Softball Team Captains Announced
October 26, 2007 | Softball
Four captains have been selected for the 2008 Wisconsin softball team, head coach Chandelle Schulte announced today. Seniors Joey Daniels and Lynn Anderson and juniors Alexis Garcia and Leah Vanevenhoven have been selected team captains by their teammates.
Daniels was the starting catcher in all 42 games last season for the Badgers. The Oakley, Calif. native name appears in numerous categories on Wisconsin's list of career record holders. She is seventh in batting average (.291), 13th in hits (118), 12th in runs (65), ninth in doubles (20) and RBIs (63), eighth in stolen bases (8) and slugging percentage (.402) and is UW's all-time career leader in on-base percentage with .411.
'As a catcher, she's a team leader on the field,' said head coach Chandelle Schulte. 'Joey leads by example and always puts the team first. She has really embraced the leadership role and has a great (softball) career in front of her.'
Schulte sees Anderson (Neenah, Wis.) as one of the softball program's success stories. 'Lynn has earned her way into the captain role. She's kind of one of our success stories as she is a former walk-on who is now a scholarship athlete and the starting shortstop from Wisconsin. Lynn understands the whole game and has really improved in that sense and is the rock of the infield.'
'One of my biggest goals (as a team captain) is to help our team discover our true capabilities and not only help lead our team to become better, but lead us to where we 've never gone before,' said Anderson. 'I feel if we confide in one another, have fun, and play in the moment then we can and will do amazing things this year.
Garcia was the starting first baseman in every game last season, and has also added her name to four of UW's all-time career leaders lists. The North Hollywood, Calif. native ranks 16th in career batting average (.251), 17th in RBIs (44), fourth in putouts (615) and is tied for first in fielding percentage (.991).
'(Alexis) is more of an ear on the team,' said Schulte. 'People tend to go to her when they need someone to talk to. She has performed well in her career here, and people look up to her for that.'
While Vanevenhoven may be the youngest of the four captains, Schulte says that her teammates have seen Leah demonstrate a great work ethic. 'Her teammates have seen an incredible work ethic from her and improvement (in her pitching) over the past two years. She loves to play the game and wants to be here everyday, and I think that 's what people see.'
Vanevenhoven's work ethic mentality was further exemplified as she listed the phrase `hard work' as one of her goals as a team captain this season. 'I want to encompass hard work, dedication, and team work in everything we do,' the Kaukana, Wis. native said. 'I believe in team work and that through the good and bad times that we experience, we need to support each other respectfully.'
'It is a great feeling thinking that my teammates value me as a person and teammate to the level that I was voted as one of the team captains; I am very honored, ' Vanevenhoven further commented. 'I love everything about being a Wisconsin Badger both academically and athletically and will do my best to represent our team.'
'The main role (of the team captains) is to be the liaisons between the players and the coaching staff,' said Schulte. 'As coaches, we need to help them learn their leadership roles and help them take those into the professional world as well. Everyone's opinion counts on the team and we'll go to (the captains) to get the pulse of the team at times.'
The Badgers open the 2008 season when they travel to Provo, Utah for the Red Desert Classic Feb. 8-10.
