Team Roster
Coaches

"I regret having to leave PNC,” said Arzola.  “However the commitments of my work and my family made it impossible to give the type of time that is necessary at this level.  There was never going to be a good time to leave and I struggled with this decision for some time.  I know I will greatly miss the competition of the game and the company of the girls.  I miss it already.”

Arzola also expressed his gratitude to the many Panther Softball supporters.

“I want to express my thanks to Dean Coggins for giving me the opportunity to begin the first women's program at Purdue North Central, to Athletic Director John Weber for his support and to Chancellor Dworkin for his trust,” said Arzola.  “I also want to thank the parents and players I've had over the last four years, it was truly a blessing and honor to be their coach.  Thanks to my assistants Denny King and Jim Brocksmith for their loyalty and friendship and the many other faculty and administrative staff that welcomed me and helped make the road a little smoother.  I wish PNC continued success.  I'll always be a Panther at heart."

Arzola started the Purdue University North Central program from scratch in 2002 and led the program from club status in its infancy to NAIA status the past two years. 

After competing as an NAIA independent in 2004, Arzola guided the Panthers to a sixth place finish and a conference tournament appearance in their first year of eligibility in the prestigious Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2005.  The Panthers finished 16-27 overall and 8-10 in the CCAC in their first full year of competing against four-year schools only.  In the tournament the Panthers defeated the St. Francis (#3 seed) before falling in two one-run games.

Two seasons ago (2004), the first year at the varsity and NAIA level, the Panthers burst on the scene with a 19-20 record.

Purdue North Central finished 18-20 in Arzola’a first two years at the club level as he built the foundation and planned for the future NAIA status of Panther softball.  

“Gil did an excellent job and we’re going to miss him,” said Director of Athletics John Weber.  “He started the first women’s athletic program from scratch and brought it to a high level in a short period of time.  We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

A search for a new coach will begin immediately.  

WESTVILLE – The Purdue University North Central women’s softball team has signed 11 new players, who will join nine returning players for the 2005 -2006 season.

The Panthers finished with a 16-27 record and qualified for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) tournament this spring. After winning their first conference tournament game by upsetting the #3 seed, St. Francis, the Panther dropped two one-run games to end their season.  This was the team’s first year in the conference.

“We are very pleased with the way our team finished,” said head coach Gil Arzola. “But we are certainly not satisfied. We think we can do much better and the addition of our new players will help us continue to make the PNC program among the best in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).”

The athletes planning to join the PNC program for the 2005 - 2006 season are:

Tracy Markwell, a Portage High School athlete who is a pitcher as well as an outfielder.

Brittany Huish, of Merrillville High School, who plays outfield.

Mandy Hindsley, from LaPorte High School, is a catcher.

Stephanie Zaharias, of Valparaiso High School, an outfielder.

Amanda Adkins, a Hobart High School student who combines catching with the outfield.

Jamie Daly, a River Forest High School student, a utility player.

Jessica Fryar, a graduate of South Central High School and a transfer student from Goshen College, who is a pitcher and outfielder.

Cara Horner, from Portage High School, plays third base and shortstop.

Christina Dihenes, of Chesterton High School, is a catcher.

Jessica Brannagan, from Chesterton High School, is an outfielder.

Betsy Maher, a Chesterton High School student, plays third base.

PNC is losing just two starters from its 2004 -2005 team. Among the returning athletes are All-Conference players Nikki Neulieb, of Michigan City, a third baseman and Carly Ristich, of Portage, a shortstop. Starting pitchers Taryn Jamison, of Hobart and Kelly Steg, from Maconaquah High School in Peru, Ind. will also return.

Joliet, Ill---The Purdue North Central softball team (#6 seed) defeated #3 seed St. Francis 1-0 in the opening round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Wednesday afternoon in Joliet, IL.  The Panthers also took #2 seed Olivet Nazarene to the brink before falling in extra innings 2-1 in game two in the double elimination format. 

