May 19, 2014Ten months, fifty-four games, and eleven blog posts later, the season has come to a close. It’s always hard to say goodbye - but the memories we’ve made this season both on and off the field make this farewell exceptionally hard. When thinking of what I wanted to write about for my final post, many things came to mind (many of which I’ve already written about).
It feels like just yesterday we were loading up the bus in thirty-degree weather headed for the sunny skies of Clermont, Florida. Since then, this team has become known for our come-from-behind wins, crazy dugout cheers, and record-breaking performances. I could very easily devote this post to Kelsey Chapman’s amazing leadership and exceptional career-ending performance this spring, or Coach Rowe’s remarkable ability to lead us to a tied Cedarville softball record of 35 wins, or Coach Kim’s ability to push us to run more 200 meter sprints than we thought humanly possible, but instead, I want you to meet a couple of Cedarville softball’s unsung heroes.
Our beloved bus driver Norris (now affectionately called "Coach Norris") played a huge role in motivating and encouraging us this spring. He was the ever-present voice sitting near the on-deck circle yelling continuous encouragement and support even when things weren’t going our way. When we played in West Virginia and found empty bleachers awaiting us during one game this spring, Norris cheered us on the entire time to make up for our lack of fans. His knowledge of the sport (part of which comes from coaching Cedarville baseball a few years ago) served as vital to our team, especially when Coach Rowe couldn’t be present for our final few games while his son got married.
Another unsung hero would be none other than our Chipotle-loving manager, Erin Hayes. For starters, she willingly takes the worst seat on the bus - trip after trip - which in my mind is the perfect reflection of her generous and humble attitude that served our team so well all year. Without needing instruction or affirmation, Erin willingly handles our team equipment, sets up (and cleans up after) our practices, keeps the book during the games, and is a constant source of humor and fun. She served as a VITAL addition to our team this year, and I know we’re all extremely grateful that she’ll be back to help out next year.
As I look back on this season, I truly cannot help but smile thinking of all the memories we’ve made that will stick with me for the rest of my life. From chasing down Dr. White during our photo scavenger hunt, to watching Bre Hughes struggle in the concession stand, to dousing Coach Rowe in two coolers of ice-cold water, to being the victim of countless pranks pulled by Coach Kim, to having Rachel Bull end her junior season with her first-ever collegiate out-of-the-park home run, I’m thankful for this softball season simply because it has given me eighteen new sisters. While Kelsey’s career as a Yellow Jacket has come to a close, her mark on this program will never be forgotten. She’s in the books as Cedarville’s all-time home run and RBI leader, but her legacy as a leader and woman of Christ is what will stick with me. While it’s been less than 24 hours since I stepped on a softball field in my uniform, I’m already eagerly awaiting my first step back on the field as a Cedarville Yellow Jacket next spring. Seeing all that we’ve accomplished this year only makes me that much more excited to see what else we can accomplish in the years to come.
Thanks for following along with us this spring! Be sure to check back next March; this year we tied the school record for wins, but next year we’re going to break it.
Until next time…Sting it!!!
May 13, 2014Like I said in my last post, our team plays the best when our "backs are against the wall." Last week, we arrived at Oakland City, Indiana to play in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Midwest Regional, and quickly put our backs right back against the wall. We lost our first game of the double-elimination tournament only to battle back and win three consecutive games with the threat of going home after each game in our minds. We eventually fell to Grace College in the second championship game, but we put up a solid fight when the odds were against us (as our team has became known for doing).
Fortunately, our hard work during the entire season was rewarded and we received an at-large bid to the NCCAA Nationals in Botetourt County, Virginia! Many of us spent the past weekend at home with our families or enjoying the beautiful weather in Cedarville before packing our bags and heading out on the road yet again. On Monday night, we enjoyed a delicious meal at BD’s Mongolian Barbecue to celebrate our season followed by Cold Stone ice cream (many thanks to Dr. Geist for this treat). We then returned to Cedarville for a special presentation of pictures from the season, awards, and Coach Kim’s Top 25 Memories from the past nine months, the majority of which occurred during our time working the concessions stand for basketball games. The shenanigans that happened in the concession stand this year (many thanks to Cece and Bre) will definitely never be forgotten.
