March 8, 2008...8:09 am
New softball coach hopefully brings new hope
As I wrote earlier this week in newest issue of The Volante, the Coyote softball team has a new coach on an interim basis. The coach is Amy Klyse. The person she replaces is Kim Zarling. Zarling was the coach of the Coyotes for 12 years. Zarling was the Coyotes held the softball record for career wins with 325, but that was coupled with 403 losses.
Last year, the Coyotes went 19-41. They also didn’t put together a winning season since 2003. Maybe this would have been Zarling’s make it or break it year with the Coyotes, but it might have been too little too late with that. Zarling left to take a position with a Division-III school, Beloit College. Beloit is in Wisconsin and close to home for Zarling.
I do have to say, when a veteran coach of 12 years with a Division-II school steps down and goes to a D-III school, then the coach basically admits they were over-matched. Zarling put in her time with the Coyotes and she did achieve success with a program that hasn’t seen much of it. But in the last few years, it seems Zarling started to build a disconnect with her players and didn’t show much of an ability to adjust. This would have been a major problem for a struggling program going Division-I.
Whenever I heard Zarling’s speeches to her players after games, they seemed like they were forced and she didn’t know exactly what to say. There was a different tone in her voice when she gave the speech as well. That comes across as fake to your players and they don’t know what to believe with what you say. Zarling knew what to say to me as a reporter last year, but that is different. I didn’t really see her players embrace her as the coach and friend. So maybe the time came for Zarling to move on.
The university then took some time to decide on a new coach. They decided to give Klyse the opportunity to lead the team on an interim basis. It basically means she has one year to show the athletic administration she has what it takes to turn around this fledging program.
When the head coach opening became known, the first person I pegged for the job was Klyse. Klyse’s background is an interesting one. Klyse graduated from Augustana in 2003 and was a pitcher for the distinguished Augie softball program. Why was this program so good? Well, mainly because of former head coach Sandy Jerstad. Jerstad compiled more then 1,000 wins to only 380 losses. Her success at Augie helped her become inducted in the South Dakota sports Hall of Fame and is now a state senator for South Dakota. This is the coach Klyse learned under. I have no doubt Klyse will bring the same attitude she learned from Jerstad at Augustana to the Coyote program.
Klyse was also the pitching coach for the Coyotes last year and it was her first year with the program. If you check out her pitching staff, Klyse worked very well with the pitcher’s and they had a successful year on the mound. Usually the program was the inability to score runs. It always seemed the players usually circled around Klyse instead of Zarling and seemed to have more respect for Klyse. Maybe it’s because Klyse is younger and can relate more to the players, but either way, the players reacted and responded more to Klyse.
Klyse will have a huge task in turning around this program in one year. The problem isn’t the physical ability of the players, but the mental ability of the players. This team is so used to losing that it will be hard to get a winning mentality across. Last year, they couldn’t close the close games out and would lose games late that they had the lead in. Klyse will try and turn that around and let this team know they definitely have the physical ability to win.
The pitching staff runs four deep in Tagney Jones, Brittany Donohue, Courtney Heim, and Mel Johnson. This pitching staff is very young but very talented. Plus Jasey Goedeken provides depth at pitching when needed. There are basically no teams that can say they have four to five starters. Usually most teams have three pitchers at the most. Of course, talent doesn’t mean everything and they will have to show it on the field. But if they all pitch well, this give the Coyotes a huge advantage because just like baseball, pitching is usually the key to success.
The Coyotes also have the players on offensive to score runs. Klyse says the 1-8 hitters in the order can all go deep. Now I don’t share her same opinion on that, but I do believe they do have six players that can hit homers consistently, and okay, maybe up to eight. If their players develop offensively like Klyse is saying, they should score the runs they need, which will give their pitchers confidence in close games. Jones, third baseman Krystal Kirwan, and catcher Abby Poulter are all consistent at the plate and if the young hitters produce, the lineup will be dangerous.
Donohue showed last year she can hit but has to watch out for personal issues as she was suspended last year, but when she played, she impressed basically. In center field, Goedeken came on with the bat late in the year and plays solid defensively. I don’t know who will play left field and right field will be manned by Ashley Weyers when she can come back from a foot injury. Michelle Jones is a canidate for either and same with Mel Johnson when she is not pitching. Erin Corner has also moved from the infield to the outfield to provide depth. Callie Roan and Lexie Eversley will compete at shortstop and are both freshman. Dani Bahlmann will play second base but will have to improve her offense to keep her job. Emily Chvatal can play OF, 1B, and 3B and is a great utility player for the Yotes. Rachel Fricke had an up and down year at the plate and will probably improve her consistency at the plate, and is a great defensive catcher as well. The Coyotes have two catchers where most teams have one to none.
I really hope this team can improve and I think with the new mentality Klyse will bring in will definitely help. If this team cannot improve on the 19-41 mark, then the team will hit a new mark of futility that is rarely seen.
———Justin Rust
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