Post by Dave Betcher on Mar 25, 2007 17:23:03 GMT -5
Senior catcher Rupsis looking to guide Raiders through tough conference
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Photo by Dennis Sieron
Bolingbrook's Carolyn Rupsis is back for her fourth varsity season with the Raiders.By Jason Rossi
Bolingbrook Reporter
Thu Mar 22, 2007, 12:24 PM CDT
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Bolingbrook, IL - Carolyn Rupsis and Bolingbrook softball go together like peanut butter and jelly, franks and beans or peas and carrots.
The senior is back for her fourth varsity campaign, but more than just the wealth of experience and leadership she provides from her years of varsity experience her presence is critical for the Raiders for one simple reason: as their catcher she is, by default, one of the most important players on the diamond.
As a team leader she is hoping to guide the Raiders to one of their most successful seasons in her final campaign before she heads to the University of St. Francis in Joliet on a combined academic and athletic scholarship.
“We all agree we don’t want to be the easy game on the schedule,” Rupsis said. “We want to put up a fight. We’re real excited to play the conference teams this year because we understand them better. Hopefully, we’ll see if we can go out strong.”
For Rupsis and the rest of the Raiders, that meant working on three things in preparation for this season: hitting, hitting and hitting. In the recent past Bolingbrook’s sharp defense often has been undermined by a dearth of run support.
“I’ve been seeing my hitting instructor (Eli Robinson at Baseball Arena in Minooka),” Rupsis said. “I’ve been working with him the past year. Freshman and sophomore year hitting was easy for me and I had a good average, but then I was down a little as a junior. I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get better.
“We have a lot of great girls that can put the bat on the ball, but we can also play the short game because we have girls who run the bases smart.”
That combination of improved and versatile hitting, smart and speedy baserunners and solid defense will provide a strong foundation as Bolingbrook eyes a strong conference campaign.
After a dismal inaugural season in the South West Suburban Conference last year, when the Raiders went 1-12, they are looking to turns things around this season. Head coach Jean Ryan-Moak would be content with two conference wins; Rupsis is setting the Raiders’ sights a little higher.
“We want to beat every team in the conference once,” she said. “Being .500 in conference is a big goal for us.”
Facing the likes of Sandburg (a 2006 state qualifier Bolingbrook), Lockport (a team that won state in 2004 and qualified last year) and a resurgent Joliet Township twice in SWSC Blue Division play as well as Andrew, Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East in tough SWSC crossover games ensures that the SWSC slate won’t be easy one, but Rupsis believes the Raiders are ready for the challenge.
“Most of those teams scared us to death,” Rupsis said of Bolingbrook’s first SWSC season. “Now we know what we’re going against and we’re prepared for it.
“Hopefully we can play up to that level every single game.”
“I played at Andrew so I kept telling these girls, ‘They’re competitive. They play all year round. They’re going to be good, but you can compete as long as you have that mental ability,’” Ryan-Moak said. “Sometimes they see the name (on the front of the jersey) and then, forget it.”
As a player her teammates look to for leadership, Rupsis is taking it on her shoulders to provide confidence for the Raiders.
“I play with some of those (SWSC) girls over the summer. I’m still a little scared because I know what they can do, but me being a senior I don’t want to look scared. I want to be prepared and act prepared. If we all do that it’s not so scary.”
Raiders at a glance
Last year’s record: 12-22, 1-12 in the South West Suburban Conference
Coach: Jean Ryan-Moak (5th season)
Home field location: Bolingbrook High School, Lily Cache Ln. and Schmidt Rd.
Top returners: Erika Koch (1B, sr.), Sam Manno (utility, sr.), Camille Ramsey (CF, sr.), Carolyn Rupsis (C, sr.), Amanda Sapone (P, sr.)
Promising newcomers: Jill Driscoll (OF), Tiffany Hashimoto (2B, jr.), Katie Lepper (OF, jr.), Kelsey Obzera (P), Megan Tamulewicz (utility, sr.)
