Perkiomen Valley 2016 Softball Preview
[dropcap]#1[/dropcap]Perkiomen Valley
Head Coach: Dan McLaughlin, eighth season.
Last year’s record: 18-0 PAC-10, 25-2 overall. (PAC-10 Champions, District 1-AAAA runner-up, Lost in PIAA-AAAA quarterfinals to eventual state champ Parkland)
Players to watch: Ana Bruni (.552 BA, 39 runs, 26 RBI, 22 runs; First Team All-Area); Rachel Helverson, Sr., 2B/P (.337 BA, 26 RBI, 22 runs; Second Team All-Area); Kelsey Impink, Sr., 3B (.423 BA, 37 RBI, 24 runs; First Team All-Area) Noelle McCullough, Sr., C (.371 BA, 18 RBI All-Area Honorable Mention); Emily Oltman, Sr., P (17-2, 1.71 ERA, 165 strikeouts; First Team All-Area); Haley Streeper, Sr., 1B; Abby Wild, Jr., CF/P (5-0, 1.56 ERA; First Team All-Area).
Outlook: Hard to replicate a perfect PAC-10 season and advancing to the PIAA-AAAA quarterfinals for the first time in school history, but this Perkiomen Valley team is loaded and ready to do it again. Four All-Area first teamers return for the Vikings including ace Oltman, the all-around athlete in Bruni, Impink and Wild. The starting infield from last season returns with Streeper at first, Helverson at second and McCullough returning behind the plate while Gillian Barrie looks to start in right field in place of the graduated Brenna Sermarini. Vikings scored a league-best 200 runs last season. If the Vikings remain healthy, they will be a nightmare for opposing teams all year long. “We have a deep and talented team this year, which gained a lot of experience in the playoffs last year,” McLaughlin said. “Our JV team was undefeated last year and we have a very talented group of freshmen joining our program this year. The squad has been working very hard in the offseason, and if we stay healthy and focused we have a chance to be very good.”
