Slugging for Success: Bay Path Wildcats Softball

The Bay Path college softball team is headed into its biggest winning season. Just ask Coach Steve Smith and the members of the Wildcat team.

“We're going to dominate this conference this year," said sophomore Kristal Cormier. “We're going to not just be, ‘Oh there's Bay Path, easy win.’ We're going to be the team to beat.”

From being a club to becoming a varsity sport, the softball team already has made many achievements, biggest winning season or not. The drive behind this year’s team is the love for the game.

The team has many strengths that keep them playing strong. “We have a lot of players who can play a variety of positions,” said junior Sarah Palmer.

Also, the team’s “defense is strong. We are having good pitching and eight strong field positions,” said Carr.

In addition to their on-the-field prowess, the team also does bonding activities to get revved up for game days.

“Sometimes for away games we have ‘psych’ buddies,” said Tianna Carr, “where you get a person water, candy or something they like with an inspirational quote. Team dinners or team t-shirts for a big game or sometimes we might decide to have a game night or movie night. It changes on who throws out ideas and how busy people's schedules are.”

“Softball is my life,” said Cormier. “I live and breathe softball. This is the sport that I could never give up, no matter what.”

The fifteen women on the team practice Monday through Friday. It is a true time commitment.

“I only have a small window to do my homework, so I just do it. Also letting my professors know my schedule is good because they always help me out and even come to my games. It's all about smart time management,” said senior Tianna Carr.

Coach Steve Smith could tell them something about that. Smith has been dedicated to the sport of softball and has been a coach of various teams since his youth.

With 16 years of coaching experience, Coach Smith has led the Wildcat softball team since its inception.

“The team started as a club and evolved over about 4 years into the varsity team we now have,” said Smith. “The team has always been competitive and 2008 is off to a great start.”

“This is the last year in the North Atlantic Conference, (NAC) and we have goals of winning half of our games and qualifying for the NAC Championships at the end of the season," explained Smith. "After this academic year is over Bay Path College, along with eight other small private New England Colleges will be in the newly formed New England Collegiate Conference, NECC along with Becker, Elms, Lesley, Wheelock, Mitchell, Newbury, Daniel Webster and Southern Vermont College,” Smith said.

Getting the support from members of the Bay Path community may seem like a small mountain to climb.

“Dave Wallace is the FAR (Faculty Athletic Rep) and his job is to connect athletics with faculty. He gets more of the faculty to come to the games,” Smith said. Professor Wallace teaches in the psychology department.

“Some teams get more fans than others. I think softball is lucky because a lot of students and staff and faculty don't mind the walk to South Campus especially as it gets warmer out. Also spreading the word around campus gets the community involved,” said Tianna Carr.

The team has their confidence and dedication to persevere through the challenges that lay ahead of them. With the love the game and the support from the Bay Path community, a successful season is in clear sight.