Hope Springs Eternal with Young Softball Infield

The 2023 Georgia Gwinnett College softball team is blessed to have nine talented players with interchangeable parts that will be speckled across the infield this spring.

After all, senior Lea McFadden is preparing to play a new position for the third different season – in her fifth season as a Grizzly. Then, sophomore Angelica Gallegos saw game action behind the plate, at first base and in right field during her inaugural collegiate season.

And there’s the stalwart at second baseman in junior Josie Haulk. 

GGCAthletics.com wraps up the softball preseason preview by examining the players who will be making the infield plays to help the nationally ranked Grizzlies meet the many challenges that await this season. The campaign commences with a doubleheader against Ohio Christian University on Wednesday, February 8, at the Grizzly Softball Complex, starting at 2 p.m.

The team’s biggest challenge this spring will be finding replacements for All-American shortstop Piper Wagner and another missing link at third base.

Those spots could be filled by sophomore Lindzie Owen, who played shortstop in 2022 along with being a designated hitter (batting .298) and pinch runner (stealing eight bases/16 runs scored) in 33 games; Sophomore Jane Hoover, who started 41 games at third base, collecting 26 hits and scoring 24 runs; and junior Nikki Lajara, who had a career-high 14 starts at either second base or third base a year ago.

Newcomer candidates for the left side of the infield include junior Haley Robinson and freshmen Summer Hickson and Madison Rogers.

“Whoever is going to play shortstop for us is going to benefit from working with Assistant Coach John Ihlenburg. He gets the best out of our infield players,” the coach said.

Meanwhile, the versatile McFadden hit .398 with 14 doubles, two home runs and 38 runs batted in while playing center field last season. She split time at third base and first base in 2021.

Haulk was a mainstay at second base for the Grizzlies in 2022, earning all-conference honors after hitting .339 and scoring 26 runs while starting 51 games.

Gallegos is another player who is competing for infield playing time this spring. She’s also strong at the plate after hitting .325 with 30 RBIs and 35 runs scored while starting 54 games last spring.

“Angelica has a strong arm and is comfortable getting into the infield dirt to make plays. Those are rare qualities to have from an infielder,” stated Ihlenburg. “It will be interesting to see how our infield situation settles out. This competition will make the team better across every position in our lineup.”