MONTREAT, N.C. – Gearing up for her seventh season as head coach of the Montreat College Cavaliers, softball's Heather Maston is looking forward to carrying last year's momentum into the 2019 season. "As the 2018 season progressed, the team got stronger and gained momentum that carried them into the conference tournament. That intensity carried over into the fall with practices and scrimmages, and will hopefully propel them into a more successful season this spring," said Coach Maston.
Joining Maston this season as assistant coach is former graduate assistant Melina Wilkinson, who was brought on full-time in the fall upon completing her master's degree. Both Maston and Wilkinson hold high expectations for the 2019 team, demanding excellence not only on the field, but in the classroom and community as well. "One of our main goals is to strengthen the girl's relationship with Christ and with each other, while also leading in our community," said Coach Maston. "Another one of our goals includes maintaining a 3.25 team GPA."
The team's biggest strength this year will come from the mound as Coach Maston is depending on the variety of her pitchers to be the backbone of her squad. "I think our greatest strength will be seen in our pitching staff because we have a very wide range of speeds and movement with our pitchers, and we look for them to lead us," said Coach Maston. Another strength of the Cavs will be their cohesiveness and communication. "Our team's ability to work so well together is an asset I am very confident in. The energy of the players on the field enables them to communicate and feed off of each other during games."
Every starter is returning for the Cavs this year, including junior Cailin Warner on the pitching rubber. Warner finished the 2018 season strong by pitching all of the conference tournament games. She is joined by two other key returners, Kelsey Nolasco and Ashlyn Vickers. Nolasco finished last season hitting .373, a team-high for the Cavs. She has seen time in both the infield and outfield, and may even make an appearance behind the plate this season. Vickers followed Nolasco with a .338 batting average last season, and will look to be a threat behind the plate as a fourth year starter. "We are focused on continuing to get better each game- to learn from each play and to focus on the next. These ladies have been working hard in the off-season and I am excited to see them put their practice into play," said Coach Maston.
As for newcomers, freshmen Graclyn Green and Ashley Starnes, both versatile infielders, are two impact players that Coach Maston added to the roster this season. The Cavs also added transfer Allison Sievers to the mound. "Allie brings another arm to the circle, and we look for her to help her fellow returners carry the workload," said Coach Maston.
"I think this team is capable of competing against any team we come up against. They work hard, they make adjustments as they go, and they carry an intensity with them when they step on the field. I see us finishing in the top half of our conference this season," said Coach Maston.
The Cavs are set to open their season with a doubleheader against Brewton-Parker on Friday, Feb. 1. They turn right around for another doubleheader against University of South Carolina Beaufort the very next day. "If you ask my players, they will say the schedule is insane," said Coach Maston. "We have started our season in Georgia and South Carolina for the past several years in hopes of chasing warm weather. These games are sometimes the first chance we have to be on the field at all during February, so we use them as practice and opportunities to grow. By the time conference games start, we will have at least twenty games under our belts and will be working more cohesively as a unit."
The Cavs spend the rest of February and first of March on the road, opening conference play at Brenau on March 2 before returning to Montreat for their home opener against Converse College on March 5.
To view the full schedule, click here.
