By Andrew Smith
Adelphi softball (AUSB) had a very successful season last spring. The team made an appearance in the College World Series and competed to the very end of the bracket. Following a strong offseason, the team looks to repeat their success and go even further this season.
Senior Claire Fon, who recently won NE10 Pitcher of the Year and D2CCA Pitcher of the Year, shared her thoughts on the 2023 season. “I am very excited for this upcoming season. We have some amazing talent on this team and I have no doubt we can be just as successful this year as we were last year. Our coaches have prepared us well and we have many goals to achieve this year.”
Sophomore outfielder Courtney Murphy expressed her expectations by referencing their success from last season and sees those attainable once again. “For this upcoming spring, the Adelphi softball program expects to return to the college world series in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”
Junior Kendall Winn reflected on her experiences last season. “After getting the experience of winning the NE10 and East Regional Championship, my team and my coaches have been working really hard to try to make it there again.”
Winn added, “Knowing what it took last year to get there has been helpful, so I am really excited to see how we do this year knowing how much more my team and coaches have been doing to prepare for the season.”
The offseason presents an opportunity where a team can strengthen their skills and be even more prepared for the challenges a long season presents. Fon commented on the process she and her teammates go through. “In our offseason we focus on working together as a unit by going over plays and getting in our reps.”
Murphy added, “During our fall offseason we have a lighter game schedule consisting of a double-header on the weekend paired with three practices during the week. This fall we competed against a variety of teams including UConn [University of Connecticut] and Fordham. Following our fall season we enter individuals until the end of the fall semester where we focus on more individualized skill development.”
Winn stressed the importance of holding the softball program to a high standard. As a result, the team comes together and strives for a common goal and this begins during the offseason.
“The fall is all about learning the AUSB way of hitting, defensive plays, signs and in-game responsibilities,” she said. “It is also about creating a team bond that will help us be successful. There are so many different roles each player takes on to help us be successful, and the fall is all about learning what each role requires. We practiced three to five times a week in the fall and played five games. We practiced all the way until December right before finals, and we returned on January 11 for preseason.”
First-year player Jordan Pasqueralli also reflected on her first offseason training with the team. “Off season training is a lot but it’s worth it when we are able to see it all put together. All the extra work we put in as a team is worth it when we feel confident in one another.”
In addition, the athletes commented on what games they are looking forward to, all expressing their excitement about a road trip to the Carolinas. Murphy stated, “Next season I am really looking forward to our games in North and South Carolina where we will face some very good competition in preparation for both our conference and non-conference games.”
Fon added, “We are traveling to South Carolina in the spring where we will be facing some strong competition to prepare us for the regular season.”
The softball team is ready for another strong season and has put in so much effort and hard work during the offseason, ready to surpass the expectations they set last year.