2013 SEASON IN REVIEW The 2013 season proved to be a strong year for head coach Frank Griffin and his Hatters. Stetson won more games (31) and earned more conference victories (13) than it had since the 2010 season. With a 31-22 overall record and a 13-13 A-Sun mark, Stetson marched into the conference tournament for the third straight season and for the 15th time during Griffin’s tenure as Hatter head coach. After starting the season 1-5, Stetson went on to win 14 of its next 15 games to push its record to 15-6, heading into A-Sun play. Sandwiched inbetween Stetson’s hot play were winning streaks of five and nine games to go along with 11 victories from junior Meredith Owen in the circle.
As non-conference play gave way to the challenging Atlantic Sun slate, the Hatters battled opponents on the road and at home, going 1-6 through their first seven A-Sun games. A five game win streak and a stretch of nine wins in 11 games in the midst of conference play brought SU’s record to two games over .500 heading into their final three games. Picking up all nine victories for the Hatters during that winning stretch was Owen, who would finish the year with 22 total wins. Finishing with a .500 conference mark, SU was awarded a sixth seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and defeated Florida Gulf Coast in the opening game (14-6), in historic fashion. The 14 runs and 12 hits posted by the Hatters was a tournament record and it marked the second straight year, Frank Griffin’s squad pulled off an upset in the first round of the conference tournament. The following contest, Stetson dropped to USC Upstate 5-1 before being eliminated by a 1-0 shutout at the hands of North Florida to close out the 2013 campaign. For her accomplishments at the plate and in the circle, Owen was named to the A-Sun’s AllTournament team. She hit .300 during the tournament and had a stellar six inning, two hit, one run pitching performance in the Hatter’s final game against the Ospreys.
Freshmen Kayla Drury, Brittany Hawn and Jessica Griffin proved to be key contributors down the stretch for their team, with Drury hitting .319 and scoring 19 runs to go along with her 38 hits. Hawn posted a .273 average with 47 hits (just one off the team lead) and 27 runs scored, while Griffin started in 52 games behind the plate, hitting .296 with 42 hits, 24 RBI and three homers. But the freshmen trio’s greatest contributions may have come out in the field as all three posted fielding percentages of .945 or better during their first season in DeLand, averaging just nine errors during the 53 game season. Following the 2013 campaign, Stetson was well represented in the Atlantic Sun’s post season award list as a total of four Hatters were recognized for their play during the past 53 games. Drury (INF), Griffin (C) and Hawn (UTIL) were all named to the A-Sun’s All-Freshman team, while Owen was awarded two spots on the conference’s AllSecond Team, one as a pitcher and another as a designated player.
The 2013 season gave Coach Griffin and his team plenty to build on heading into 2014. Owen’s 22 victories and 1.96 ERA led all pitchers, but providing a nice cushion in the circle was sophomore Courtney Brandt, who won eight games out of the 20 she started.
Senior Jordan Cleghorn finished her Stetson career, compiling 29 hits in 51 games and adding three home runs and 17 RBI during the 2013 season.
2014 Media Guide
At the plate, Stetson was led by junior speedster Chrissy Morello who cranked out 48 hits and stole 18 bases to go along with her .282 average. Not to be outdone by her hitting counterparts, Owen also showed her muscle at the plate, belting a team-high 11 home runs and hitting a team-best .319 with 37 RBI.
Senior Chelsea Walley hit .333, collecting 22 hits and 26 RBI in 24 games during 2013. She was also a consistent defender, compiling a .933 fielding pct., with one error in 13 chances.
Page 46