We look forward to exploring Carol Rice’s home turf this coming week and hopefully winning a national title! Until next time….sting it!
May 5, 2014And we’re on the road again! As is quickly becoming a pattern, I’m currently writing this blog while traveling on a bus traveling away from good ‘ol Cedarville and towards our latest tournament destination. This time, we’re traveling to Oakland City, Indiana to play in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Midwest Regional Tournament.
During the few days since my last blog post, the Lady Jacket softball team has been very busy. We played five games in our conference tournament, battling back from a first-game loss to finish in third place. Throughout this season, we’ve definitely became known as a team who plays the best "when our backs are against the wall", as Coach Rowe puts it.
Knowing we could go home after each game after our first loss, we battled hard to make it to Saturday. Our Cedarville baseball boys deserve a special shout-out for packing our stands and supporting us Friday night during our victory against Davis & Elkins. Fortunately, they just so happened to be playing at Ohio Valley the same weekend that we were there for our conference tournament. Their rowdy and loud cheers definitely helped us finish the game strong, especially when Davis & Elkins began making a comeback during the seventh inning.
When we eventually fell to Kentucky Wesleyan, we traveled back to Cedarville Saturday night only to wake up bright and early Sunday morning to move our things into our new dorm rooms for the month of May. After a couple hours of transporting and unloading boxes with our teammates and coaches, we hopped right back on the bus and are currently on the way to my home state of Indiana to hopefully win a regional tournament and continue to improve upon our already impressive record of 31-15!
Until next time…sting it!!
April 30, 2014As I write this blog, our team is happily on the way to Vienna, West Virginia for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament - all thoughts of finals pushed out of our minds. We’ve had a busy week, but luckily we managed to finish our finals over the past three days and now have nothing but softball to worry about over the coming days.
This past Saturday was an exciting day for all Lady Jacket softball fans for a few different reasons. Our team honored Kelsey Chapman in between games on Senior Day by presenting to her a photo album of Cedarville softball memories, a couple softballs with our Cedarville logo, a bat with her name engraved on it, a blanket donning the colors of her soon-to-be alma mater, and a scrapbook with memories from each of her teammates. This was a bittersweet day for many, and I can confidently tell you there were few dry eyes at our field after listening to Kelsey tell what Cedarville softball has meant to her.
Promptly after wiping a few tears from her eyes, Kelsey took her place in the batter’s box during our second game in the doubleheader against Trevecca Nazarene (the #1-ranked team in the G-MAC) and hammered her fifth home run of the season to help our team to a powerful four-run first inning. We quickly beat Trevecca in the nightcap by the eight-run mercy rule, which was our first
ever win in eleven games against the 32-10 Trojans and certainly a special one for Kelsey.
This morale-boosting win came at the perfect time as we now travel to West Virginia for the conference tournament this week. With most of us still worn out from the finals we crammed in over the past few days, the bus ride so far has been pretty uneventful and has consisted of a lot of napping - but I’m sure when I write next week about our trip home I’ll have plenty of funny stories to share. Rumor has it some sort of freshman initiation karaoke singing awaits us unlucky underclassmen. Wish me luck!!
Until next time…sting it!!!
April 21, 2014The Lady Jacket softball players have all had a hectic past few days: after sweeping Ursuline on Thursday, many of us got to return home Friday morning to enjoy a couple days with our families (most for the first time all semester!) before reporting back to Cedarville Sunday night in preparation for our trip to West Virginia bright and early Monday.
