More News

First-year head coach Andy Taylor is tapping into the county's athletic talent pool as he looks to rebuild the Frederick Community College softball team.

The Cougars will sport a thin bench with only a 10-player roster, but 80 percent of that roster is homegrown, picking up graduates from Linganore, Urbana, Frederick, Tuscarora and Catoctin high schools.

And with the clear weather on Wednesday, Frederick was finally able to start the Maryland JUCO Conference season against the Community College of Baltimore County-Dundalk.

"We're good to go," Taylor said. "[Our field is] still a little wet behind third base. But other than that, I'm surprised at how the water table reacted to this winter."

Taylor, a former baseball player at Urbana High, FCC and Fairmont State (W.Va.) hasn't had the easiest gig in taking over the Cougars. He didn't officially get the job as head coach until July, well after the high school season wrapped up.

But before then, he volunteered his time scouting the area games, often getting in two games a night.

"The seniors that came out, I talked to a lot of them," Taylor said. "I really hit Frederick County hard with the time I had. But this was pretty much at a time when everyone was already committed."

Only that led into a different challenge – the state of local high-level softball in the 2009 season. Of the 15 girls named to All-Gazette first team, eight were underclassmen, including a freshman and two sophomores. And of the seven seniors, six are now playing at four-year schools.

"The first year for anybody is tough," Taylor said.

Taylor does have some tools to work with in his rebuilding, including three returning players.

Sophomore Justine Monroe was an All-Gazette second team selection in 2008 during her senior year at Urbana, and has been a key middle infielder for FCC. Third baseman Lindsey Morgan, a Frederick High graduate and pitcher-first baseman Erin Nickell (Damascus) are also back.

Alex Arbuto was a starter for the Limestone College (S.C.) team, starting in 43 of their 45 games last season. But for her sophomore year, the Linganore grad decided to come home. This creates a sudden high-ticket upgrade to the short stop and second base positions, where she'll share time with Monroe.

Fellow Linganore grad Carissa Turner is coming back to softball, after last playing in 2007. Athletically, she is still eligible as a freshman, and is set to be the catcher after showing her old form in fall ball.

Tuscarora alumnae Ashley Busano and Krista Hyde are back together as teammates in the Cougars' outfield, along with Megan Olsen (Catoctin) and Kelly Thomas (Middletown). Olsen will also play at catcher, while Thomas will play at first base.

Freshman Stephanie Lisk, a graduate of Jefferson High in Charlestown, W.Va., and the only out-of-state member of the team, will play in the outfield as well.