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June 1, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 19, 2004 Beugli: flameout doesn't reflect improvement By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings The Grizz softball team had high hopes that this year would be the breakthrough moment for the team. For awhile, it looked like miracles could happen. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland High freshman kayla cardoza swings at a pitch during a game earlier this season at North Mountain Park. The Grizzlies finished 1-13 in the Southern Oregon Conference for the second year in a row last week. The Grizzlies posted a 7-3 preseason start - the best in recent memory - that made the senior-laden team look like it could rise from the bottom of the Southern Oregon Conference and at least eclipse the 1-13 league record Ashland struggled with in 2003. But the SOC is a tough place to be a softball player and, as the Grizzlies learned this year, the preseason doesn't compare to playing some of the best squads in the state. "I'd love to play against all the other bottom-placing teams in the state because I think we'd kill them," fourth-year Grizz head coach Rich Beugli said. Ashland ended the spring with another 1-13 league mark and an 8-14 overall finish. "There are different ways to measure a team's success other than wins and losses," Beugli said. "All of the players got better. We had a lot of great relationships. "Did we win as many as we'd like to? No. But we did show that we know how to play softball and we did a lot of good things. We just didn't always win the games." Ashland saw six players bat over .300 in the preseason, but the trend didn't last once the squad entered SOC play. "Nothing really changed internally," Beugli said. "What changed was the level of competition." Where to go from here The Grizzlies graduate seven starters, including their varsity pitching duo of Amanda Bolsinger and Aimee Jeska. With considerable holes to fill, the Grizzlies plan to spend a lot of off-season time building a new team. "We lose our whole infield with the exception of one - that's a big deal," Beugli said. "There will be some key cornerstones coming back next year." Ashland will rely heavily on the experience of junior infielder Alysse Carlson in the year to come, as Carlson will be the only returning infield starter. "She's a solid player," Beugli said. "She hits the ball well." Sophomore Bailey Hasty will also be back and, along with Carlson, may be the big hitters the Grizzlies look to. Both posted strong averages this season. Juniors Janice Jones and Amanda Cardoza, as well as freshman Kayla Cardoza, will all return with significant varsity playing time under their belts. Another junior, two sophomores and two freshman have also had a taste of varsity experience this season. After splitting up to play summer ball, the team will reunite in September for eight fall softball games, then work on conditioning through the winter to prepare for another SOC battle. "In terms of how will the team be next year, it will be really young," Beugli said. "Everything will be as good as it can be next year." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams