Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Irvine newest Calif. native to join Syracuse
By Andrew John
Posted: 4/24/08, 11:21 PM EST Section: Sports
When asked how to best describe Syracuse freshman first basemen Tawni Irvine, her coach at Murrieta Valley high school, Ann Romero-Parks, blurted out her answer before the question was even finished.
"Ultra-competitive," she said.
The multi-talented Irvine is the latest addition from the recruiting pipeline the Orange softball team has established in Southern California. This season she joined senior pitcher Chanel Roehner and junior infielder Nicole Miller as the third recruit in four years who has come from California.
When it came to accepting scholarship offers, Irvine, who was one of five players from her senior class to go on to play softball in college, was intrigued by the opportunity to compete on the other side of the country. She quickly made a connection when she took her official visit to SU during the summer.
"I came on my visit in the summer right before my freshman year and just fell in love with the school," Irvine said. "The campus is beautiful, the academics are great and being a part of the team is awesome."
Syracuse embarks on its final road trip this weekend, traveling to Pittsburgh for a noon doubleheader Saturday. The Orange fell to Canisius, 4-3, Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y.
The freshman Irvine has been a steady contributor in her first season for Syracuse (18-26, 9-7). She's started 28 of the teams 44 games, mostly at first base and designated hitter, and is batting .215. She delivered the game-winning RBI against Niagara on April 8.
While the coaching staff is excited to have a player who can play multiple positions, Irvine has her sights set on becoming a regular at her most comfortable position.
"They recruited me to play first base," Irvine said. "All through high school I played third, but because I was so tall they put me at first, and I got really comfortable there."
Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross, who spends her summers recruiting players at summer tournaments, says Irvine was a perfect fit for what the coaching staff was looking for.
"Ultra-competitive," she said.
The multi-talented Irvine is the latest addition from the recruiting pipeline the Orange softball team has established in Southern California. This season she joined senior pitcher Chanel Roehner and junior infielder Nicole Miller as the third recruit in four years who has come from California.
When it came to accepting scholarship offers, Irvine, who was one of five players from her senior class to go on to play softball in college, was intrigued by the opportunity to compete on the other side of the country. She quickly made a connection when she took her official visit to SU during the summer.
"I came on my visit in the summer right before my freshman year and just fell in love with the school," Irvine said. "The campus is beautiful, the academics are great and being a part of the team is awesome."
Syracuse embarks on its final road trip this weekend, traveling to Pittsburgh for a noon doubleheader Saturday. The Orange fell to Canisius, 4-3, Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y.
The freshman Irvine has been a steady contributor in her first season for Syracuse (18-26, 9-7). She's started 28 of the teams 44 games, mostly at first base and designated hitter, and is batting .215. She delivered the game-winning RBI against Niagara on April 8.
While the coaching staff is excited to have a player who can play multiple positions, Irvine has her sights set on becoming a regular at her most comfortable position.
"They recruited me to play first base," Irvine said. "All through high school I played third, but because I was so tall they put me at first, and I got really comfortable there."
Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross, who spends her summers recruiting players at summer tournaments, says Irvine was a perfect fit for what the coaching staff was looking for.
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