Thank you to Mya Lorenz for some early-season photos

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The 2023 North Park softball team had a memorable season, to say the least. The Vikings finished third in the CCIW, grabbing nine wins in league play. Those nine CCIW wins, under the guidance of head coach Katie Anderson, led NPU to its first playoff win in program history. Coach Anderson loses All-CCIW firepower in star two-way player Alyssa Malicki (.505 SLG, 23 RBI, 2.98 ERA / 90 K's) and an important middle of the order bat in catcher/designated player Emily Reczek (.351 / .373 / .526 slash line, 31 RBI) but the Vikings welcome back eight starters from the 2023 season.

"Emily and Alyssa certainly maintained a large piece of the middle of our lineup last year and we are hoping to get that same production out of our players this year," said Coach Katie Anderson, who is now in her 10th season at the helm. "We have some freshmen with great swings that have already grown tremendously since their arrival on campus. We also have some returners that you may not have seen much of last year that have come back hungry and ready to step into new roles."

That third-place finish in 2023 featured six freshmen in Coach Anderson's starting lineup, including two second team All-CCIW players in outfielder Eden Baker and shortstop Kayla Lorenz. 

Baker led the Vikings with 49 hits, 13 stolen bases, 33 runs scored, five triples, and a .406 OBP in '23 while carrying a team second-best .348 batting average in a dynamite freshman season. The leadoff hitter struck out just 10 times in 141 at-bats while making 56 outs and an assist in the outfield. The speedy left fielder did not make an error in CCIW action while maintaining a league slash line of .319 / .385/ .489.

Lorenz was the top power-producing freshman for the Vikings in her first collegiate season while also showcasing her playmaking abilities at shortstop. She led NPU with 16 extra-base hits, including 10 doubles, three triples, and three homers, good for a .500 slugging percentage. On the bases, she was 9-for-9 and she scored 28 runs while driving in 21. She had 69 assists at short and turned four double plays.

Infielders Kathryn Keehn and Katie Patton, outfielder Kayla Sapolu, and two-way player Maya Lafnear represent the other crop of Vikings that earned plenty of starting time in 2023.

Keehn put up All-CCIW worthy numbers on the field last year after changing out of her gym shoes for cleats. The NPU women's basketball two-year starting guard and a corner infielder for Coach Anderson in '23 held a CCIW slash line of .340 / .353 / .460 with a team second-best 23 total bases and tied for the team lead with 9 RBIs. She started 38 games on the year, batting .307 with 11 extra-base hits.

Lafnear made her biggest impacts in the circle but also split time with Keehn at first base on days where she wasn't doing the throwing. In her 19 starts and 21 appearances in the circle, Lafnear had a 3.59 ERA in 123 innings of work, picking up nine wins. She showcased an ability to go deep into games, securing 15 CG's including a shutout over CCIW foe North Central on April 13.

Patton started 36 games behind the plate for NPU, slugging .247 thanks to a double and a pair of homers. The everyday catcher for the Vikings had five assists and nabbed three runners attempting to steal.

Sapolu started 21 games in right field, carrying a .224 batting average and .328 OBP over 49 at-bats. She scored nine runs and drew seven walks while securing 29 outs with just two errors in the outfield.

Talking about the impactful 2023 freshman class, Coach Anderson said: "They are all obviously great athletes and great teammates. The only thing we can ask of them is what we ask of all of our players - continue to grow. They are building on what they did well last year while also improving the things they can to become a more complete player. We will see them in some familiar roles and in some new roles and I'm excited to see what they can bring to the table this year. Scouting reports are great but gritty players who battle are hard to beat no matter what knowledge you have prior to the game. They work very hard and I have no doubt they are going to give their teammates every ounce of effort they have in every game."

