Aprile Previews 2021 Season With Media

February 09, 2021 | Softball

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville head coach Holly Aprile met with local media today as the Cardinals prepare for their 2021 season opener as the Cardinals prepare to face UNC Greensboro and No. 19/19 South Carolina in Carolina Classic this weekend in Columbia, S.C.

"We are really looking forward to it. I think every team across the country has been dealing with fairly similar things," said Aprile. "Everybody is just really anxious to play another opponent, we have been playing each other for good a bit. Our pitchers have been pitching to our own batters, we are a little bit sick of each other more than normal. Usually in preseason practice everybody is raring to go, even more-so this year because of the opportunity to play again but also to play an opponent. We are excited!"

This weekend will mark the first competition in nearly 11 months after the 2020 season was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. The Cardinals' roster will feature 14 returners with the addition of two transfers and five freshmen.

Among the returners are a veteran group of six seniors led by graduate student outfielder Celene Funke, who is utilizing an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the shortened 2020 season. She is joined by classmates Carmyn Greenwood, Madison Ciaccio. Maddy Newman, Riley Schindler and Jordyn Wolfe. Paige Schindler and Chardonnay Harris are also part of the senior class, but will be sidelined due to injury this season.

Louisville also returns a solid core of juniors led by Taylor Roby, who registered a team-best seven home runs and 16 RBI and led the Cardinals in the circle with a 2.00 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Also back for the junior class are Cassady Greenwood, who led the team with a .386 batting average as well as Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung, both of whom were all-ACC freshmen team selections in 2019.

The sophomore class on this year's roster gained some valuable experience last season. Jenna Servi, Taja Felder, Payton Hudson, Elana Ornelas continued to hone their skills in the offseason and are ready to contribute to the team's success. Injury has forced fellow sophomore Lexi Carver to sit out the season.

Bringing additional experience and depth are utility player Makayla Hurst, a sophomore transfer from the University of Utah and pitcher Louisville native Jennifer Leonhardt, a three-time All-American graduate transfer from the University of Southern Indiana.

Louisville also welcomes five freshmen who hail from all areas of the country with each of them bringing impressive resumes. All five played were successful within their travel teams and were all-state selections: Sydney Bickel (Arizona), outfielder Mia Forsythe (Texas), pitcher Gabby Holloway (North Carolina) are joined by Indiana natives outfielder Vanessa Miller and catcher Taryn Weddle.

"We have some good, strong nucleus of people returning," said Aprile. "We only had one graduating senior that left, and we have a really good incoming freshman class that is going to help us as well. It's good to know that we will have the consistency from past performers, things like that you can kind of expect. We've been practicing a lot here and that's gone really well for us. We are excited to see everybody go back out there and see how it's going to mix together with the rest of the group."

Louisville's 50-game regular season schedule brings its own set of challenges with five teams ranked among the USA Softball and National Fastpitch Coaches' Association preseason top 25 while facing unchartered territory with COVID-19 guidelines. With the veteran experience combined with the growth and potential of the underclassman, Aprile and her coaching staff are preparing the 2021 squad to grow and achieve - both on and off the field.

"Honestly, I'm just hoping that we go out and play fearlessly and that the mistakes we make are never effort-based," said Aprile. "And that we go out with the right attitude, because I really, truly believe in my heart that everything flows from there. I think that we have the talent – we have enough talent and we have enough ability that if we do that consistently with our attitude and our effort… we will succeed. My hope is that they will learn how to play fearlessly and go out and have great fun with each other, play with great chemistry and rise to that expectation that they have within themselves and that we coach them to as well."