As veterans graduate from the Capstone and move on, teams are forced to rely on freshman players to fill the void that is left behind.
The UA softball team won last year’s national championship with the help of six seniors. This year they enter the season with fresh faces in hopes of bringing home another title.
The 2012 Tide seniors played a large role in the team’s winning season. Last year’s senior class saw five All-SEC team members as well as two All-American team members. The six players closed out the season with a combined 222 runs batted in and 60 wins as a team.
These veteran players also helped the team battle from behind against The University of Oklahoma Sooners after the Tide lost the first game of the national championship series. In the second game against the Sooners, then-senior Amanda Locke drove in three runs. Jennifer Fenton, also a 2012 senior, batted in one in the Tide’s 8-6 win. This finish would lead the Tide to the championship game, which the team won 5-4.
Two seniors on this year’s team, Jackey Branham and Kayla Braud, said losing the seniors from last year is a challenge, but the team learned from their leadership, which made a lasting impact on the dynamic of the team.
“The qualities they left with, they left with us as well,” Branham said. “We’ve become better leaders because of them. We always say ‘tradition never graduates,’ so they’ve left a lot with us.”
The six graduating players also made room for new players on the team’s 2013 roster. The Tide added four freshmen: Kallie Case, Andrea Hawkins, Leona Lafaele and Haylie McCleney. Braud said she sees great potential in her new teammates who have worked hard in preparation for the season.
“They have great work ethic,” Braud said. “They’ve stepped up in ways that will fill the shoes of some of [last year’s] seniors.”
The incoming freshmen come out of high school with statistics that landed them as some of the top recruits in the country. Hawkins stole 27 bases in her 27 attempts during her senior season. McCleney showed up at the plate with a .692 batting average in 2012, while Case was named the No. 28 recruit in the country by ESPN Rise.
Branham said she is impressed with the capabilities the freshmen have shown this year. Their speed and their power have allowed them to mesh well with their veteran teammates.
Braud said the dynamic of the team stretches past the field. The freshmen have become great friends with the rest of the team and have no drama on or off the diamond. The team’s chemistry has helped them practice as hard as ever, even though the team won the championship last season.
“As far as the team chemistry, it’s outstanding,” Braud said. “We get along extremely well. Nobody feels like we’re entitled. No one is feeling laid back after winning it all last year.”
Leading in today’s Crimson White:
Crimson Tide loses 87-54 at Florida moves to 2-7 in SEC