This coming week brings even more craziness; after our six-hour trip Monday, we will play our final four regular season games at home on Friday and Saturday. This weekend will be special for another reason, though: it’s a chance to honor our senior, Kelsey Chapman. From the short time I’ve known Kelsey, I’ve been overwhelmed by her leadership on and off the field. She’s truly taken this young team under her wing and guided us to a year of success. Being a freshman, I haven’t had the opportunity to be around Kelsey as much as some of the older girls have, so I passed the baton to junior Cecelia DeBartolo this week to talk about how much playing with Kelsey the past three years has meant to her.
"On Saturday afternoon we will be celebrating Kelsey Chapman’s last home softball game here at Cedarville University. Whether she is catching, pitching, or playing first base (or any other position on the field), Kelsey is one of the BEST softball players I have ever had the privilege to play with. However, to me she is an even better friend and sister-in-Christ. Off the field, Kels is the girl on the team that brings hot soup to you when you are sick and surprises you with company when you are lonely. On the field, she is the girl who can catch wild pitches like a boss behind the plate and then go out and finish that very game ON THE MOUND.
There are so many memories that Kelsey has brought to our lives in these past years. When I first met Kelsey I was playing against her in the fall recruit game here at Cedarville. I was on third base and she picked me off the bag by a mile! That was the (humiliating) moment I realized that she DID NOT mess around back there behind that plate and Kelsey STILL remembers it and brings it up every now and again (three years later). Whether she is baking a delicious team feast or inspiring us with motivational speeches during a game, she is our "team mom" and an amazing team leader. She has challenged myself and many other girls to glorify the Lord in the way we live our lives on and off the field, whether it be through words or her own actions.
Kelsey, keep shining the light of Christ! We love you and know that the Lord has amazing plans for you, Jordan, and Champ. Thank you for the way you have believed in me all of these years and inspired me as well as this whole team!
Love,
Cece"
Until next time…Sting it!!!
April 14, 2014While the weather is still trying its hardest to keep us Jackets from taking the field, we somehow managed to squeeze in six games this past week (five of which were victories for us). In fact, our lone loss on Wednesday is the only one our team has had in eleven games. We’re pitching well, hitting hard, and fielding smoothly – and our winning record over the past few days definitely reflects that.
The forecasted rain for Friday kept our team here in Cedarville instead of traveling to West Virginia to play Davis & Elkins - which means that we’ll be making the trip to West Virginia a second time in the coming days. Fortunately, the rain held off on Saturday and we were able to leave bright and early to play Alderson Broaddus. If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs, I’m sure you could accurately guess what this long bus ride entailed: Disney movies, sing-alongs, snacks, and a little bit of napping. We were grateful for the five or six short hours we got to spend off the bus playing softball instead of traveling (which took up around 10 hours on Saturday and into Sunday morning). Fortunately, our two solid wins made the trip home just a little bit more enjoyable.
The highlight of the weekend for me was when fellow freshman Carol Rice hit her first out-of-the-park homerun in the second game of the doubleheader. This was one of the few games her family was able to make it to (her home state of Virginia is certainly no short drive from Ohio), and being able to see how ecstatic her dad and brother were for her was priceless. While Carol may claim the highlight of the trip for her was getting a fishing pole from home to bring back to Cedarville, I have to think her homerun may have been just a tiny bit cooler….
I’m sure by next week I’ll have many more road trip stories to share, as our next three double-headers take place away from Cedarville. Fingers crossed the forecasted
snow stays away this week and we can continue on our winning campaign while on the road this week!
Until next time…Sting it!
April 7, 2014 Seven years and 166 wins later, Coach Rowe has officially made Lady Jacket softball history by becoming the all-time "winningest" coach Cedarville softball has ever seen. Thanks to our win in game #1 over the Ursuline Arrows last Monday, Coach Rowe earned his 163rd career win at Cedarville to officially break the record and now looks forward to many more to come.
