Coaches Bios

Yorktown Fastpitch 2011:
This is the 37th year of the Yorktown Fastpitch softball program.

Coaches and Season Outlook

Julie Fetter – Varsity Head Coach

Coach Fetter is excited to be back for her third season as head varsity coach for the Patriots. She is in her fourth year with the Yorktown softball program, having served as co- Head Coach for the JV team in 2008 with Coach Litman. Julie is a former college softball player at Frostburg State University, where she played first base and outfield. Prior to coaching at Yorktown, Julie volunteered her time coaching travel softball in Arlington. Coach Fetter is also a Personal Trainer, currently working as a trainer for Arlington County at Thomas Jefferson Community Center. In her own personal training business, Julie focuses on improving off-season fitness with high school athletes.

Deb Litman – Varsity Assistant Coach

Coach Litman is also returning for her third season as varsity assistant coach for the Patriots. This is her fourth year with the Yorktown softball program having also served as co-coach for the JV team in 2008. Deb is a former college softball player at Colgate University. She was a catcher and outfielder at Colgate, which qualified for the NCAA national tournament in 2007. Deb coached softball at Georgetown Day School, and also has volunteered her coaching time with a travel softball club. Deb is a geneticist and National Sales Manager for a biotech company based in Germany that sells DNA sequencing equipment worldwide.

Bridget Gerrity – Varsity Assistant Coach

Coach Gerrity is returning for her second year as an assistant coach. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and George Mason University and currently teaches first grade at Westlawn Elementary School in Falls Church. As a former Yorktown player, she played four years of varsity softball, achieving First Team All-District and Most Valuable Player honors. Bridget is looking forward to another great season.

Heather Lille – JV Head Coach

This is Coach Lille’s first year as head JV coach at Yorktown. She is very excited about the upcoming season. She is currently a 6^th and 7^th grade Health and Physical Education Teacher at Williamsburg Middle School. She attended James Madison University where she received both her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Health and Physical Education. She is from Chesapeake, Virginia. She attended Hickory High School where she was a three-sport athlete, participating on the Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball teams.

Kristy Clifford – JV Assistant Coach

Coach Clifford is returning for her second season with the Yorktown JV team. She was a three sport athlete in high school in Penn Laird, VA and a four year Varsity starter on her softball team, playing predominantly 3rd base and shortstop. Her team won 3 District Championships, with 3 Regional berths, and one State tournament appearance. Needing to focus on one sport in college, she played basketball at Marymount University, but she also continued to play recreational softball. During college and thereafter, she coached high school basketball, first in her home town, and later locally. She has served as the Yorktown Freshman basketball team coach for the past 6 seasons. Coach Clifford works for an international nonprofit, Young Life, as the Area Director for North Arlington. She and her husband, Robert, live in Arlington.

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2011 Yorktown Season Outlook:

The 2011 Yorktown Softball team will have a different look than last year, having graduated 7 Seniors from the 2010 District runner-up, including the entire outfield. In addition to graduating Seniors, Yorktown will be without the services of last season's 2 Freshman standouts, 1st team all-district 2nd baseman Vivian Angrisani and speed demon Izzy Linzer. Linzer, a utility player in 2010, was looking to have a breakout season at the top of the lineup but will miss the season due to an injury. We look forward to her return.

The team will be led by Junior 1^st team All-District pitcher Kate Bauman and 1^st team all-district 1^st baseman Charlotte Batdorf, who will be joined in the infield by returning Junior 3^rd baseman Lindsay Irving, a 3^rd year starter and Senior captain and defensive wizard Kelly John at shortstop. Senior captain Kiersten Rolla and Senior Rachel Leonard will be key contributors at the plate and will try to replace one of the strongest defensive outfields in the district in 2010. Senior Caroline Del Giudice figures to get playing time both at 1^st base and in the outfield throughout the season. Senior Julie Cushing also returns to the program after a 1 year hiatus, and will contribute behind the plate and with her speed on the base paths.

A strong crop of Sophomores join the returning players, led by Katie Kaufman who was called up for the 2010 post-season and contributed most notably with a key hit in the District Championship game. Kaufman is joined by Katie Spaeth, who will be Bauman’s new battery mate this year and figures to contribute at the plate and with impressive speed on the base paths. Spaeth looks to follow in the footsteps of her sister, graduating Senior Sarah, who was known in 2010 for her clutch hitting! The Sophomores are rounded out by power-hitting Maggie Stewart and Julia Walters, who figures to be a utility infielder. Junior Casey Deans will offer more power at the plate, and can play 3^rd base or outfield. Deans, Kaufman, and Stewart look to complement the power hitting of Batdorf, Rolla, Leonard and John in 2011. Freshman Sarah Woodward completes the roster, and offers another power bat along with versatility and speed in the field.

Yorktown figures to battle for the National District title again with Hayfield and Washington-Lee. Hayfield, who joined the district in 2010, split with the Patriots in the regular season, and eked out a 3-2 victory in the Championship game of the District tournament. Hayfield will return most of its starters from 2010 and the rivalry will likely continue. Washington-Lee looks to be a contender again in 2011, returning most of their team after having defeated Yorktown in 2010 to end a long drought. Mt. Vernon will also be a factor, returning their strong starting pitcher from 2010 who likely has improved her game for 2011. Edison always plays Yorktown tough, and Stuart looks to continue the improvements they made in 2010. Wakefield and Falls Church round out the district lineup, and will likely be ready to compete in 2011 with the top teams in the district.

The Patriots look to recover from the large turnover of players in 2011 as they did in 2010, and have the goal of reclaiming the District title, as well as advancing past the first round of the Regional tournament. Yorktown will contend in every game, riding the strong arm of Bauman, but figure to win many games in 2011 behind the strength of its experienced infield and power-hitting newcomers.

(2011 Yorktown Softball Team Manual will be posted soon.)

Download a copy of the 2008 Yorktown Softball Team Manual.