Friday Features: Freshmen set to jumpstart West Florida softball
By Maurice Patton
Most parents eventually come to the realization that no one loves their children as much as they do.
Ditto for coaches.
But veteran
West Florida softball coach
Melissa Paul has received some validation for the affection she has for her freshman class over the first half of the Gulf South Conference season.
Outfielder
Rachel Wright was recognized this week as the GSC Freshman of the Week, becoming the third Argonaut to be so honored in the last month and a half – joining infielders
Rhiannon Sassman (Feb. 16) and
Kathleen Smiley (Feb. 23).
“Everyone always thinks very highly of their freshmen. We had very high hopes for those three,” Paul said of the trio, which has helped West Florida to a 26-11 (13-8 GSC) performance entering this weekend’s three-game league series at Union.
“Putting them in the fire right away, getting them the experience is going to pay off not only in future years, but later in the season.”
It appears to be paying immediate dividends as well. All three are currently hitting in the top six spots in the Argonauts’ batting order and being productive. Sassman, in the No. 3 spot, takes a .331 batting average into the Union series with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 30 runs scored. Smiley, hitting fifth, is batting .292 with four homers and 29 runs driven in, with Wright following and hitting .307 with 29 runs scored.
Each of the three has faced their own set of challenges while making the transition to collegiate play.
Hampered by knee issues that caused her to miss her senior season of high school softball, Smiley redshirted last spring. Paul said the corner infielder has been worth the wait.
“We didn’t think she was 100 percent ready to go,” Paul said. “We tried not to be selfish and use her and waste a year. I think having a year under her belt helped her. We couldn’t wait to get her out there.
“Having extra time to really get strong really made a difference for her. She wasn’t moving as well (last year), wasn’t running as well as we needed her to be to get the most out of her. It was a mental thing, too – she was favoring it, thinking she was going to get hurt again. I don’t think she even thinks about it now. Sitting out that long was an extra motivation for her as well.”
Getting Sassman settled into a position hasn’t been easy – a development that has worked in West Florida’s favor.
“We had expected big things hitting from her, but it’s tough not playing where you’re most comfortable,” Paul said. “We’d been using her a lot as a catcher. We wanted her to get a lot of reps at shortstop, but we don’t want to burn out our No. 1 catcher. She’d catch Game 2 of a doubleheader, but she wasn’t getting the reps at shortstop she needed. Then we had an injury at third base, so we moved her over there and she’s reacted so nicely, really done a tremendous job. Without shuffling too much of the lineup, she’s filled in nicely over there.
“She’s been a tremendous asset as a utility player, and we can’t take her bat out of the lineup.”
Wright came in as the prototypical leadoff hitter, but moved down in the order as the season progressed.
“We knew she’d have ups and downs, but she’s a team favorite. No one works harder than her,” Paul said. “To see her have the success she’s had has been awesome. She’s a great option for leadoff – sees a lot of pitches, doesn’t let the pressure get to her. But she wasn’t seeing the results she wanted to and started getting outside her approach. We moved her down, she saw better pitches, the pressure was off and she’s come around this last two weeks.
“We’re excited to get her back on track.”
With three of West Florida’s remaining league series against teams in the bottom half of the standings, Paul is hopeful the freshmen can help in some upward mobility down the stretch. The Argonauts have won four straight – including a three-game sweep at Christian Brothers -- and six of their last eight since back-to-back sweeps at North Alabama and Alabama Huntsville.
“We had a couple of tough weekends right in a row, she said. “It showed us where we stood and made us better.
“We’re being very patient with (the freshmen) as they transition, being positive and supportive, reassuring them that they're in those positions for a reason and having full confidence in them. It’s only going to benefit us as we get into the latter part of the season and into the postseason.”
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