In game one Taryn Jamison (Hobart) allowed only four hits, retiring St. Francis batters in order through five innings. A sixth inning home run by Nikki Neulieb (Michigan City) was enough to seal the victory for PNC.

Game two featured an outstanding pitching performance from freshman Kelly Steg (Maconaquah) but it wasn't enough as the Panthers fell in eight innings.  Olivet  took the early lead in the first inning on a one out walk and an error. The Panthers tied the game in the 5th on a Jen Del Real leadoff double and an RBI single from
Heather Weaver (Mishawaka). PNC had a chance to win in the seventh innings but left two runners on base. Olivet scored one in the top of the eighth on a two out single to win the game.

PNC will look to extend their season on Thursday versus Robert Morris at 2pm.

 

The Purdue North Central softball team wound up their regular season by sweeping Cardinal Stritch 5-0 and 4-2 Saturday afternoon at the Patriot Sports Complex in Michigan City. The sweep put the Panthers in a tie for the final seed in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Via a better winning percentage, the Panthers earned the final spot in the tournament in their first year in the conference and their fourth year as a program (second year at the NAIA level). PNC plays number three seed Saint Francis on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet, Illinois.

Kelly Steg (Maconaquah) allowed only 3 hits in game one versus Cardinal Stritch to claim the victory for PNC. She struck out five and walked one. Holly Bender (Westview), Jen Del Real (Los Angeles), Katie Ebach (LaPorte) and Kelly Burgess (Portage) all had doubles.

In game two Cardinal Stritch took the early lead scoring two in the first off starter Taryn Jamison (Hobart). PNC responded scoring one in the bottom of the first and three in the third to take the lead for good. Steg preserved the victory and got the save pitching the final four innings holding Cardinal Stritch to one hit. Del Real doubled and Bender drove in two runs. The Panthers finished the regular season at 15-25 overall and 8-10 in the conference.
 

The Purdue North Central softball team swept Prairie State Community College 2-1 and 3-2 in junior varsity contests Monday afternoon at Patriot Park in Michigan City.

The Panthers relied on pitching to overcome a struggling offense to bring their JV record to 2-0. In game one Taryn Jamison (Hobart) continued her outstanding
season, going the distance allowing one run on 4 hits and walking one. Prairie State's lone run came in the 7th on a single and 2 errors. Jamison struck out four. PNC's runs came in the fourth on two singles and an error, including an RBI single by Alex Hansen (Portage).

Game two saw the PNC offense continue to struggle managing only 2 hits, the big one a Hansen triple which drove in a run in the second inning. PNC however took advantage of 2 errors in the same inning to score twice overall and added another run in the 4th inning.

The Panthers play again on Thursday in a conference games at Olivet Nazarene at 3 p.m.
 

The PNC women's softball team went 1-3 over the weekend losing twice to
Oakland City University 4-0 and 5-0 on Saturday and once to Berea College 11-6 on Sunday. The lone victory came against Oakland City on Sunday in (their third meeting of the tournament) by the score of 4-3.

The Panthers had to come from behind in their victory, knotting the game at 3-3 in the seventh inning with two outs, before winning it in the 8th on a Nikki Neulieb run-scoring double.

The Panthers play on Monday at Patriot Park versus Prairie State at 3 p.m. in a junior varsity contest.  The next varsity contest will be April 21st when the Panthers travel to Kankakee to take on Olivet Nazarene in a doubleheader at 3p.m.

The Purdue North Central Panthers swept the University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL) 5-4 and 4-3 at Patriot Park in Michigan City on Thursday to even their conference record at 4-4. 

Taryn Jamison (Hobart) went the distance in game one. After a 3-0 St. Francis lead in the first three innings, Jamison allowed only four more hits and one run the rest of the way. The Panthers scored two in the bottom of the 3rd on three singles and an error. Holly Bender (Westview) and Nikki Neulieb each had an RBI. The Panthers scored two more in the sixth on two St. Francis errors. Kelly Burgess (Portage) drove in the winning runs.

