Holliston Softball Reassesses Strengths and Rearranges Accordingly

Last spring, the Panthers concluded the regular season with an 11-9 record earning a spot in the Division 2 South Softball Tournament. Unfortunately, Holliston was sent home immediately in the preliminary round with a 7-2 loss to Pembroke. Arriving in camp this season, the Panthers will be down a good number of seniors from last year’s tournament team.
Although returning six starters, Holliston Head Coach Jen Picardo has had to do some moving of players to accommodate the team in terms of filling vacancies.
“With the graduation of the seniors, we have some holes that need filling, especially in the infield,” Coach Picardo said. “Having all three outfielders return, we were able to make some moves that benefit the team.”
The biggest move will be taking last year’s centerfielder Abby Rae Wells and plugging her into the second base hole. Wells, a junior, is a very versatile player that gives Picardo the option of moving her out of the outfield and into the infield. At the plate, the junior is a switch hitter with speed; according to the coach, she hits well from the right side, and has a good slap bunt from the left.
Taking Wells’ spot in center will be sophomore Brooke Kokar, who saw action in left field last season. Kokar, who has a ton of power at the plate, batted in the 5 and 6 hole last spring, but may be moved up toward the 3 or 4 once the season gets underway.
“Abby has a ton of talent and is a super solid outfielder, but we needed to fill the second base hole, and she fits that need having such natural ability,” Picardo said. “By moving her out of the infield and sliding Brooke over, we will not lose anything.”
Another movement in the outfield comes at the hands of senior captain Lindsey Howland, who will switch corners. The senior will vacate her right field positionand take over the left field spot. The move will not affect her solid defensive play nor her gun of an arm. With all the outfield moves, Picardo has an opening in right field which is still up for grabs at this point, but the coach does have a contingency plan in mind.
“We have a few sophomores who will see some time in right field this season,” she said. “I may even platoon them with first base as well. It’s a wait and see where things go type of situation.”
As for the Panthers pitching, catching tandem Picardo has two returning veterans in juniors Grace Dzindolet and Erin Kerr. Dzindolet saw action as a freshman at shortstop but has been the mainstay behind the plate last season, where she was named to the Tri Valley League All Star team. As a sophomore she led the Panthers with the best team batting average as well as just about every other offensive category. Behind the plate, she is a presence to be reckoned with and has an arm that keeps opposing runners at bay.
Last year, Kerr found herself splitting time in the circle, but this spring, the job is all hers as she takes over the team’s number one pitcher role.
“Erin will get the heavy workload this year becoming our top pitcher,” Picardo said. “She’s got a good mix of pitches and she commands them well. Her pitching speed has also improved from a year ago and that should help.”
Two other returning athletes who should contribute this year are senior captain Shannen Murphy and junior Gabby Cummins. Murphy, the team’s shortstop, is a great solid defensives player for the Panthers, but she also knows how to handle the bat at the plate, where she batted in the 4 and 5 spots last year. Cummins was a utility infielder last spring, but will anchor the hot corner this year.
As in the past, Holliston is looking to once again put up at least a .500 season while earning that spot in the State Tournament.
“The Tri Valley League is very strong, and capturing the title is anyone’s game. Bellingham and Hopkinton have historically been 1-2, while Norton is also a top contender (Norton defeated Bellingham in 2015 for the Division 2 South Championship), Picardo said. “We’re hoping to compete for the title and get into the tournament again. I also would like to see progress in our player development from the beginning of the season to the end of it.”