Weather Woes Strike, But Emmanuel Softball Team Stays Positive
May 01, 2007
The unpredictable weather of New England has a habit of wreaking havoc on sports teams, especially in the spring. Just when players begin readying themselves for sunnier days and springtime air, Mother Nature has a tendency to remind them that winter isn’t quite over.
In her second season at the helm of the Saints’ softball program, Head Coach Carrie Rodman has found herself dealing with the many troubles the weather can cause a spring athletic team. The one thing she has to keep reminding herself is that she isn’t the only one having to overcome the winter worries.
“Obviously the weather isn’t helping our cause right now but we’ll be all right,” she said. “We’re certainly not the only team going through it. We have a lot of games in a short amount of time and we’re just focused on doing our best.”
With the first round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament starting on April 26th in Springfield, MA, Rodman and her crew will hope to surmount the weather obstacles in order to earn a berth in the six team championship. Despite a tough four game stretch during the weekend of April 13th in which the Saints dropped back-to-back double-headers to Simmons and Western New England College, the women still have a number of chances to earn their way into postseason play.
“Things could change very quickly,” said Rodman. “We hope to be playing in Springfield and I plan to be there. We just need to keep a positive attitude.”
With a roster that includes eight freshmen, Rodman will look for solid leadership down the stretch, especially from her senior captains, Lisa Donehy, Nicole Little and Christine Sampson. Sampson, a two-year captain and four-year starter for the Saints, has already proven – once again – to be a vital piece in the lineup, having sacrificed her natural position of shortstop to take over as the team’s catcher this spring.
“It was unexpected that she would have to play catcher, but she took it in stride,” said Rodman. “She’s just a tremendous athlete.” Fine play and leadership from junior first baseman/outfielder Stephanie Rege and freshman centerfielder Samantha Luther is also expected to play a significant role in the latter half of the Saints’ schedule. Rodman and the Saints simply hope it all translates into a trip to Springfield.
“We have a lot of talent and a lot of desire to win,” she said. “We’re just trying to figure out what works for us.”