Key games: at Andrew (conference opener April 5), Downers Grove South (April 7), at Romeoville (April 28), all SWSC Blue Division games
Home opener: Plainfield South (March 23)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photo by Dennis Sieron
Bolingbrook's Carolyn Rupsis is back for her fourth varsity season with the Raiders.By Jason Rossi
Bolingbrook Reporter
Thu Mar 22, 2007, 12:24 PM CDT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story Tools: Email This | Print This
Bolingbrook, IL - Carolyn Rupsis and Bolingbrook softball go together like peanut butter and jelly, franks and beans or peas and carrots.
The senior is back for her fourth varsity campaign, but more than just the wealth of experience and leadership she provides from her years of varsity experience her presence is critical for the Raiders for one simple reason: as their catcher she is, by default, one of the most important players on the diamond.
As a team leader she is hoping to guide the Raiders to one of their most successful seasons in her final campaign before she heads to the University of St. Francis in Joliet on a combined academic and athletic scholarship.
“We all agree we don’t want to be the easy game on the schedule,” Rupsis said. “We want to put up a fight. We’re real excited to play the conference teams this year because we understand them better. Hopefully, we’ll see if we can go out strong.”
For Rupsis and the rest of the Raiders, that meant working on three things in preparation for this season: hitting, hitting and hitting. In the recent past Bolingbrook’s sharp defense often has been undermined by a dearth of run support.
“I’ve been seeing my hitting instructor (Eli Robinson at Baseball Arena in Minooka),” Rupsis said. “I’ve been working with him the past year. Freshman and sophomore year hitting was easy for me and I had a good average, but then I was down a little as a junior. I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get better.
“We have a lot of great girls that can put the bat on the ball, but we can also play the short game because we have girls who run the bases smart.”
That combination of improved and versatile hitting, smart and speedy baserunners and solid defense will provide a strong foundation as Bolingbrook eyes a strong conference campaign.
After a dismal inaugural season in the South West Suburban Conference last year, when the Raiders went 1-12, they are looking to turns things around this season. Head coach Jean Ryan-Moak would be content with two conference wins; Rupsis is setting the Raiders’ sights a little higher.
“We want to beat every team in the conference once,” she said. “Being .500 in conference is a big goal for us.”
Facing the likes of Sandburg (a 2006 state qualifier Bolingbrook), Lockport (a team that won state in 2004 and qualified last year) and a resurgent Joliet Township twice in SWSC Blue Division play as well as Andrew, Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East in tough SWSC crossover games ensures that the SWSC slate won’t be easy one, but Rupsis believes the Raiders are ready for the challenge.
“Most of those teams scared us to death,” Rupsis said of Bolingbrook’s first SWSC season. “Now we know what we’re going against and we’re prepared for it.
“Hopefully we can play up to that level every single game.”
“I played at Andrew so I kept telling these girls, ‘They’re competitive. They play all year round. They’re going to be good, but you can compete as long as you have that mental ability,’” Ryan-Moak said. “Sometimes they see the name (on the front of the jersey) and then, forget it.”
As a player her teammates look to for leadership, Rupsis is taking it on her shoulders to provide confidence for the Raiders.
“I play with some of those (SWSC) girls over the summer. I’m still a little scared because I know what they can do, but me being a senior I don’t want to look scared. I want to be prepared and act prepared. If we all do that it’s not so scary.”
Raiders at a glance
Last year’s record: 12-22, 1-12 in the South West Suburban Conference
Coach: Jean Ryan-Moak (5th season)
Home field location: Bolingbrook High School, Lily Cache Ln. and Schmidt Rd.
Top returners: Erika Koch (1B, sr.), Sam Manno (utility, sr.), Camille Ramsey (CF, sr.), Carolyn Rupsis (C, sr.), Amanda Sapone (P, sr.)
Promising newcomers: Jill Driscoll (OF), Tiffany Hashimoto (2B, jr.), Katie Lepper (OF, jr.), Kelsey Obzera (P), Megan Tamulewicz (utility, sr.)
Key games: at Andrew (conference opener April 5), Downers Grove South (April 7), at Romeoville (April 28), all SWSC Blue Division games
Home opener: Plainfield South (March 23)