In game two, Kelly Steg (Peru) pitched out of two bases loaded jams before giving way to Jill Keimach (Valparaiso) in the top of the 3rd. Keimach allowed two hits in 5 innings of work. Carly Ristich (Portage) and Val Minyard (Lake Central) were 2 for 3, Bender scored twice and had two stolen bases.

The Panthers, now 12-16 overall, play in the Oakland City Tournament this weekend in southern Indiana and play Prairie State at home on Monday.

The PNC Softball team finished the St. Francis Tournament 1-4 this past weekend in Joliet, IL. 

The Panthers opened with a tough loss on Saturday to St. Xavier by the score of 11-3.  PNC hung tough for 5 innings behind the pitching of Kelly Steg, but three errors in the sixth wrapped around several St. Xavier hits forced her out of the game.

Game two on Saturday saw the Panthers rebound with a 4-3 victory over Iowa Wesleyan.  Great defense and another great pitching performance, this time from Taryn Jamison, sealed the deal for the Panthers while timely hitting, including doubles from Alex Hansen and Heather Weaver, led the offensive attack.

Game three saw the Panthers fall to Spring Arbor (MI) 4-2.  Several PNC starters sat out due to injuries or sore arms as the Panthers fell just short despite a hard-fought effort.

On Saturday, the Panthers played St. Francis and managed only three runs on 12 hits to fall 8-3.  Four errors by PNC was the difference in the game.

The end of a difficult weekend saw a very tired Panther team lose to Indiana Wesleyan 9-2 to conclude the tournament.  The Panthers will take two days off before hosting St. Joseph's College (IN) in a doubleheader Wednesday night at 5 p.m.

 

The PNC softball team ran up against a hornet's nest versus visiting Saint Xavier on Tuesday at Patriot Park in Michigan City.   The pre-season 14th ranked St. Xavier team beat PNC 10-0 in game one and 6-2 in game two.

In game one, Jessica Wilson pitched a perfect game for St. Xavier, completing stopping PNC’s offense.  Panther Starter Kelly Steg was tagged for five runs in the first inning, providing all the support Wilson needed. 

Game two saw PNC take an early 1-0 lead in the first inning and score again in the second before St. Xavier's hot bats returned.  St. Xavier scored six times after the third inning to make the final 6-2. 

The Panthers are now 5-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play.  They host Judson College on Wednesday at 4pm.

Purdue North Central Women’s Softball Team Splits Conference Opener
March 21, 2005 

Michigan City, Indiana - The Purdue North Central Women’s Softball team split with Trinity Christian College, losing game one 2-0 and winning the nightcap 6-5.  The games, originally scheduled to be at Trinity Christian, was played at Gardena Park in Michigan City due to the poor field conditions of Trinity’s home field in Palos Heights, IL.

Taryn Jamison (Hobart) took the loss in game one, allowing six hits in four innings.   Sara Hunter (Portage) came on in relief in the fifth inning and allowed only two hits, one of which was a homerun with runner on.   Jackie Mellen (Michigan City) led PNC with two hits, while Carly Ristich (Portage) and Val Minyard (Crown Point) had a hit each.   Laura Arensen got the win for Trinity, working all 7 innings, striking out 9 and walking no one.  

In a game shortened by darkness, PNC won game two in the bottom of the sixth on a two out bunt single by Mellen that scored Kelly Burgess (Portage).  Kelly Steg (Peru) pitched two and a third innings before Jamison got the win in relief.    Nikki Neilub (Michigan City) led the way for PNC offensively, going 2 for 3 with a double, a RBI and two runs.  Mellen had two RBI’s and Jen Del Real (Los Angeles, California) had a double and an RBI.  

