IUPUI Softball update

ELMHURST, Ill. - The IUPUI Softball team has been picked to finish ninth in The Summit League standings according to the preseason coaches poll. Western Illinois picked up five of the nine possible first-place votes to earn the top billing while reigning tournament champion North Dakota State garnered the four remaining first-place votes and was picked second. Southern Utah easily outdistanced the field for third while Oakland, UMKC and South Dakota State represented the middle third of the pack.

Centenary was picked seventh, followed by IPFW and IUPUI, respectively.

The Jaguars return a powerful portion of its batting order from a year ago, keyed by senior outfielder Mia Ettl (Mishawaka, Ind./Marian) and junior infielder Amy Raker (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville). Ettl earned First Team All-Summit honors a year ago after belting a school record 12 homers to go along with a .336 batting average and 34 runs batted in. She also drilled 11 doubles and had a .658 slugging percentage in 146 at-bats.

Raker batted .316 with five homers and 25 RBI with 10 doubles while starting all 53 games a year ago. Senior Laura Wilcox (Carmel, Ind./Westfield) also provided some pop in the middle of the order with six homers in just 96 at-bats in her first season with the Jags.

Raker and sophomore Samantha Bumbaugh (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South) will be depended on to anchor the pitching staff this season as the duo combined to toss over 76 percent of the team’s innings last year. Raker led the Jags in complete games (11), strikeouts (64) and appearances (37).

This year’s crop of newcomers is led by pitcher/infielder Jocelyn Oppenhuis (Munster, Ind./Illiana Christian), speedy outfielder Breanna Shannon (Mishawaka, Ind./Marian), catcher Sydney Miller (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) and infielder Alicia Garrison (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central).