Monday, January 25 marked the start of the Spring 2010 semester here at Plattsburgh State (welcome back!). More topically, however, last Monday was the starting point of the PSUC softball team's rigorous field house practice regimen.
Our practices and how we approach them/perform will be a key factor in our success as we approach the season. The girls are fully aware of this fact. Slacking will get you nowhere. You will get what you give in. This team as it stands has the potential to be great. It's at practice where we make that greatness a possibility. Perfect is impossible. No team in Division III softball will be perfect. It's simply an impossible and unattainable feat. However, we as a squad and as a cohesive unit can be great. We'll start by working our way up to the level of "very good." The coaching staff firmly believes that we're a good team right now. But "good" will not get you where you want to be. To achieve the kind of success we have in mind, we will have to be great. Of course greatness comes at a price. It's devoting yourself fully as a player to becoming great. It's busting your butt night in and night out at practice. It's giving everything you've got and somehow finding a way to top that effort the next day. It's hitting the gym in whatever spare time you might find. It's building close relationships with your teammates. It's believing in your coaches. It's a solid commitment that, simply put, you've got to be "all about." That's what makes good teams very good and what makes very good teams great. That's what wins games. You cannot get by on talent alone. You have to commit to every aspect of what greatness entails.
As a team, we've completed three full practices at the field house (7:00pm-9:30pm). The coaching staff has had the girls working on all aspects of the game of softball. We've worked on our hitting, of course. This includes live hitting off Coach Zweig, front toss in the batting cage, hitting off tees, bunting/slapping, and hitting live off our starting pitchers. The infield and outfield have been completing their drills as well. Assistant Coach Roberts has worked primarily with the infield. They've worked situational drills, fielding groundballs, base coverage scenarios, double plays, fielding bunts, and general strategy. The outfield, led by Coach Prudhomme, has seen shoe string catch drills, communication exercises, cut-off drills, and the five-point "star" drill. Finally, the catching unit has been working directly with their pitchers for the first few days of practice. They'll expect some technique analysis and drills from Coach Roberts in the coming practices.
The next Cardinal practice is scheduled for tonight -- Thursday, January 28 at 7:00pm in the field house. Being the fourth straight night of practice, we'll expect to start seeing soreness set in and likely some general fatigue. But perseverance is just another essential factor of what makes a good team great.
With every passing day and every practice completed find ourselves one step closer to our season opener on March 13. We've gotten better and better as a team with every passing night and this trend must continue if we hope to have a successful season.
We have 44 days until our season opener against New England College. Countless practices lie ahead. We've got 20+ girls, but 1 team and 1 goal. Where we go as a team will be determined by how we perform, how we perform is shaped by what we get out of practice; and practices just started three days ago. It's an exciting time of the year and our campaign has only just begun.
Thanks for checking in. More to follow.
Link to 2010 Plattsburgh State softball schedule: http://web.plattsburgh.edu/athletics/cardathletics/softball/schedule.php
Plattsburgh Softball 2010
"No Regrets."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
An Off-Season In Review, And A Look Ahead
Happy New Year!
This entry marks the first of several 'blogs for the upcoming 2010 Cardinal Softball campaign. The coaching staff thanks you for your interest in the Plattsburgh State Softball program. We gladly welcome such support for our squad with open arms and much appreciation.
It's been an interesting and eventful off-season for the program. First and foremost, Plattsburgh's head softball coach for the past 10 seasons, Sean Cotter, is no longer at the helm. Cotter offered his resignation late last summer upon accepting an offer to become the head softball coach at The University of Massachusetts Lowell, a Division II institution. At UMass Lowell he'll take over the reins for Harry Sauter, who will remain on the staff as an assistant coach after serving 15 seasons as head coach. During his tenure as PSUC's head softball coach, Cotter brought the program to unprecedented heights including 10 consecutive SUNYAC Softball Tournament appearances, 2 SUNYAC Regular Season Championships, 1 SUNYAC Tournament Championship, 2 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (including 1 Northeast Regional Championship and World Series berth in 2007 and 1 Regional Final appearance in 2006). With 254 career victories under his belt at PSUC, he departed as the winningest coach in the program's history. The returning players as well as the current coaching staff thank Sean Cotter for a decade of service and commitment to the program. We wish him nothing but the best.
With the departure of Cotter, the search began late in the summer of '09 for his replacement. Ultimately our Athletic Director Bruce Delventhal promoted former Cotter assistant Stephanie Zweig to the position of Interim Head Coach for the 2010 season. Zweig made her coaching debut last season with the Cards, serving primarily as the team's pitching coach. She, herself, is a former Cardinal standout and one of the all-time great Cardinals. Serving as a pitcher from 2004-2008, Zweig earned all-conference honors in recognition of her excellence in 2006, 2007, and 2008. She was honored as SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons -- 2006 and 2007. She was also a leader of the Cardinal squads that reached the Northeast Regional Final in 2006 as well as The Division III Women's College World Series in 2007. An accomplished player with a year of coaching experience under her belt, Zweig takes over for Cotter and carries high expectations and enthusiasm into the 2010 season. She will be assisted by returning assistant coach Mark Roberts as well as newcomer Jamie Prudhomme. Prudhomme, a former Cardinal player under Cotter from 2002-2006, will primarily work with the outfielders of the team while Roberts will mainly assist the catching unit.