Since 2008, Coach Rowe has hit numerous other notable benchmarks while coaching our Lady Jacket squad (to name a few: he has already produced three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in school history and in 2012, he led the team to a school-record of 35 wins). While his records obviously point to his success as a coach on the field, the things he does off the field to help our team succeed shouldn’t go unnoticed. As our senior, Kelsey, articulated it: "Coach Rowe has been successful as a coach not only because he drives his players to strive for perfection, but because he cares so deeply for each and everyone of us."
I’ve never met a coach so involved in his players’ individual growth as women of the Lord and so concerned with uplifting each woman spiritually. Coach Rowe LOVES winning and finds it important to push each one of us to higher and higher levels of success (CeCe even admits that thanks to Coach Rowe she's been pushed harder this season than ever before), but what really fires him up is seeing our hearts on fire for the Lord and seeing us grow as followers of Christ. His passion for following the Lord is truly contagious. Ask anyone on our team - if in need of spiritual guidance or encouragement, he's the guy to go to.
To celebrate Coach Rowe’s recent success, we surprised him after a windy day laying down the tarp over our infield with chocolate cake and a softball signed by each player. Our team is currently on a five-game winning streak (all within the G-MAC, no less) and poised to continue our success at home and at West Virginia this weekend. Come out and see what our team is all about this week!
Until next time…Sting it!!
March 31, 2014
From chasing around Campus Safety, to arm wrestling Dr. White, to holding an impromptu memorial service for road kill in Xenia, our Saturday afternoon was unlike many others. While the crazy Ohio weather didn’t allow us to step foot on the field at all this past week, it did give us the opportunity to relax, catch up on school work, lay down a brand new tarp to protect our field from the barrage of rain and snow, and hold the first ever CUSB Photo Scavenger Hunt!
If you were in town Saturday afternoon, you most likely were confused to see swarms of softball players sprinting around Cedarville while stopping intermittently to pose for peculiar pictures. The idea for the game originated from the brilliant mind of Coach Kim, but the creative aspect of it was left to us softball players. We were given a list of activities to try to do in a 60-minute time limit - and the proof would be found in photo evidence we created as the game went along.
For example, photos can now be found of some of us riding on top of a fire truck, crying over a dead deer on the side of the road, chasing down a Campus Safety car, and getting autographs from local firemen on the side of our feet (all in pouring down rain). While my team didn’t finish first, we were the only ones to obtain the 500 point checkmark of arm wrestling our University President by pinpointing his location through tweets on Twitter. Thanks to Dr. White for generously allowing us to hurriedly run into his house (while dripping rain and leaving muddy footprints, I’m sure) and pose for a few pictures. The memories we made Saturday will certainly be talked about for many weeks to come, and for the sake of my losing team I hope a rematch occurs soon!
Luckily, our new tarp arrived just in time to help keep our field dry for the plethora of games coming up this week. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate slightly better with our packed game schedule and allow us to finally lace up our cleats and win some softball games this week!
Until next time…Sting it!!!
March 25, 2014If you didn’t know where to find any of the Cedarville softball players over the last few days, bets are we were in a bus being shuttled from game to game somewhere in the Midwest. The highlight of our weekend was definitely the few short hours we got to spend off the bus to play softball.
After we groggily met at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, we had eight long hours of traveling ahead of us. To begin with, we traveled six hours to Nashville to play reigning G-MAC conference champs Trevecca Nazarene. Fortunately for me and all the other girls who value our precious sleep, almost everyone slipped on their headphones and utilized the time on the bus to sleep before our two games Friday afternoon.
After two hard losses to Trevecca in the late afternoon, we hopped right back on the bus, grabbed a quick dinner at Cracker Barrel, and arrived in Owensboro, Kentucky around 11:00 p.m. After splitting our double-header with Kentucky Wesleyan the following morning (our win was a strong victory that called for the mercy rule after six innings), we spent the next six hours playing Pictionary, singing along to Disney songs, and watching all the Lion King movies. We stopped at Pizza Hut on the way, ordered a few large pizzas and some 2-liters of pop, and continued on our trek back to Cedarville passing around food, watching Disney movies, and singing pop songs in between bites. Rumor has it that Coach Kim has videos if anyone needs proof of how goofy and fun this team is.
