The Daily OrangeSU seniors on softball team hope for playoff run to cement legacy
By Andrew L. John
Posted: 5/6/09, 6:29 PM EST Section: Sports
Entering the season, senior Amy Kelley had hoped her class would somehow find a way to leave its mark on the Syracuse softball program, a mark on the program that would carry down through the years.
And after leading the Orange to its second-best record in program history, the class may be well on its way.
"We wanted to leave a legacy," said Kelley, one of three senior captains. "Tradition never graduates. So we wanted to build a tradition and hopefully we have."
Now, with postseason tournaments underway, Kelley and her five senior teammates - Jamie Kelling, Nicole Miller, Jorden Rosen and Lindsay Wasek - have an ideal opportunity to build upon that legacy.
The fourth-seeded Orange (30-20, 12-10 Big East) will face fifth-seeded South Florida (33-21, 12-10 Big East) Thursday in the opening round of the Big East tournament at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Ky. It will be the first meeting between the two teams this season since the April 4 doubleheader was cancelled due to inclement weather.
And with SU's last conference tournament victory coming against Villanova in 2005, winning a game or two in the tournament would hold some significance. In 2005, four of the five seniors were wrapping up their high school careers, and shortstop Kelling was finishing her freshman season at Northern Iowa. A win in the tournament would be a first for every player on the roster.
At the beginning of the season, the senior class was given the task of steering a team with eight freshmen into the upper echelon of the Big East. While the underclassmen held their own weight, it was the leadership and work ethic of the seniors that guided the Orange into its current position and created a comfortable situation for the newcomers.
"They've been our leadership all year," freshman Stephanie Watts said. "They've all been here before, they've shown us the way and the rest of us follow their lead."
That guidance and direction provided by the senior class is a primary reason the Orange enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed. SU head coach Leigh Ross said that whether it was a 6 a.m. workout or staying late to improve technique, the members of the senior class have helped cultivate the type of atmosphere that produces winning results.
And after leading the Orange to its second-best record in program history, the class may be well on its way.
"We wanted to leave a legacy," said Kelley, one of three senior captains. "Tradition never graduates. So we wanted to build a tradition and hopefully we have."
Now, with postseason tournaments underway, Kelley and her five senior teammates - Jamie Kelling, Nicole Miller, Jorden Rosen and Lindsay Wasek - have an ideal opportunity to build upon that legacy.
The fourth-seeded Orange (30-20, 12-10 Big East) will face fifth-seeded South Florida (33-21, 12-10 Big East) Thursday in the opening round of the Big East tournament at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Ky. It will be the first meeting between the two teams this season since the April 4 doubleheader was cancelled due to inclement weather.
And with SU's last conference tournament victory coming against Villanova in 2005, winning a game or two in the tournament would hold some significance. In 2005, four of the five seniors were wrapping up their high school careers, and shortstop Kelling was finishing her freshman season at Northern Iowa. A win in the tournament would be a first for every player on the roster.
At the beginning of the season, the senior class was given the task of steering a team with eight freshmen into the upper echelon of the Big East. While the underclassmen held their own weight, it was the leadership and work ethic of the seniors that guided the Orange into its current position and created a comfortable situation for the newcomers.
"They've been our leadership all year," freshman Stephanie Watts said. "They've all been here before, they've shown us the way and the rest of us follow their lead."
That guidance and direction provided by the senior class is a primary reason the Orange enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed. SU head coach Leigh Ross said that whether it was a 6 a.m. workout or staying late to improve technique, the members of the senior class have helped cultivate the type of atmosphere that produces winning results.
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