On the heels of a disappointing 2009 campaign, the Cardinal Softball program has seen some big changes and shake-ups. The leader of our program essentially since its beginnings is gone. Two of the best pitchers ever to grace "the circle" at Cardinal Park are now 2 years removed. Last season's staff ace is gone. We've had players come and go, some graduating and some leaving for other reasons. But even with all of these facts present, there has been an undeniable sense of optimism and excitement amongst players and coaches alike. There's a definite buzz around the program. We have new players, new assistants, and a "new sheriff in town" in Coach Zweig. There's a renewed faith and a new feel to this team that many returning players have admitted they did not feel throughout all of last season. A strong senior class in Amy Woo, Danielle Gjergji, Ashley Napear, Nicole McKee, and Nicole Pomponio will return to cap off their careers and hope to bring closure to their 4 years in style.
With preliminary Fall Semester practices behind them as well as a "Fall Ball" doubleheader with St. Michael's, the Cards will hold their first practice of the Spring Semester on Monday, January 25. Starting at 7:00pm on that date it's foot-on-the-gas and no looking back for the team. Fittingly, our team motto for the year is "No Regrets." We look forward to a productive couple of months as we near our season opener at the Dot Richardson Tournament in Clermont, Florida in March.
Thanks for stopping by. More to follow.
Plattsburgh Softball 2010
"No Regrets."
This entry marks the first of several 'blogs for the upcoming 2010 Cardinal Softball campaign. The coaching staff thanks you for your interest in the Plattsburgh State Softball program. We gladly welcome such support for our squad with open arms and much appreciation.
It's been an interesting and eventful off-season for the program. First and foremost, Plattsburgh's head softball coach for the past 10 seasons, Sean Cotter, is no longer at the helm. Cotter offered his resignation late last summer upon accepting an offer to become the head softball coach at The University of Massachusetts Lowell, a Division II institution. At UMass Lowell he'll take over the reins for Harry Sauter, who will remain on the staff as an assistant coach after serving 15 seasons as head coach. During his tenure as PSUC's head softball coach, Cotter brought the program to unprecedented heights including 10 consecutive SUNYAC Softball Tournament appearances, 2 SUNYAC Regular Season Championships, 1 SUNYAC Tournament Championship, 2 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (including 1 Northeast Regional Championship and World Series berth in 2007 and 1 Regional Final appearance in 2006). With 254 career victories under his belt at PSUC, he departed as the winningest coach in the program's history. The returning players as well as the current coaching staff thank Sean Cotter for a decade of service and commitment to the program. We wish him nothing but the best.
With the departure of Cotter, the search began late in the summer of '09 for his replacement. Ultimately our Athletic Director Bruce Delventhal promoted former Cotter assistant Stephanie Zweig to the position of Interim Head Coach for the 2010 season. Zweig made her coaching debut last season with the Cards, serving primarily as the team's pitching coach. She, herself, is a former Cardinal standout and one of the all-time great Cardinals. Serving as a pitcher from 2004-2008, Zweig earned all-conference honors in recognition of her excellence in 2006, 2007, and 2008. She was honored as SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons -- 2006 and 2007. She was also a leader of the Cardinal squads that reached the Northeast Regional Final in 2006 as well as The Division III Women's College World Series in 2007. An accomplished player with a year of coaching experience under her belt, Zweig takes over for Cotter and carries high expectations and enthusiasm into the 2010 season. She will be assisted by returning assistant coach Mark Roberts as well as newcomer Jamie Prudhomme. Prudhomme, a former Cardinal player under Cotter from 2002-2006, will primarily work with the outfielders of the team while Roberts will mainly assist the catching unit.
On the heels of a disappointing 2009 campaign, the Cardinal Softball program has seen some big changes and shake-ups. The leader of our program essentially since its beginnings is gone. Two of the best pitchers ever to grace "the circle" at Cardinal Park are now 2 years removed. Last season's staff ace is gone. We've had players come and go, some graduating and some leaving for other reasons. But even with all of these facts present, there has been an undeniable sense of optimism and excitement amongst players and coaches alike. There's a definite buzz around the program. We have new players, new assistants, and a "new sheriff in town" in Coach Zweig. There's a renewed faith and a new feel to this team that many returning players have admitted they did not feel throughout all of last season. A strong senior class in Amy Woo, Danielle Gjergji, Ashley Napear, Nicole McKee, and Nicole Pomponio will return to cap off their careers and hope to bring closure to their 4 years in style.
With preliminary Fall Semester practices behind them as well as a "Fall Ball" doubleheader with St. Michael's, the Cards will hold their first practice of the Spring Semester on Monday, January 25. Starting at 7:00pm on that date it's foot-on-the-gas and no looking back for the team. Fittingly, our team motto for the year is "No Regrets." We look forward to a productive couple of months as we near our season opener at the Dot Richardson Tournament in Clermont, Florida in March.
Thanks for stopping by. More to follow.
Plattsburgh Softball 2010
"No Regrets."
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