LC Softball Gears Up for 2019 Season

[March 09, 2019] 

The Lincoln College 2019 Softball season is about to begin. Head coach Boyd Nowicki and his players are in the final stages of preparation for the team’s upcoming spring trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This will be Nowicki’s 10th season as a college coach, but his first at the helm of the Lincoln College program.

2019 will be the program’s first season as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

“I am looking forward to seeing how we do in our first action outdoors and against varsity competition,” said Nowicki. “We have the talent to do well this year, but we will have a very young team, so gaining experience will be a big part of our early season play,” he added.

Lincoln will start the start the season with just two juniors and no seniors on their 15 player roster.

The challenge of getting to know a new team was made a little easier for Coach Nowicki since he was able to add four athletes who played for him last season as the coach of the Robert Morris University (Springfield) team. RMU finished their 2018 campaign with an appearance at the United States Colligiate Athletic Association (USCAA) World Series.

The transfer players added to the roster include Seleste Smith (Warrensburg) and Ali Nowicki (Petersburg) who are the team’s two juniors.

Smith is expected to see time in the outfield, at first base and to be used behind the plate as well. According to Coach Nowicki, “Seleste can fill a number of different roles for us when needed and will be able to keep us competitive wherever she plays.”

Ali Nowiki (Coach Nowicki’s daughter) will be taking on the bulk of the catching duties for the Lady Lynx and figures to be one of the team’s top offensive threats. “Ali has a great sense of the game, she works the count well at the plate, and I am confident in her ability to read hitters and call pitches,” said Coach Nowicki.

Two other RMU transfers who project to be impact players are sophomores Melissa Benson from Morris, Illinois and Rodjahnae Dupont-Barlow from Clinton.

Benson will anchor the LC defense at the shortstop position and can take the mound as a relif pitcher when needed. “Melissa’s arm strength and range make her a perfect fit at short,” said Nowicki. She also figures to be an offensive force for the team as well as a middle-of-the-lineup hitter.

Rodjahnae Dupont-Barlow was a standout performer in her freshman season at RMU. This year she is looking to contribute in the LC outfield and at third base. Coach Nowicki commented that “Rodjahnae’s arm strength is incredible and her speed allows her to cover a lot of ground in the outfield. She will bat second in our lineup because she can hit with power and handle the bat well.”

The bulk of the pitching duties for Lincoln will be taken on by a pair of freshman in 2019. According to Coach Nowicki, Lincoln Community High School grad Kerstin Osborne is a location and control style pitcher who will look to pitch to contact, while Clinton native Olivia Sanders is expected to be more of a power pitcher who will go for strikeouts more often. Osborne will also see time in the infield for LC at third base.

Two other athletes who will be getting their first taste of college action this season, but will be relied on heavily by Coach Nowicki are Brooke Friesner and Marcie Shannon.

Friesner is a freshman who brings a strong club softball background to her game. She will look to utilize her speed in the leadoff spot in the Lynx batting order and to cover as much ground as possible on the infield at second base.

Sophomore Marcie Shannon did not get to play her freshman year for LC as she was recovering from an ACL tear. Shannon, who will patrol in right field this season, has impressed her new coach with her work ethic. “Marcie has been phenomenal in the preseason considering what she’s been through,” said Coach Nowicki. “We are all puling for her to stay healthy and have a great season.”

Lincoln is set to participate next week in the Myrtle Beach Fast-pitch Dreams Classic which runs throughout month of March. LC will play 8 games in 7 days during their trip and face a mixture of NAIA and NCAA opponents. The team’s first home games are scheduled for March 19th when they take on Trinity International University for a double header beginning at 3:00 PM. The team’s complete schedule can be found at www.lincolnlynxsports.com.

[Mark Tippett
Lincoln College
Sports Information]