BY ZACH AUSTIN
Carl Sandburg College
GALESBURG — After opening its season with a pair of games last week at Spoon River, the Carl Sandburg College softball team travels down to Florida for spring break.
The Chargers have a stretch of four doubleheaders in five days near the Gulf Coast starting this weekend. Sandburg will play Saturday at Coastal Alabama-East, Monday at Bishop State, Tuesday at Coastal Alabama-South and Wednesday at Pensacola State.
The Chargers finished 15-29 overall last season and 8-12 in the Arrowhead Conference under coach Todd Winkler. Fans can follow Sandburg softball live all season long on the GameChanger app.
NOTABLE RETURNERS
Emma Wolfe (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), sophomore IF
- A versatile infielder with a strong bat, Wolfe led the Chargers last year in runs, home runs (eight), doubles (15), triples (nine), average (.403) and slugging (.799).
- Voted All-Region IV and All-Arrowhead Conference as a freshman last season.
Chelsey Catton (Pekin, Ill./Pekin), sophomore P
- Led the team in strikeouts (75) last season, appearances (19) and tied for the team lead in wins (five).
Kayla Wolf (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central), sophomore C
- Considered a team leader by Winkler, Wolf finished third on the squad in RBIs last spring with 33.
KEY NEWCOMERS
Carley Hacke (Oakford, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin), freshman IF/P
- Winkler: “She’s solid in the infield and has a solid bat.”
Elly Bentley (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone), freshman OF
- Winkler: “The kid can flat-out run and can play center field like no other. I can’t teach speed.”
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS TEAM THIS SEASON?
Winkler: “My expectations are getting better every game we play. For these games on spring break, if we can win half we will be in good shape because when we get off the bus, the opposing teams down south have played between 24 and 30 games already. We have hardly been outside, so our goal to start is just to get better and put ourselves in position to win the region at the end of the season.”
GAMES TO WATCH
- April 4 at No. 16 Rock Valley
- April 28 vs. Madison
THIS WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF …
Winkler: “We play to our potential. That will be the number one question: if we can get everybody to play to their potential. We have potential; it’s just a matter of if we use it.”
