Softball: Hazen season preview

By Adam McFadden • April 2, 2009 4:38 pm
Hazen’s Chelsea Moorhead fields a throw from an infielder at catcher during Hazen’s softball practice.
Hazen’s Chelsea Moorhead fields a throw from an infielder at catcher during Hazen’s softball practice.

The first challenge for new Hazen softball coach Kurt Brandel is harnessing Hazen’s youth.

Brandel has coached select teams, as well as the Lindbergh JV and C teams in the mid 1990s.

This Hazen team has just three seniors and four juniors. The rest of the roster is made up of four sophomores and a freshman.

“We’re young,” Brandel said. “I think it’s a good thing.”

The Highlanders might trade wins at the outset while the team continues to grow for wins in the future when the young players are more developed.

Hazen has started the year 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the Seamount. So far, the team has been hit or miss depending on the competition. The Highlanders beat Evergreen and Renton by a combined 42-11. But the team has struggled against two of the Seamount’s top teams in Kennedy and Mount Rainier, along with two tough non-league games from Sammamish and Liberty.

Brandel said he expects the team to be around third or fourth in the Seamount.

“The strength is in our offense. Our hitting should be strong,” Brandel said. As far as offensive strategy, don’t look for the Highlanders to try any sort of slapping or bunting. Brandel said simply, “We hit.”

Several players are off to strong starts this year: Senior pitcher Becca Erb already has two wins. Junior catcher Chelsea Moorhead has two multi-hit games. Erb has a four-RBI game. Kellie Pederson has a triple and a homerun.