Larkin graduate Ashley Frey. Vogt had expected Bartlett product Kelsey Warrick to add to the catching and hitting depth but a snafu in the number of credit hours Warrick warned at Lee College in Tennessee left her ineligible to play this spring.
Where any team needs to be strong is in the pitchers circle and even though the Spartans don’t have a lot of experience, Vogt says she has players eager to contribute. Burlington Central grad Mackenzie Scott, who was ECC’s No. 1 pitcher last season, chose not to return to the team this season.
So, Vogt will hand the softball to a combination of sophomore Diana Besser (South Elgin) and freshmen Jennifer Jordan (St. Charles North) and her cousin, Megan Kowalski (Burlington Central). Medinger also pitched some for St. Edward last season.
“I’m excited for Jordan,” said Vogt. “She’s hungry and she wants to pitch. Behind people like (Amanda) Ciran and (Amanda) Engel at North, she didn’t get much of an opportunity. It’s the same way with Kowalski.
Other players Vogt hopes can contribute to ECC’s success this season include sophomore Kristin Sarrels of Jacobs, who played on the 2006 ECC team that won the ISCC title, sophomore outfielder Shelly Crerar (St. Charles North) and freshman outfielder Evelyn Boje of Elgin.
“Our goal is to win a conference championship,” said Vogt, whose team plays at Sauk Valley today then hosts Heartland Community College at noon Sunday at the Elgin Sports Complex.
“With this team we should be right there. We’ve got a great bunch. These 15 kids have earned an opportunity play and now they just have to prove they can stay out there. In the past we’ve had bodies. This year we have ballplayers.”
And, Vogt feels she has winners.
“We have a lot of kids who come from winning programs,” she said. “We’ve got kids who are used to winning and they don’t want to lose.”