sports

Softball travels to Florida for spring training
After losing key players to graduation, the team will focus on unity to add depth for the season

By Lucia Suarez Sang
Staff Writer

Photo by Jonathan Billings Sophomore Heather French hangs onto the ball for the out in a collision at home plate in St. Michael’s second win over Medaille College.

The women’s softball team started its season by traveling to Florida. After playing nine games, the team resumes to begin its regular season this week.

Before the trip to Ocoee, Fla., the team practiced in the Tarrant Recreation Center for about eight weeks and then headed south to play in the FAST Spring Ball tournament. After the tournament, the team returns to play home games at Doc Jacobs Field, although, due to weather, the team has not played on its home field this
year.

“We just had our first setback already,” head coach Robyn Newton said. “Our first home game was supposed to be this coming Sunday versus Bentley, and it’s looking like we’ll probably be jumping on a bus and going to play on their field instead.”

Newton said it’s hard for the team to adjust to different temperatures in Vermont and Florida. It will take a couple more weeks before the team is able to play on the field, she said.

Junior captain Ashley Harkins said having ice on the field was frustrating because the team had to travel to Bentley for their its conference game. Practicing inside Tarrant Recreation Center makes everything different, Harkins said pop-ups and high balls to the outfield are not possible, and the way the ball hops on the floor is different from outside, Harkins said.

Sophomore Heather French said it’s hard to play inside because there are differences between the indoor surface and the dirt.

“The best thing we can do is just say, ‘You know what? It’s out of our control, and if we dwell on it it’s just going to make us worse and just have to shrug it off and play whenever we can play,” Newton said.

The softball team played against other schools from the East Coast. They concluded the FAST Spring Ball tournament with a record of 6-3 playing Division II and III teams. The trip helped determine the starting players and positioning, Newton said.

“Our goal in Florida was to get down and play as many games as we can. It’s a chance for us to engage in some actual strategy planning that is hard to do inside,” she said. “Our overall goal is to just really focus on the basics of the game and how we can communicate well together.”

The trip to Florida allowed an opportunity for the team to work on communication, getting used to each other on the field and playing outside, French said. Even though it was slightly easier competition in the beginning, it became more of a challenge toward the end, she said.

The team’s goal for Florida was to work on communication and motivation while not allowig the small size to affect the morale of the team, Harkins said.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Billings Junior Ashley Harkins drills a hit in a win over Grove City on Saturday, March 15, during the softball team’s spring break trip to Florida.

“(We could) not let out young age affect us,” Harkins added. The softball team emerges this spring after losing key players to graduation. With no seniors, it will benefit by having everyone return next year, Newton said. “We are saying we are still competitive. We are really going to work hard,” Newton said. “We want to make our presence known in the NE-10. The bonus is we get to build on that next year.” As a small team, at each game the players have really stepped up, Newton said. Harkins at shortstop and junior Megan O’Connor as pitcher have become captains and leaders in their designated positions and offensively, Newton added. “I had to ask my whole sophomore class this year to really just pick it up,” Newton said, “whereas usually a sophomore class kind of has the second year to kind of get their feet wet.” The softball team is striving to make it into the top eight of the Northeast-10 and show that it is still a competitive team, Newton said.

After dropping two games against Bentley College on Sunday, March 30, the team will play at home this week. The upcoming home schedule features games against conference teams St. Anselm, Merrimack, UMass Lowell and Southern New Hampshire.

Back to Top