If you wake up early on a Saturday morning and head out to the William I. Jacobs Recreational Complex, you might notice a group of young women taking batting practice or lunging for fly balls. No, the university hasn't sprung for a new varsity sport, but the AU women's club softball team has been filling the spring athletic void quite nicely.
As one of four players who have been there from the start, team vice president and AU junior Christina Stella loves the progress her team has made in terms of relevancy.
"Every day, I fall more and more in love with the team," Stella said. "In the beginning it was unorganized, and it was difficult to have teammates act like a coach. When I took over as the president (last year) I tried to get more demand, so we put ourselves out on Facebook and 'Today at AU.' I've watched as we've gone from having only four girls show up to practice [during the first year] to [this year] seeing people show up, even before practice starts and show excitement."
Some of that excitement no doubt comes from the fact that the team currently boasts a 2-0 record, and will be competing against some major competition this season including Penn State and Maryland.
For junior Joanna Blatchly, the team president, the excitement simply comes from playing with girls who love to compete.
"It's a team sport so it makes it a lot of fun and we are all equally competitive," Blatchly said.
When she first came to AU, Stella, who played softball throughout high school, thought that she would have no chance to reclaim her passion for the sport. However, through the miracle of Facebook, that passion was renewed.
"I got involved because I was 'Facebooked' by a bunch of girls who wanted to start the team," Stella said. "I thought I was never going to find a team that would compare [to high school] but I just said I'd give it a shot. Today I absolutely love it."
Even through hectic class schedules and jobs, the team has managed to start the season with a 2-0 record for the first time in the club's short two-year history.
The team is coached by AU senior Ryan Sherwin, who is assisted by fellow senior Brayden Billbe, a graduating member of the men's basketball team.
"I think it's been great; the girls have been making a point to get out there and practice," Sherwin said. "They have a great attitude that combines winning and having fun at the same time."
In addition to its regular schedule, the team likes to scrimmage against groups on campus. This coming weekend, the club faces off against AU fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, an interesting matchup considering Sherwin is a member of the group.
Although some might favor the athletic fraternity, the team members are confident that they can hang tough and compete with the boys.
"Guys sometimes play with us, expecting it to be easy, and they usually have to duck back once they get in the game," said Stella. "We would wipe the floor with any competition a frat brought to us. I think they'd be in for a rude awakening."
In a classic conflict of interest, Sherwin will be representing his fraternity when he plays against his team in the game, which will take place this Friday at 4:30 p.m. on the home field.
"I'm pretty content with the Pike team's abilities," Sherwin said in response to Stella's comments. "It'll be interesting to see who's thoroughly awakened by the end of the game"
