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PHU Softball Hoping To Get Back On Familiar Track

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: March 7, 2009

PALM HARBOR - Palm Harbor University softball had made such a habit of qualifying for the postseason over the past decade that it seemed the Florida High School Athletic Association could probably just save time by slotting the Hurricanes in its 32-team bracket in February.

Ten years in a row PHU made trips to the playoffs. Three of those runs ended with state titles. They kept winning after pitcher Danielle "Dani" Hofer, the 2005 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, went off to LSU.

Then came last season.

Not only was it the Hurricanes' first postseason absence during that time, it was also Chuck Poetter's only season in 18 years as a head coach where his team failed to advance. He previously helmed Largo High.

Is the broken streak something Poetter and his Hurricanes dwell upon, though?

Not quite.

"We don't even talk about it," the coach said. "The only thing we talk about is seven."

The seven Poetter referred to is the only aspect of 2008 the team keeps in mind - PHU's loss total.

"Everything we do is in sevens. If you screw up and you've got to run poles, you run seven," the coach said, referring to a punishment drill.

It's something the coaching staff started since workouts began way back in August and its affect looks to be paying dividends already. Well, the device combined with an uber-talented bunch of athletes. That doesn't hurt either.

As of Wednesday, the Hurricanes are 10-1 and tied with undefeated Pinellas Park atop the Class 5A, District 9 standings. (The teams squared off Thursday night at Pinellas Park for sole possession of first place.)

Just as they were last season, PHU is considered a very young team. Ten freshmen are on the roster with many making key contributions, but the Hurricanes also benefit from an experienced core of upperclassmen who have offered invaluable leadership to Poetter's squad.

"The young kids are really doing a great job and the older girls have stepped up to help teach them the game," he said, mentioning players like shortstop Maddie O'Brien, catcher Jackie Katchuk and third baseman Sarah Broeseker as team leaders.

Though it's difficult to decipher a single, paramount team strength, Poetter said he would lean toward the team's bats. A 107-13 scoring differential helps to bolster that assertion.

Broeseker sets the table for PHU and is described by her coach as "absolutely the best leadoff hitter in the area."

"We score in the first inning pretty much every game," he said.

Things are then left up to freshman Lindsay Fenlon, O'Brien and Katchuk to start advancing runners and bringing home runs.

To optimize his girl's offensive potential, Poetter said, he works to convert many of his incoming players to the left side of the plate. This allows them to get a head start out of the batter's box and become quality drag bunters and slap hitters.

The Hurricanes are also receiving top-notch performances on the mound. Freshman pitcher Taylor Sabol is carrying a pristine 8-0 record and senior Mariah Weingarten is 2-1 with her only defeat coming against Pinellas Park in a non-district game.

While PHU appears to have all the elements needed to get back into the postseason, Poetter said even that is not exactly an oft-mentioned goal.

"Just play hard every game," he said of what he ultimately wants to see from the girls. "We don't set any goals. I don't care if we shut a team down or get 30 runs, just play hard."

Ten more games and a district tournament that will include outlasting rivals like Pinellas Park and East Lake lie ahead of the Hurricanes in their bid for another district title and postseason appearance. And though Poetter insists this year's team is not a forward looking group, it does appear to be business as usual on the diamond at Palm Harbor.

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