Sports

New Coach Foresees Pirates Moving Up in Softball

Drake returns 12 players from a team that finished fourth in the MCAL a year ago; part of the optimism stems from three freshmen, two of whom are pitchers.

With the top three softball teams in the Marin County Athletic League all returning strong nucleuses this season, the battle appears to be for fourth place in the league standings.

Perhaps, but Drake coach Dan Fisherbaugh is unconvinced.

Maybe it’s because Fisherbaugh, who has coached at the high school level but never softball, is in his first year with the Pirates.

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He’d like to think his belief has a much stronger foundation than that.

“I really walked into a pretty good situation here,” said Fisherbaugh, a former national-caliber fastpitch softball pitcher. “I think we have the opportunity to (crack the top three). It’s going to take a lot of hard work.”

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It won’t be long before the new Drake coach gets a good idea where his team stands. After a season in which they finished fourth behind Redwood, San Marin and Tam with a 12-6 record, the Pirates open MCAL play March 7 at home against the Mustangs.

“Head-to-head, if we can beat those teams, we should be able to handle the rest of the schedule,” he said. “We start out with San Marin. We’re putting an emphasis on that game … starting the season strong.”

The Pirates return 12 players, including five key seniors, from last year’s squad. One – starting shortstop , a second-team all-leaguer last season – just joined the team after finishing off a successful basketball campaign.

The other seniors are , an Honorable Mention all-leaguer in 2010 who is slotted to hit in the middle of the order, outfielders and Haley Jensen, and third baseman Jordan Downey.

The experienced players are complemented nicely by sophomore Hannah Williams and a talented group of freshmen that includes Amanda Borries, Emma Goodwin and Maggie Maguire.

Fisherbaugh calls Williams, who will play shortstop until Howard is ready and then move to first base, “definitely one of the best players in the league.”

Borries, a travel-ball player, is expected to step right in and be the team’s catcher.

“She has quite a reputation coming in as a home run hitter,” Fisherbaugh warned.

Goodwin and Maguire join with sophomore Emily Field to head the pitching staff. Field has some experience on the mound from last season.

“We’re very young on the mound and behind the plate,” Fisherbaugh noted. “This will be an interesting aspect of our team this year. But we’ve got a really good group of youngsters.”

That said, the key to the team are the seniors, the coach assured.

“We have great senior leadership,” he boasted. “With the work ethic that the team shows and the commitment that they’ve shown to working hard and learning, I’m very excited. The camaraderie of (12 girls) having been together for a year will only help the team.”

Fisherbaugh loves his new job.

“I’ve coached high school baseball, football and basketball. This is my first experience coaching girls,” he said. “To be honest, I wish I’d done it earlier. Girls are much more focused.”

DRAKE’S SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Home games in CAPS.

Drake 30, Elsie Allen 0

March 7, vs. SAN MARIN, 4 p.m.

March 8, vs. CAMPOLINDO (Moraga), 3:30 p.m.

March 10, vs. TERRA LINDA, 4 p.m.

March 14, vs. Marin Catholic at Piper Park (Larkspur), 4:30 p.m.

March 17, at Justin-Siena, 4:30 p.m.

March 19, at Acalanes (Lafayette), 11 a.m.

March 21, vs. SAN RAFAEL, 4:30 p.m.

March 24, at Novato, 4:30 p.m.

March 25, vs. ANALY, 4 p.m.

March 28, vs. REDWOOD, 4:30 p.m.

March 31, vs. BRANSON, 4:30 p.m.

April 2, vs. CASA GRANDE, 11 a.m.

April 4, at Tam, 4:30 p.m.

April 7, at San Marin, 6 p.m.

April 18, at Terra Linda, 4:30 p.m.

April 21, vs. MARIN CATHOLIC, 4:30 p.m.

April 25, vs. JUSTIN-SIENA, 4:30 p.m.

April 27, at Healdsburg, 4 p.m.

April 28, at San Rafael, 4:30 p.m.

May 2, vs. NOVATO, 4:30 p.m.

May 5, at Redwood, 4:30 p.m.

May 9, vs. Branson at College of Marin, 4:30 p.m.

May 12, vs. TAM, 4:30 p.m.


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