The now-sophomore class of starters has quality leadership to guide them. Returning for her senior season is three-year starter Isa Santos and two-year junior infielder Maddy Tan. Both veteran returners were named captains by Coach Anderson:

"We have a group of returners that are hungry to continue the momentum they started last year. Under the leadership of captains Maddy Tan and Isa Santos, the team has found an enjoyment in the process that makes us better on a day-to-day basis. They are excited to start the season and they understand that anything you want in the CCIW has to be earned. They are working on earning it every day."

Santos made the move from starting at second base to pioneering the Viking outfield in center. Since then, she continues to steal away extra-base hits while neutralizing batters hoping to reach base. In her three-year career, she holds a slash line of .294 / .394 / .343 with 26 walks, 14 stolen bases, and five extra-base hits. Additionally, she's a threat to move runners with 22 successful sac bunts, already the most in NPU softball history. Santos fielded .958 with six assists and 86 putouts in center field last season.

Tan took over for Santos at second base and hasn't missed a start since her first collegiate game back in 2022. In her two seasons with the program, Tan holds a slash line of .268 / .384 / .372 with nine doubles, a pair of triples, and a pair of homers. She also has 29 runs scored, 23 walks, 22 RBIs, and seven steals. Tan fielded .961 with 57 assists and 89 putouts last season.

Steals have been mentioned a few times in this preview. In fact, the Vikings stolen base production tripled from the 2022 season to 2023. Coach Anderson detailed that, saying: "Stolen bases come from one of two things, or a combination of the two. God-given speed and softball IQ. I think in the past few years our program has continued to see increases in both for a larger portion of our roster. We always had a couple of athletes that were capable of stealing bases and we now have threats that go up and down the lineup because of their preparation going into game day. The better our softball IQ, the more aggressive we can be on the base paths, and the more freedom our baserunners have to use their instincts."

North Park Softball also returns senior catcher Eliza Rex, sophomore infielder Salyssa Garcia, junior outfielder Debbie Dinkel, sophomore outfielder Sydney Snyder, and sophomore pitcher Kaely Heathcoat.

Rex made 31 appearances as a catcher in 2022, including 29 starts. In her 20 collegiate at-bats, she's slashing .250 / .360 / .300 with three walks. Behind the plate, Rex threw out seven batters attempting to steal in 2022. Garcia appeared in 13 games and made four starts in 2023, batting .222 with a .300 OBP in 18 at-bats. Dinkel, like Keehn, is a two-sport athlete at North Park, becoming a part of two championship teams with NPU Volleyball in 2022 and 2023. Dinkel's speed has been her main contributor for the Vikings, utilized primarily as a pinch runner in 2023. Snyder appeared in 10 games in her sophomore 2023 season, carrying a .300 batting average and .417 OBP with a homer in 10 at-bats. Last year, Heathcoat appeared in two innings and registered one strikeout. Heathcoat and the aforementioned Lafnear represent the only two returning pitchers from the 2023 season. 

"There is no doubt that Alyssa [Malicki] will be missed in the lineup and as a pitcher," said Coach Anderson. "Logging just about half of our innings last year, we are going to need one/multiple people to step in and fill those innings. The good news is we have options. I'm confident that we will find a pitching combination/rotation that will be able to accomplish the goals that we have set for ourselves."

With what's coming back, it's no surprise that the CCIW Preseason Coaches' Poll saw North Park voted to finish fourth, their highest preseason prediction in program history. However, thirteen players, which represents half of this years' team, is made up of newcomers. This group will certainly have opportunities to contribute to an already-strong core.

"We have a big group of freshmen this year that have shown tremendous growth between the fall and now," Coach Anderson concluded. "They have a great group of upperclassmen to learn from and look up to, and they are putting in tremendous amounts of work. I'm looking forward to figuring out where they fit into this puzzle!"

Practices are in full swing but there's still plenty of time for Coach Anderson to figure out her day-one lineup. North Park opens the season back at the Dot Richardson Spring Games in central Florida on Sunday, March 10. Opening day features UW-Stout at 9:15 AM ET before a familiar face in St. Norbert at 1:45 PM ET.