2015 Dayton Preview: Time for the Flyers to soar to new heights

Dayton has been on a slow and steady incline ever since Cara LaPlaca took over and this might be her best squad yet. The Flyers are experienced, talented, and ready to challenge for an Atlantic 10 Tournament bye.

Kayla English (photo by Vincent Dusovic)

Pitching
The success for the Flyers will be determined by how well their pitchers perform. The good news for Coach LaPlaca is that she returns all of her pitchers and brings in a talented freshman. Headlining the way for Dayton is the program's all time leading strikeout queen Kayla English. English brings the heat and the strikeouts in the circle. The key for her will be keeping down her walks and homeruns. If she is able to do that, the Flyers will be extremely successful in 2015. Emily Froment and Gabrielle Snyder are also back. Froment and Snyder were stellar in relief last year, as they combined for 6 saves last year. Froment and Snyder are nice complements to English who hammers the upper part of the strike zone. Froment and Snyder are more finesse pitchers that work in more offspeed and dropballs. Perhaps the most interesting Dayton pitcher to watch in 2015 is freshman Manda Cash. The freshman southpaw comes in after a very successful prep career and could very well wind up as the Flyer's ace.

Catching
The Flyers will be very inexperienced in the catching department as they must replace the talented Kasi Vasquez. Kathy Hess and Krista Gustafson have both seen action in the past and they are joined by freshman Kailee Budicin. All three should see action throughout the year. Coach LaPlaca will be looking for one of them to step up and anchor the starting spot.

Infielders
In the infield, Kennedy Haynes returns at second base.  Haynes will need to put up solid numbers in order to maintain her starting position. Returnees Katie Ryan, Kirsten Bartlett, and Madeline Simmonds should also be in the mix. Kayla Haberstich is one freshman to watch. She swings a powerful bat and it would not be surprising to see her wind up as a starter this season. Redshirt freshman Rebekkah Potter is also someone to keep an eye on. The Flyers will be looking to fill three starting spots in the infield this seasons.

Outfielders
Natalie Mariano and Gabrielle Snyder return as starters in the outfield for Dayton after solid 2014 seasons. Mariano is a key table setter at the top of the order for Dayton. Last year, she hit .298 with 54 hits, 3 HR, and 20 RBI. Snyder returns after a stellar freshman season at the plate, which saw her hit .370 with 40 hits, 4 HR, and 18 RBI. The Flyers are going to be looking to freshman Jaclyn Kweder, junior Katelyn Gibson, and sophomores Cynthia Leaton and Hannah DeSalvo. DeSalvo had a solid rookie campaign, which saw her hit .265 and she might have the inside track for the starting spot.

Tiffany Ricks (photo by Vincent Dusovic)

Designated Player
Tiffany Ricks should once again hold down the fort at the designated player position. Ricks is one of the most feared power hitters in the Atlantic 10. Last season, Ricks hit .375 with 69 hits, 12 HR, 44 RBI, and 16 steals. Ricks is definitely a solid contender for Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2015.

Schedule
Dayton is playing one of its toughest nonconference schedules in years, which should be excellent preparation for the Atlantic 10 season. Matchups against Tennessee, Lipscomb, and Ohio highlight the nonconference slate. For the conference matchups, Dayton will host UMass, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, and Rhode Island. The Flyers will hit the road to face La Salle, St. Joseph's, Fordham, and St. Louis. In April, Dayton will hit the road to face Fordham and St. Joseph's on two straight weekends. This trip will go a long way in determining where the Flyers finish.

Outlook
Dayton has all the pieces in play for its best season in a long time. The Flyers are made up of talented returnees and have an excellent freshmen class. Dayton should finish over .500 this season and finish in the top four in the conference.