They don’t get all the headlines or play in front of sell-out crowds. Their names are not the most well known on campus, nor is the sport they play. But the Fairfield softball team, ranked first in the pre-season MAAC coaches’ poll, may be the best and humblest varsity team to play for Fairfield this spring.
The Stags, who return every player from their 2005 team, which bowed out in the MAAC semi-finals to finish a 31-27 season, may well be the school’s best shot at a conference title, but unlike with many teams throughout the league and the country, it hasn’t gone to their heads.
“It’s great to know that people other than ourselves believe we can win the championship this season,” says junior catcher Shannon Logan. “However, it does not mean much. Preseason rankings are just that. We still have to work hard throughout the entire season to win the championship.”
Last year, the Stags came just short of the league title and a birth to the NCAA tournament. They were seeded second going into the MAAC tournament with a regular season MAAC record of 10-6, but lost the last two games of the tournament to Iona and Canisus – a blunder that Head Coach Julie Brzezinski is hoping to avoid this year.
“Our major goal is to finish the end of our season as the strongest part of our season,” says Brzezinski. “We want to peak at the end and finish what we started.”
“I think returning almost every player from last year and gaining some strong freshmen will help out a lot this season,” says Logan. “Last year we were a young team and still achieved great things, minus a championship. Each player from last year has gained a year of experience, and can now communicate more effectively. We understand each others strengths and weaknesses after an entire season together and can definitely use that as a strong base in preparation for the upcoming season.”
The season starts in North Carolina on March 3 with five games in a Pirate Classic non-conference tournament.
Then the team goes down to Orlando for 10 games in the Rebel Classic, another tournament that will not affect their conference standing. Overall the team will play more than 50 games, 22 of which will take place at Fairfield.
“We play some great teams at home so we would really love to see support. We’re located in the middle campus area so kids walking back from classes should stop by and watch some good fast pitch,” Brzezinski says.
Logan also wants to encourage students to support the team.
“Our fan base is limited, but we appreciate all the support from our ‘superfans,'” she says. We understand softball might not be the most entertaining sport to watch, but screaming out windows in Jogues or Campion, or stopping by for an inning or two on the way, or returning from, class will surely make us a feel a little better. And hey, the fun is free of charge.”
Another incentive the team is hoping will help bring fans is Fairfield’s hosting of the MACC tournament. The opportunity provides the Stags with a rare insentive to play for: winning a league title on its home field, in front of their home fans.
“I hope that we not only do well in conference play, but actually go all the way in the tournament. It’s starting to become a habit to choke in the end, and I’m hoping we can pull through this year,” says Erin Frank ’08, who led the team in home runs (nine) and RBIs (41) last year as a freshman.
The do not want past failings or preseason talk to prevent them from achieving their goals.
“My goal for the team is to win the MAACs. We have come so close every year. We have everything it takes. We just need to push through at the very end when it really counts,” says senior pitcher Tara Hansen, the pre-season MAAC Player of the Year.
But even with Hansen and fellow pitcher Cagney Ringnalda ’07, a first team All-MAAC selection, leading the way, and arguably the best corps of young talent in the league, as far as Hansen is concerned, the team hasn’t accomplished a thing.
“It’s an honor to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll,” she says. “This just goes to show that everyone knows our capabilities. We now need to live up to this ranking and prove to all those coaches that voted for us that they are right. It’s what happens at the end that counts. We can’t sit and rely on a pre-season poll.”
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