BOONE, N.C. – The App State softball team opens its 2020 season on Saturday, making the trip to Charlotte to take on Virginia and Charlotte. First pitch is set for Noon against Virginia.
App State is coming off a historical 2019 season, notching a 31-25 record and tying the win total set by the 2013 team that won the regular-season Southern Conference title. The team earned its first Sun Belt Tournament berth as the No. 5 seed and its first postseason berth to the NISC. With a strong group of returners and eight newcomers, the Mountaineers look to continue building the program as they set their sights on the 2020 season.
With four returning pitchers and a freshman transfer, the App State pitching staff looks to utilize its versatility and experience to keep hitters off balance. Seniors
Kenzie Longanecker,
Sydney Holland and
Maddie Siemer, sophomore
Taylor Nichols and freshman
Camryn Brazile all bring different strengths to the staff.
"All five complement each other very well," head coach
Shelly Hoerner said. "They work very well together and we've discussed working as a staff. I think that's important with the strength of schedule we play, as well as playing in the Sun Belt. Seeing hitters so many times, we've got to make sure we are mixing things up."
A Sanford, Fla. native, Longanecker looks to end her record-breaking career on a high note. As a junior, she posted a 14-9 record with a 2.40 ERA and was the first Mountaineer in history to be named to the first team All-Sun Belt team. With her 14 wins, she is tied for second-most wins in a single season alongside teammate Holland. Longanecker had the seventh-lowest ERA (2.40) in a single season, alongside 95 strikeouts.
"Kenzie has great movement on her pitches and continues to work on different off-speed pitches, which is key for her repertoire and making sure we keep batters off balance. Her experience on the mound is a big strength for us," Hoerner said.
Holland Appeared in 27 games with 21 starts in her first season as a Mountaineer. She finished the season with a 14-10 record through 139.1 innings pitched. The right-hander tied for eighth in App State history with 13 complete games in a single season and finished the season with a team-best 2.16 ERA, good for fifth-best in a single season.
"Over the last year and a half, Sydney's work ethic and her improvement are unbelievable. She is a very good pitcher because of her work ethic. She's a competitor and doesn't like to be off when she's on the mound. She will do anything to fix what she has to fix," Hoerner said.
Rounding out the seniors is Siemer. During her first year on the mountain, she appeared in 16 games with 10 starts and a 2-5 record. She posted 27 strikeouts through 66.2 innings. Siemer pitched a shutout against Radford, accompanied by three strikeouts on the day. She had a season-high five strikeouts against North Carolina Central.
"Maddie has done a great job improving her mental game this year. The Sun Belt didn't see her a lot so I'm excited to be able to use her more this year to throw batters off balance. She has a lot of confidence going into this year and I think that's going to be key for her," Hoerner said.
During her rookie season, Nichols appeared in 14 games with two starts. She tallied 12 strikeouts and a 4.10 ERA through 27.1 innings. Nichols posted a season-high four strikeouts against Eastern Illinois.
"Taylor came in during a couple crucial situations last year with her off-speed and if she continues to keep control of her off-speed, that will be huge for us. We will be able to use her in key situations. We called her a work horse when she came into the program and she continues to work extremely hard day in and day out," Hoerner said.
Brazile joins the Mountaineers after one semester at Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. A DeFuniak Springs, Fla. native, Brazile attended Paxton High School where she was a second team All-State selection as a freshman, and a first team All-State selection as a junior and senior. As a member of the High Intensity travel ball team, Brazile helped her team to a 2017 USSSA National Championship and earned the Most Outstanding Pitcher Award.
"Camryn gives a totally different look to all the pitchers. She's a competitor. She loves the ball in her hand and has a different repertoire. I think that's going to be a good mix with her being able to come in during different games," Hoerner said.
