IPFW Softball Opens Season in Iowa on Friday

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW Mastodons open their 2013 season on Friday afternoon at the Iowa State Tournament, looking to keep the momentum gained from last season's school-record 45 wins.

Returning for the team are a trio of First Team All-Summit League selections in outfielder Larissa Franklin, third baseman Ashleigh Bousquet, and pitcher Miranda Kramer, while Alex Bousquet and Brittany Kachur were both named Second Team All-Summit League last year.

INFIELD
The Mastodons return three starters of the four positions in the infield, including Kayti Hanson at second base, Alex Bousquet at shortstop, and Ashleigh Bousquet at third base.

Last season Alex Bousquet batted .361 with nine home runs and 51 RBI's, en route to earning Second Team All-Region honors. She set a single-season school record by being hit by pitch 21 times, and walking 34 times for 55 total passes and an on-base percentage of .516.

Twin sister Ashleigh Bousquet set a new single-season school record with 58 RBI's, knocking eight home runs and a .530 slugging percentage.

Second baseman Kayti Hanson hit .273 on the year with 30 runs scored, adding 14 RBI's and a trio of doubles.

Dani Pugh rotated time at first base during the year, in addition to catcher, and batted .214 with six home runs and 19 RBI's.

Megan Flenniken, who will also see time at pitcher, will play first base during the year, and batted .263 last season with 10 hits in 38 at-bats, with five runs and five RBI's.

OUTFIELD
The team returns two of the team's top three outfielders from last season in Franklin and Kachur.

Franklin led the team with a .364 batting average with 46 runs scored and a school-record 27 stolen bases. She walked 14 times, and drove in 13 runners.

Kachur played 44 games in the outfield last season, batting .347, scoring 21 times. She added eight doubles, while walking 12 times for a .409 on-base percentage.

Those fighting for the third outfield spot will include Audrey Mintari, who also catches, batted .248 with two home runs and 17 RBI's, playing in 52 games, starting 45.

Stephanie Beuther batted .214 in 70 at-bats, with 11 runs scored, one home run, and six RBI's.

CATCHER
The team will rotate between a pair of catchers during the season, in Pugh and Mintari, who will also see action at another position.

PITCHER
Gone from the team is the top pitcher in team history in Courtney Cronin, who had an 18-3 record with a 1.37 ERA last season en route to being named Second Team All-Summit League; however, the cupboard is hardly bare.

Returning is First Team All-Summit League selection Miranda Kramer, in addition to Megan Flenniken, who won 11 games a season ago.

Last year Kramer finished 16-5 with a 1.87 ERA, striking out 148 batters in 131.0 inning of work, while walking just 47.

Flenniken went 11-6 with a 1.93 ERA, striking out 102 in 112.1 innings, walking 45 batters, as opponents batted just .206 against her.

SCHEDULE
The season opens on February 8 against Indiana State and Northern Colorado, as the teams compete at the Iowa State Tournament in Ames, Iowa.

Other early-season tournaments include tournaments at New Mexico, Lipscomb, and Texas Tech. The home season opens on March 16 when the squad hosts Kansas City, as IPFW hosts Central Michigan, Western Illinois, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, North Dakota State, Detroit, and IUPUI.

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

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