Opening Day Arrives For BCC Softball Team

By  //  January 25, 2013

Pitching, Defense Strong For Titans

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – Head softball coach Ed Yanes and his staff have established a winning tradition at Brevard Community College and the 2013 team begins its quest to continue the run of success on Friday and Saturday in Clearwater.

Brevard Community College’s softball team hopes to make a return to the state championship tournament this season. (Image courtesy of BCC)

Brevard plays two games on Friday and two on Saturday in the 2013 JUCO Kickoff Classic and Showcase. BCC faces St. Petersburg College at noon on Friday and Northwest Florida at 4:20 p.m.

On Saturday BCC plays South Georgia at 1:20 p.m. and Hillsborough Community College at 3:20 p.m. All games are at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.

The four games are but a small slice of the approximately 40 — factoring in tournaments and possible rainouts — that BCC will play before embarking on its 16-game conference schedule that will define its season.

BCC’s first home games on its field on the south end of the Palm Bay Campus off Malabar Road are 4 and 6 p.m. Jan. 31 against Seminole State College.
BCC finished the 2012 season at 11-5 and tied for second in the Florida College System Activities Association’s Southern Conference, advancing to the state tournament for the seventh time in Yanes’ eight seasons as head coach.

BCC was 34-20 overall boosting Yanes’ BCC won-loss record to 219-168.

The 2013 season could be another successful one.

“Our outlook, as always, is to be able to compete in our conference,” Yanes said. “We have to be ready and be prepared to play.”

That BCC has competed well in conference has raised expectations both in-house and among opponents.

“I’d like to think over the years we’ve maybe gained a little respect around the state,” Yanes said. “That’s all we shoot for. I know people know they are going to have a game on their hands. When people know they are going to have to work hard to beat us it’s a respect factor in itself.

“We hope the people we are playing understand they are going to have to battle to beat us.”

Yanes expects BCC to once again be formidable offensively but acknowledges there is room for improvement in all three facets of the game: hitting, pitching and defense.

“We’re just going to have to battle in the (pitching) circle,” Yanes said. “Once we get all our arms healthy we’ll be competitive. We’re always going to defer to our bats, we hope. If our pitching gives up one run, our bats are going to get us two back.

“At least that’s the way we plan it.”

Expected to pitch for BCC are sophomores Jami Cordell, Alaina Deveny and Shannen Marchu and freshmen Alex DeJesus and Brooke Formby.
The Titans will field a lineup featuring nine sophomores and seven freshmen. The bellwethers are sophomore co-captains and outfielder Cassie Boggs, who returns from her 2012 NJCAA Division I All-American season, first baseman Katrina Ammons, infielder Sarah Sinopoli and outfielder Nichole Mills.

Yanes is assisted by Bob Yanczewski, Lauren Ziegler, Kim Overbey and pitching coach Scott Kasch.