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WSU softball relying heavily on catcher

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer 12:41 AM Friday, February 10, 2012

FAIRBORN — Wright State softball coach Lynn Curylo has a clear pecking order in her mind of those she looks to for decision-making during games.

“First me, then my assistants, then my catcher,” Curylo said.

The second-year coach was talking as the Raiders bussed on Thursday toward Alabama, where they will open their season today against Bowling Green and Auburn in Auburn’s Tiger Invitational. Coming off a sixth-place finish in the Horizon League at 13-11 (26-29 overall) last season, WSU was picked to finish fifth in the league’s preseason poll.

Elsewhere on the bus as Curylo talked, there sat a player key to the Raiders’ fortunes this year: senior catcher Lindsay Barrett, the team’s captain. With 130 starts in her 151 career games, Barrett has experience at a key position as most of the other WSU players are adjusting to new defensive assignments.

“They call out where the ball is going, and they call plays on the field, we don’t send those in,” Curylo said of catchers. “It’s such a huge position in our games.”

Barrett, a native of Buckeye Lake, Ohio, hit .273 last season while finishing second on the team in RBIs (29) and third in runs scored (27). WSU returns six other starters, including a pair of last season’s All-Horizon League second-team picks in infielders China Frost and Chelsea Archer and a reigning All-Newcomer Team member in infielder Kacie Rapshus.

But Curylo has done plenty of shuffling, changing virtually every position on defense except catcher. Although, that might be the most important position to keep in place, especially with the team’s only captain there.

“She’s a fantastic role model,” Curylo said of Barrett. “She works hard every day in practice and in the weight room, she’s almost a 4.0 GPA student, she just gets it done in all areas.”

Major matchup: The WSU women’s basketball team will face a major challenge Saturday when it travels to take on ninth-ranked Wisconsin-Green Bay, which had been 20-0 and 10-0 in league play before being stunned Thursday by Detroit at home, 70-58.

The Raiders traveled to play Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday night. Green Bay has been the league’s standard bearer for years, raising its profile with a string of standout players.

The Phoenix’s current standout senior guard, Julie Wojta, leads the league in scoring (18.7) and steals (3.9) and ranks third in rebounding (9.6) and seventh in assists (3.3).

The Raiders dropped a 68-50 decision against Green Bay on Jan. 12, during which Wojta had 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven steals. WSU got 18 points from freshman guard Kim Demmings and 16 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Molly Fox in the game.

Demmings has increased her already impressive production in Horizon League games. In conference play, she has averaged 18.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 35.5 minutes.

WSU entered Thursday in a tie with Detroit for second place in the league. The Raiders return home against Detroit on Feb. 16.

Contact this reporter at (937)  225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDaily News.com.

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