黑料专区

The stars of 黑料专区鈥檚 34th softball team had much to celebrate this past spring.

On May 12, the Falcons鈥� Emma Chopko 鈥�25 belted a two-run homer in the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader in which Pfeiffer swept Greensboro College to capture the USA South Championship. The blast was one of many by Pfeiffer batters during an afternoon that also saw stellar pitching by Pfeiffer鈥檚 Kali Morton 鈥�24 over two games.

As USA South champs, the Falcons gained an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. They would advance to the NCAA Regional Championship game with a 6-3 win over No. 20 Rowan University. That victory forced a second championship game, in which Rowan claimed a 5-3 win.

Monte Sherrill 鈥�87 completed his eighth season as the head coach of Pfeiffer鈥檚 softball team by compiling a 35-13 record. He acknowledged that obvious factors (e.g., great hitting, pitching, and fielding) accounted for a stellar season: 鈥淭o play at the collegiate level, you have to be talented, and we鈥檙e very, very talented.鈥�

But he stressed that far more explains his program鈥檚 success, from perfecting 鈥渢he smaller parts of the game, the nuances that a lot of fans don鈥檛 see鈥� to focusing on the team above all else.

鈥淲e鈥檙e putting aside individual goals for what鈥檚 best for our unit,鈥� Sherrill said, echoing values he came to embrace during a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very mission-oriented and focused on the task at hand, and the players have bought into that philosophy during my time at Pfeiffer.鈥�

Several players painted a picture of complete commitment to the Sherrill way, which owes a lot to the late Joe Ferebee, the legendary coach for whom Sherill played baseball during his student days at Pfeiffer.

Chopko said that she and her teammates 鈥渞eally are in it for the whole team.鈥� This means, for example, that an older starter might help a younger reserve master her position or simply become a source of support outside of practice hours.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that I鈥檝e never seen in another team culture before,鈥� she said.

Gretchen Wolpert 鈥�25, who plays first base and catcher, likened her team to 鈥渁 military unit鈥� in which everyone fulfills a role for the betterment of the group, whether she鈥檚 on the field or not. The roles extend to uncommon areas: Before home games, for example, each member of the team pitches in to ready the field for play because there are no groundskeepers.

鈥淓veryone has a certain (field-maintenance) responsibility,鈥� said outfielder Gracie Griffin 鈥�25. 鈥淎nd because of that, everyone becomes a leader in their own way.鈥�

Wolpert stressed that her team always focuses on 鈥渃ontrolling the controllable and moving away from things we can鈥檛 control.鈥�

One thing that鈥檚 always in the Falcons鈥� control, it seems, is the intensity of their practices. Wolpert, a Sport Management major from Ambler, Pa., called them 鈥渢he hardest you鈥檒l probably ever see in your life,鈥� with players focusing on everything from the finer points of rundowns to a pickoff play in which an opposing team鈥檚 runner is thrown out on second base, having been lulled into thinking that the catcher will always throw to the pitcher.

鈥淲e always keep moving,鈥� Wolpert said. 鈥淭he drills don鈥檛 stop.鈥� And some of the drills are amazingly demanding: In one of them, the entire team stands in the outfield waiting to catch popups hit to them by a coach. The drill isn鈥檛 finished until 10 popups are caught in a row.

For Griffin, such demands were a small price to pay for the great experience she enjoyed on 黑料专区鈥檚 34th softball team.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be any more thankful to be a part of Team 34 this year,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was my favorite team that I鈥檝e played for. There have been a lot of memories that I鈥檝e made with the team. This team is special.鈥