Hawk Softball Ready for Break Out Year

Hawks making a pitch that this year’s team will be prepared to make the next step

Softball will be starting soon for Canyon Lake as this year’s team will see if they can improve on their last year of hitting and pitching.

Yes, The ReSporter left one item that will need to improve the most for the Hawks, defense.

Canyon Lake made great strides with last year’s team as several Freshman brought their speed and hitting to the lineup.

However, Canyon Lake’s defense was that one ingredient that will need to be improved upon.

 Batting Ave.       On Base Pct.      Slugging Pct.      Fielding Pct.
 2014    .323       2014    .397      2014     .475      2012     .906
 2011    .283       2012    .364      2012     .379      2013     .906
 2013    .272       2011    .342      2013     .369      2011     .898
 2012    .252       2013    .331      2011     .305      2010     .866
 2009    .229       2009    .331      2009     .277      2009     .826
 2010    .229       2010    .286      2010     .276      2014     .818

Looking at the numbers above, you will notice all the skills from the batter’s box and how 2014 was a year of great improvement.

CL’s batting average was 0.050 higher than the 2011 campaign when the Hawks still hit an a paltry .283.

Lizzy Henderson continues a legacy of Henderson sisters playing Hawk Softball

The Hawks even have two years of batting .229 which makes scoring runs (plural) was not an element of softball that would help a team get many wins.

In those bad hitting years, Canyon Lake was much better in the field and from the circle (pitching).

That .818 fielding percentage translates into way too many outs per inning and keeping a game alive for the opposition.

A team that is not as great defensively will hurt the pitcher and of course the momentum factor that is so much a part of this game.

Last year’s 15 wins is second to the 2011 team (17) that has (up to this point) been the only group of Hawk players to make the playoffs.

Returning players that will give CL another year of good hitting will be plenty.

Senior Kelsey Ahrens has a career .315 batting average and will only need 25 rbi’s this year to pass just graduated Brianna Young who finished her playing career with 75.

With 3 more doubles, Ahrens will be the all time Hawk leader in doubles with a lethal .442 slugging percentage.

Ahrens will also be holding down the hot spot at third base which will go along way in helping this year’s defense.

Junior Alexis Robinson had a break out year last season with a .427 batting average with power as she also belted 5 home runs.

What impressed The ReSporter more than those numbers was the amount of walks Robinson coaxed from the opposing pitcher as she finished with 24 free passes while striking out only 8 times.

Not impressed? Look at the difference in her Freshman and Sophomore year and be sure you have your seat belt on so you don’t hurt yourself when you fall.

 Robinson  ab    r    h    bi   2b   3b   hr   bb   so   sb
 2013      75   18   27     9    5    2    0    3    7    3
 2014      89   40   38    30    5    6    5   24    8    6

If those numbers could talk then you can see how much more confident Robinson sounded in her second year batting.

Robinson will also be starting her third year in the circle and this could be a year of a much needed help from a Freshman that will be talked about later.

Another returning player that could have a break out year is Lizzy Henderson. Henderson is the last of three sisters to wear the Hawk softball uniform.

Henderson has been steadily improving with each year and as a Senior could help Canyon Lake in all facets of their game.

 Henderson   ab    r    h    bi   2b   3b   bb   so
 2012         7    3    0    0    0    0    1     5
 2013        25    3    4    0    0    0    1    11
 2014        34    9   11    6    3    0    3     8

Those numbers are not as impressive as a Robinson or Ahrens but Henderson has dedicated herself as being all in for softball and watching her confidence from the first part of the year to the end of the season, was a thing of beauty.

Cameron Berger is also a player that will hopefully pay dividends as she too put in extra hours for her softball game.

Hawks Kelsey Ahrens puts the tag on player while Kat Weber comes in for reinforcements.

Tiare Kacir and Kirsten Jones will be counted on as strengthening Canyon Lake at the plate as well in the field with another year of maturity.

Canyon Lake had four Freshman players last year that wowed the Hawk fans, but at this writing only two of those players are planning on returning for their Sophomore year.

Kat Weber and Carly DuBois will be key ingredients that Head Coach John Gallagher will certainly use in making his potion for continuing on after district stops this season.

Weber finished with a respectable .266 batting average while also playing a very demanding short-stop.

Another player that is disciplined at the plate, Weber finished her Freshman year with more walks than strikeouts which is an attribute that will pay dividends for this year’s line-up.

DuBois was gold for Canyon Lake last year as this player finished with a .402 average while also playing a lock down centerfield for the Hawks.

DuBois also finished with more walks than strikeouts and was a Hawk leader in hits finishing with 39 as a lead off batter.

If these Sophomores improve just a smidgen as well as Robinson did for her second year, then Canyon Lake will certainly be playing more games after they finish district play.

Finding a replacement for Young at catcher and having that solid spot in the batting order continuing to give opposing pitchers a lump in their throat will be hard for Canyon Lake to replace.

All this to say, fielding will need to improve to bring the glue to keep this team together for a run into post-season play.

Stay tuned as The ReSporter will start ramping up for more articles for Hawk Softball.