Photo by: Jermaine Bibb | Louisville Athletics
Softball Preview: Outfielders
January 31, 2020 | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team will open the 2020 season in one week when the Cardinals head to Clearwater, Florida for the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic. In anticipation of opening weekend, GoCards.com will continue to provide a weekly positional preview. This week, we focus on the outfielders.
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The Cardinals outfield will feature a core of experienced players this season. The lone newcomer, Carmyn Greenwood, adds even more depth to the mix. Joining the Cards after playing at Auburn, the redshirt junior will be a solid addition to the defense and the offensive lineup.
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"Carmyn is very coachable and willing to adapt to everything that we have asked of her," said head coach Holly Aprile. "She is doing a great job defensively in the outfield as she has grown in confidence after fighting through some injuries earlier in her career. She is a great teammate and she swings a powerful bat at the plate."
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Returning for her senior year, Celene Funke will anchor the outfield as an accomplished centerfielder. After leading the nation with 13 triples in 2019, the 2019 preseason All-ACC selection will be a strong force to stop at the plate while making impressive plays on the defensive side of the field.
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""Funke is a vocal force from centerfield and her speed makes her one of the best outfielders in the country," said Aprile. "She makes a lot of very tough plays look routine and she has a unique style about her that is extremely fun to watch. We are expecting a great senior season from her."
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Sophomore Charley Butler had an impressive fall after recovering from an injury that sidelined her late last season. The 2019 ACC All-Freshman Team member is a multi-tool player who made some spectacular defensive plays and registered 12 stolen bases prior to her injury.
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"Charley has shown great resilience in overcoming a tough injury from a year ago that cut a really nice freshman season short," said Aprile. "But she is back and better than ever this year and we are really excited to see her perform. Charley has top end speed, good power at the plate, and a strong throwing arm that is more than capable of gunning runners at home."
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Junior Riley Schindler returns after playing in 41 games with 34 starts last season and will add to the depth and experience of the outfield.
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"Riley has made some really positive improvements both offensively and defensively through the fall and spring," said Aprile. "She has a strong arm from right field and is a good communicator as well. She can help us in a variety of different ways and we are looking forward to seeing her perform."
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Fellow junior Jordyn Wolfe brings even more speed and athleticism to the group. She has versatility and experience after playing in 49 game with 11 starts last season and tallying 20 runs and seven stolen bases.
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"Jordyn adds even more speed to our outfield which we love, and she can play both corner outfield spots as well as center field," said Aprile. "She did a great job coming in a year ago in the post season with some nice diving catches and we expect her to continue to get better and better."
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As they enter the 2020 season, the Cardinals look to build on the success of last year's team with a solid mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. The team began to establish its identity in the fall season and has continued to work hard in January as they prepare to take on a challenging schedule that features 13 teams ranked or receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA preseason coaches polls including No. 1/ 2Â Alabama, No. 7/9 Florida State and four other top-20 teams in Oklahoma State, Michigan, Northwestern and Kentucky.
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The Cardinals outfield will feature a core of experienced players this season. The lone newcomer, Carmyn Greenwood, adds even more depth to the mix. Joining the Cards after playing at Auburn, the redshirt junior will be a solid addition to the defense and the offensive lineup.
Â
"Carmyn is very coachable and willing to adapt to everything that we have asked of her," said head coach Holly Aprile. "She is doing a great job defensively in the outfield as she has grown in confidence after fighting through some injuries earlier in her career. She is a great teammate and she swings a powerful bat at the plate."
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Returning for her senior year, Celene Funke will anchor the outfield as an accomplished centerfielder. After leading the nation with 13 triples in 2019, the 2019 preseason All-ACC selection will be a strong force to stop at the plate while making impressive plays on the defensive side of the field.
Â
""Funke is a vocal force from centerfield and her speed makes her one of the best outfielders in the country," said Aprile. "She makes a lot of very tough plays look routine and she has a unique style about her that is extremely fun to watch. We are expecting a great senior season from her."
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Sophomore Charley Butler had an impressive fall after recovering from an injury that sidelined her late last season. The 2019 ACC All-Freshman Team member is a multi-tool player who made some spectacular defensive plays and registered 12 stolen bases prior to her injury.
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"Charley has shown great resilience in overcoming a tough injury from a year ago that cut a really nice freshman season short," said Aprile. "But she is back and better than ever this year and we are really excited to see her perform. Charley has top end speed, good power at the plate, and a strong throwing arm that is more than capable of gunning runners at home."
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Junior Riley Schindler returns after playing in 41 games with 34 starts last season and will add to the depth and experience of the outfield.
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"Riley has made some really positive improvements both offensively and defensively through the fall and spring," said Aprile. "She has a strong arm from right field and is a good communicator as well. She can help us in a variety of different ways and we are looking forward to seeing her perform."
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Fellow junior Jordyn Wolfe brings even more speed and athleticism to the group. She has versatility and experience after playing in 49 game with 11 starts last season and tallying 20 runs and seven stolen bases.
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"Jordyn adds even more speed to our outfield which we love, and she can play both corner outfield spots as well as center field," said Aprile. "She did a great job coming in a year ago in the post season with some nice diving catches and we expect her to continue to get better and better."
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As they enter the 2020 season, the Cardinals look to build on the success of last year's team with a solid mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. The team began to establish its identity in the fall season and has continued to work hard in January as they prepare to take on a challenging schedule that features 13 teams ranked or receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA preseason coaches polls including No. 1/ 2Â Alabama, No. 7/9 Florida State and four other top-20 teams in Oklahoma State, Michigan, Northwestern and Kentucky.
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Players Mentioned
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