PNC moved to 4-5 overall and is 1-1 in its first season of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic conference play.  Trinity improved to 1-8 and 1-1.  The Panthers will play Judson College at noon on Friday March 25^th at Patriot Park in Michigan City.

The Purdue North Central Softball team traveled to Ft. Myers, Florida over spring break and participated in the annual Gene Cusic Classic Tournament.  The Panthers returned home with a 3-4 record and had two games rained out.

On day one the Lady Panthers  lost to Walsh 1-0 before defeating St. Ambrose 4-3 and 25^th ranked Madonna 2-1.  Against Madonna, Taryn Jamison (Hobart, IN), a sophomore transfer from Lake Michigan College, allowed only three hits.  Offensively, Jackie Mellen (Michigan City Marquette), walked twice, had a hit and scored a run while Jen Del Real (Los Angeles, California) had two RBI’s.

On March 8^th, the Panthers avenged their loss to Walsh, beating them 5-0 before the rain arrived and cancelled PNC’s two other scheduled games that day.

The final day of play saw PNC drop three games losing to Saint Mary’s (Terre Haute) 6-2, Aquinas 13-1 and Upper Iowa 5-3.   The Panthers had an impressive 24 hits on the day but managed only 6 runs.

Overall, Del Real led the Panthers with a .466 average for the week, including a home run.   Alex Hansen (Portage) also batted .466 with 3 runs batted in. 

Two members of the Purdue North Central Softball Team volunteered their time to help a local organization Wednesday afternoon.  They helped run the annual Healthy Families of LaPorte County Christmas party held at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Michigan City.

The two Panthers, Jennifer Del Real and Heather Weaver, ran games for the kids and helped clean-up after the party. 

The mission of Healthy Families of LaPorte County is to support new parents and empower them to be the best parents they can be.  In an effort to accomplish their mission, the following goals are supported:

*To systematically assess first-time parents in order to identify their strengths and needs then refer them to community resources.

*To enhance family functioning by building trust, establishing support and teaching problem-solving skills.

*To promote positive parent-child interaction.

*To promote healthy child growth and development.

“It was great for Jennifer and Heather to give of their time and help an excellent organization,” said head coach Gil Arzola.

The Purdue North Central Women’s Softball team will be hosting a winter clinic on December 12^th from 12pm to 5pm at the Armory in Michigan City.

The clinic will be lead by PNC’s head softball coach Gil Arzola, his coaching staff and members of the Panther team. 

All ages are encouraged to attend.  Participants will be broken up into groups by age and experience.  Each group will have drills tailored to their level.

The schedules is as follows: 11:30am-12pm sign in; 12pm-1pm fielding mechanics; 2pm-3pm hitting, bunting and slapping; 3pm-4pm running the bases and conditioning for softball; 4pm-5pm learning to pitch and how to throw different pitches – if your not a pitcher then extra instruction will be given on hitting without fancy equipment: soft toss drills, how to improve vision and using a pitching machine the right way.

Each session will begin with a short lecture and notes will be provided so coaches and parents can learn how to teach.  You are also encouraged to help with the drills.

As an extra bonus the clinic will conclude with a short presentation for high school players and parents on playing college softball, how to get recruited and some tips on preparing a video tape.

The cost of the clinic is $35 in advance and $40 at the door.  Coaches and parents attending with the players are free.

To register, contact Gil Arzola at 219-462-8191 or garzola@pnc.edu.

Softball Team To Host Dodge Ball Fundraiser
November 2, 2004

The Purdue North Central Women’s Softball team will host dodge ball games November 21^st from 12pm to 4pm at the Scholl Center in Michigan City. 

Individual players will be placed on 10-12 player teams and can play for as long as their enthusiasm and time allows.

A $15 fee per player will be charged with all proceeds going towards the PNC Softball program.

To register, contact a Panther softball player or Head Coach Gil Arzola in the Athletic Department at 219-785-5333.