Softball starts year with pair

At the beginning of a new season, nearly all previously unsuccessful teams vow that "this time it is going to be different."

But with the 2002 Penn softball team, you get the feeling that it is for real.

After finishing 15-32 last season, with only three wins in the Ivy League, it seems as if there is nowhere to go but up for this year's Quakers.

The Red and Blue are taking advantage of their rocky past and using it to build on this year.

The squad is lead by its two co-captains -- junior Deborah Kowalchuk and senior Jennifer Moore -- who have dedicated themselves to the program's turnaround.

"Last year there were a lot of negatives," Moore said. "But we're turning those into positives this season."

The Quakers -- who only have two seniors on the roster -- will rely on their strong freshmen class.

The eight rookies, on a roster of 20, will have to step up if Penn hopes to amass more than last season's three wins in league play.

"Seniority doesn't matter out here," Moore said of the fact that almost half of the team is comprised of first-years. "It's about how you play."

With a shortened season, due to the unusual Penn academic calendar this year, the Quakers are forced to jam in a full schedule in fewer weeks.

Penn normally does not begin playing games until spring break.

But due to scheduling constraints, the Quakers kick off their season this weekend at home, with games against Fordham and Wagner.

Last season, Penn split a doubleheader against Wagner, winning the first game, but falling in the second.

"We owe them one," Moore said.

The Quakers have never played Fordham since coach Carol Kashow came to West Philadelphia five years ago.

"We've never played them before, so we're not sure what to expect," Kashow said. "But they worked with the schedule and they were willing to come down."

This weekend will serve as a barometer for this season, allowing players and coaches to see the kinks that need to be ironed out before league play begins in late March.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.