Jonker looking for 'game players' as softball opens season in Florida
After months of practicing, head coach Margo Jonker is excited to finally see which of her players are “game players” and which are “practice players."
Central Michigan softball will underhand the first pitch of its 2011 season at 1:30 p.m. today in Jacksonville, Fla.
“We’re ready to get outside,” Jonker said, entering her 32 season as head coach at CMU. “We’re ready to see opposing pitching and get out there on the dirt.”
CMU will play five games this weekend. The first games of the season will give Jonker the opportunity to see what players step up come game time.
“(We) want to see how well they play in games, who’s a game player and who’s a practice player,” Jonker said. “I want to see who’s ready to go. Who competes.”
One thing Jonker doesn’t have to worry about this weekend is pitching, even with at least 35 innings facing the Chippewas in three days.
“We have a lot of pitchers,” Jonker said. “Getting pitchers enough innings will be my problem this season.”
Among the lineup, Jonker said the team has a good mixture of youth and experience.
“Experience is good for our potential lineup and the youth will push them,” Jonker said. “We have a good combination of power and speed. We have experience in the circle (pitching) and in the infield.”
Jonker isn’t the only one excited for the beginning of this season. She has noticed that this team is “extremely pumped” and ready to go.
Her girls get to go as they face Jacksonville, Jacksonville State and Florida A&M this weekend. The Chippewas will play each team twice over a three-day span this weekend.
Jonker: preseason pick 'doesn't matter'
Last week, Mid-American Conference coaches picked CMU to finish second in the West Division.
The Chippewas were able to snatch four first-place votes from the 12 coaches, while defending champions Ball State received seven. Jonker doesn’t think much into the voting, though.
“It doesn’t really matter,” she said. “I don’t care. Ball State won last year and they have a lot of people coming back. They deserve it.”
The softball team has impressed coaches so far in preseason practices.
“We have been doing a good job of being focused,” said Jonker. “That’ll be a huge key to our success.”