Weather permitting, we play two more tough home games this Tuesday against Findlay before hitting the road again Thursday to play West Virginia State. We conclude the week with two more home games this Saturday against Ursuline. Pray the snow holds off this week so we can continue to build on the great win we had against Kentucky Wesleyan!
Until next time….Sting it!!!
(Ed. note - Tuesday and Thursday games were postponed due to the weather)
March 17, 2014"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first steps to something better." – Wendell PhillipsThese insightful words resound loudly with the Lady Jacket softball team this week. To say that this week was comparable to a hectic up-and-down ride on a roller coaster would be an understatement. We experienced some of the highest successes our team has ever seen, and then promptly experienced major setbacks days later. However, I speak confidently for the entire team when I say that the success and adversity we experienced over the past few days will only serve to grow us stronger as a team.
At the beginning of this past week, we found out that because of our notable success during our Florida trip we were ranked 24th in the nation for NCAA D II teams. Obviously, our team was (and still is)
ecstatic to hear this exciting news. Not only was this the first time our softball squad has ever been ranked nationally, but this was the first time
any women’s team at Cedarville has received this honor in NCAA Division II. Of course, with such attention comes high expectations - and we definitely felt the weight of this new attention on Saturday.
On Saturday, we were pleasantly surprised to see our bleachers packed and fans lined up and down the field to watch our first home games. Unfortunately, the ranking may have served as a burden to us this past weekend and we played some of the worst softball we have all year. All aspects of our game suffered, and we frankly didn’t play like the Lady Jacket softball team our fans in Florida came to know and expect. We lost both games in our doubleheader to Ashland (a quality program, no doubt) and were tempted to leave the field feeling discouraged and disheartened.
However, all it took was a glance at my wrist to remember who I and the rest of the team are playing for. I, along with many others, wrote our team’s motto ("AO1") on my wrist to remind myself throughout the game and afterwards that I’m playing for an "Audience of One". We don’t play ball to garner national attention, to gain a higher ranking, to please our coaches, or to improve our statistics; rather, we play to glorify our Creator first and foremost. God has gifted so many young ladies on our team with so many diverse talents that can be seen both on and off the field - and we should never let two minor losses diminish that. Every time we step in between the white foul lines is an opportunity for communicating God’s glory with our opponents, fans, and umpires - which is a much more important purpose than gaining a couple wins. I’m confident these two losses will serve to humble our team but also to uplift us by reminding us the true purpose we lace up our cleats.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:1-3)March 12, 2014I think I speak for the entire team when I say that it would be very, very hard for anything to top the week we Cedarville softball players had this past week. From pranking the coaches, to dancing in the dugouts, to cheering like "caged-in animals", to comeback wins, to frozen yogurt celebrations after games, we had an absolute BLAST, causing each of us to wish we could rewind back to that snowy day we loaded up the vans so that we could relive the past ten days all over again.
Luckily, we’re bringing back with us to Ohio a few new Cedarville softball traditions that we can’t wait for our hometown fans to enjoy along with us. You may have heard a little about the "Cage" from Cedarville Athletics’ Twitter page or seen it firsthand on YouTube. Basically, if you come to a Cedarville softball game, you better be prepared to cheer along with our rowdy dugout players, because we certainly make it hard not to. Coach Kim originally coined us crazy chanters members of the "Cage" because, in her words, we sound like "a cage of wild animals": untamed and out of control.
