From left: Shae Lillywhite, Cat Row, Kelly Wolfe, and Kellie Manzie-Novotny will play pivotal roles in the Springvale Lions’ 2007-08 title defence. Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
AUSTRALIAN baseballer Simone Wearne’s left knee will be the key to the Springvale Lions’ 2007-08 Division One pennant hopes.
The 26-year-old star pitcher’s knee buckled while playing for Berwick in the Victorian Women’s Football League during the off-season, which required her to undertake a full reconstruction.
Wearne, who had the best ERA (earned run average over nine innings) in the league of 1.24 last season as Springvale won the championship, is only an outside chance of returning to the mound during this campaign.
“It will really be a test to see how the girls step up because a lot of times it’s been on my shoulders to clean up the mess,” she said.
“I think they’ll find it works in their better interest in the end having some others to stand up.”
The Lions will look to former Australian representatives Ella Holien and Cat Row to pick up the pitching slack, and they will hopefully get more out of their batting.
Second baseman Shae Lillywhite will carry much of that load and the club has also recruited 21-year-old outfielder Britney Moore from the United States.
Other players the Lions will look to are last year’s Division One batting average champion Siobhan Taylor, and Kellie Manzie-Novotny, both of whom helped Victoria reclaim the national championship in April.
Wearne and Lillywhite – who won best pitcher and tournament most valuable player respectively – were also part of that victorious squad, while Wearne, Lillywhite and Manzie-Novotny are members of the Australian team.
Joining Springvale in the Division One competition are Doncaster, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Waverley and Werribee, with the former three expected to provide the greatest challenge to the Lions.
Wearne will be assistant coach of the team this season to her father Michael, and will also be running clinics at local secondary schools, Westall, Coomoora, Noble Park and Chandler over the next three months.
“The main objective is to start from the ground in rebuilding our junior girls’ program, and we’re trying to get some junior girls in, so that in five years’ time – when I am getting a bit old – we will have some younger girls coming through,” Wearne said.
“A lot of girls think baseball is a male-based sport, but when I go down in the Australian gear, they’re like, ‘Oh, god, can you play for Australia?”
Outside of returning for the final games of the Division One season, Wearne’s major aim is to be back to peak fitness for the World Championships in Cuba in July.
“I’d like to be 100 per cent, but even if I’m between 80 and 90 per cent I’ll be able to help the team be successful,” she said.
The fixture has not been decided yet, but Springvale will play its first match on 13 October.