At any given moment throughout the game, you can expect to find our designated expert drummers Monica Arslain or Erin Hayes pounding with two softballs on the empty buckets we bring to our games to perfectly fit this purpose. Jenn Spann and Tessa O’Doherty have mastered the art of making noise with screwdrivers on the metal ceilings of the dugouts while Cecelia DeBartolo leads the vocals. Bre Hughes leads the dancing squad while everyone else fills in in various ways to make our dugout the loudest and craziest one I have certainly ever seen. The "Cage" certainly helped lead our team to a solid 12-3 record this week; by getting into our opponents’ heads and pumping up our own batters, the "Cage" is one of Cedarville softball’s most useful tools for victory this spring. I guarantee that, thanks to the "Cage", attendance at a softball game this year will never be anything remotely close to boring.
The "Cage"The term "boring" was certainly far from anyone’s vocabulary this past week. With four extra inning games (all which ended up in Cedarville victories), eight other wins, and three losses (all by no more than ONE RUN), each and every one of our games was exciting and competitive. We fought hard as a team and never let any run deficit keep us from getting back in the game. For example, we came from behind at one point to score
ten runs in one inning against NFCA Division II #20 Grand Valley State to lead to a 14-9 victory for us. From web gems from Jessica Palm at shortstop, to shutouts from our stud catcher-turned-pitcher Kelsey Chapman, to game-winning RBI’s from Carlyn Hanzel, we have had game-changing contributions from our entire lineup, from both freshmen and upperclassmen. Honestly, the enthusiasm shown by our "Cage" carries over to the drive we show on the field and our heart and passion that we show with every play.
While this past week of softball has been "unreal" (to quote our Sports Information Director, Mark Womack), we could not be more excited to continue our fantastic season in Ohio. With our first home games quickly approaching this Saturday against Ashland, we’re already plotting out new chants for the "Cage" to use to surprise our opponents and entertain our fans later this week. I promise if you come out this weekend, our wild enthusiasm will not disappoint!!! We all appreciate your continual support (you must be a huge fan if you’re taking the time to read this!) and cannot wait to see you at a game this spring.
Sting it!!!
March 4, 2014At 3:00 a.m. in the morning last Thursday, with snow piled on the ground, temperatures below freezing, and each of us bundled up in our winter coats, playing softball outdoors was the last thing we could imagine doing. However, we somehow managed to motivate ourselves to get out of bed (most with less than two hours of sleep - much to the coaches’ dismay), scramble together our luggage, and load up the vans bound for the Columbus airport. As crazy as it seems, in a matter of mere hours we found ourselves under sunny blue skies, with cleats on our feet and dirt underneath us. While just hours earlier we were bundled up in our warmest layers, we were now underneath the beautiful Florida sun
finally playing softball again outdoors. All thoughts of snow and cold have been pushed aside this week - which reminds me that I’ll be in for a very rude awakening next Saturday when we fly in to the wintry storm that’s hitting the Midwest.
Since we have arrived in Clermont, we’ve already played four games with twelve more to come. While I know all the stats are available on the Cedarville’s website for you to read, I can’t help but tell you a little about our games Saturday. But first - a bit of a back story: Throughout the season, our team has been praying heavily for Maritza Chapman, our lone senior Kelsey Chapman’s mother-in-law, who has been struggling with cancer. We knew she was going to attend our games Saturday, so Kelsey made special pink bows for all of us to wear in her honor. It was so awesome to see Maritza beaming down at us from the stands and cheering loudly with each good play we made. To make the day even more special, Kelsey pitched during our second game (her first appearance on the mound since her freshman year!!!). She pitched a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts to give the Lady Jackets a 4-0 win. Our team couldn’t be prouder of Kelsey and her dedication behind the plate, on the mound, in the field, or in the batter’s box. It was so awesome to see Maritza’s face completely light up with joy as she watched our team and Kelsey play.
While it was awesome to get our third win Saturday, I think most of us left the diamond thinking of other more important things. Coach Rowe has repeatedly reminded us to keep the game of softball in perspective - and seeing Maritza’s smiling face in the midst of her health struggles reinforced in my mind how much more there is to life than this game. We left the diamond Saturday feeling thankful for our health, our supportive families (many of which are present with us this week), our loving teammates, and many other privileges we often take for granted. We are all extremely blessed to be here in Florida playing the game we love with our friends by our side, and playing for Maritza on Saturday helped emphasize in all of our minds how incredibly fortunate each of us are.
By the next time you hear from me, we will be back in snowy Cedarville hoping our field is clear for our first home games - but I’m sure a plethora of stories about pranking and attempting to throw Coach Kim in the pool awaits you. Check back in for the latest Lady Jacket softball news this time next week!
February 26, 2014With temperatures still near freezing and snow still accumulated on the ground here in Cedarville, us softball players couldn’t be more anxious to finally lace up our cleats and play the game we love under the sunny skies in Clermont, Florida. We have anxiously been counting down the days, minutes, and HOURS until our vans depart to bring us to the airport and eventually to sunny Florida (as I write this, we’re currently at 3 days, 5 hours, 57 minutes, and 32 seconds, to be exact)! Don’t get me wrong, our jam-packed game schedule ensures that once we arrive in Florida it will certainly be no breeze - but we are all extremely excited and also very ready to finally be playing games. Once we arrive, we will be playing sixteen games, many of which are against NCAA DII teams from our region. Fortunately for us, the current weather forecast is predicting sunny weather in the low 70’s for the majority of the week, so we’re very excited to get back outdoors to play the game we all love!
As a freshman, I wasn’t sure what to expect when first meeting the members of this crazy team and the coaches this fall - but over the course of the past six months, I’ve learned to expect the un-expectable! Our pre-season has been one filled with laughs, pranks, jokes, hard work, bonding, and silliness. We started the season off with an intense World Series competition between the freshmen (plus some non-freshman pitchers) and upper-classmen that ended in a 3-3 tie after the final game was rained out. This World Series competition really proved to all of us and to all our coaches that we are going to be a force to be reckoned with this spring, partly because we have so many dynamic players who can play many different positions well!
We had other fun memories this fall: from scrimmaging the baseball team in a friendly game of softball on our home field (we won 5-4, in case any baseball player attempts to tell you otherwise!), to digging in to two-inch thick pancakes guaranteed to break your plastic fork (made by the master chef Coach Kim herself), to late nights working the concessions stand for the basketball games (ask fellow freshman Bre–Bre Hughes if you ever need advice on how to make a delicious batch of popcorn). We also were the victims of many pranks pulled by our jokester coaches; check out the Lady Jacket Softball Facebook page to see for yourself. The worst prank (in my opinion) occurred when the coaches told us that three VERY different workouts were written on pieces of paper in a hat, and then proceeded to draw the hardest one out! Little did we know, all three papers were duplicates of the hardest workout…Props to the coaches for getting a rise out of all of us, but hopefully they keep in mind that revenge is coming soon! Keep those doors locked in Florida, or else! : )
While our pre-season has been a TON of fun, it has also consisted of a lot of hard work and bonding as a team. We have had to go through grueling midnight scrimmages, plenty of indoor 200-meter sprints, and hard workouts each week. Both the position players and the pitchers have been working hard; I know that first-hand as I experienced my first ice bath after being put through one of the pitcher’s typical workouts. We’ve also grown much closer as a team from spending our Wednesday evenings worshiping the Lord together and having devotions led by Coach Rowe. This is a team I am incredibly grateful to be a part of and whom I cannot wait to spend my entire spring with!
Please keep our team, coaches, and athletic trainers in your prayers as we depart this Thursday morning for Florida! We have a tough schedule awaiting us, but I know our tenacious team will be able to handle it! I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog, and please check back in throughout the season to hear the latest Lady Jacket Softball news!
Christina Kirkpatrick is a freshman infielder from Noblesville, Ind. She is in her first season with the Lady Jackets and is majoring in pre-law and business management.
