TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

During your freshman season, your team finished with four Mid-American Conference wins. Now during your senior year, your squad is in contention for one of the six MAC Tournament berths. Aside from just the win total, how much progress do you feel that your team has made in recent years?
We have moved along so well. The talent that has come along each year has pushed us to another level. Only losing five players from last season, we still had a strong base in place this year. Plus, the incoming freshmen have had a huge impact. This program is growing and will continue to improve year-to-year.

Though it would require a strong finish to the regular season, what would qualifying for the MAC Tournament mean to you?
That would be an amazing experience. We have fought so hard this year to reach our goal, which – from the beginning of the season – was to make the tournament. We know we are good enough to go, but we need to win the key games that remain on our schedule.

This past weekend, junior pitcher Stacey Evans had her streak of 69.2 innings without giving up an earned run snapped. How instrumental has she been in keeping your team in some games this season?
Stacey has been a rock. The way she has been pitching this year has been unbelievable. In games where we’ve had trouble hitting, we just feel terrible because she pitches so amazing and deserves all the run support in the world. She has kept us in a lot of games and has just been absolutely fantastic this year.

As the only four-year starter in the infield, is there and increased level of responsibility and leadership for you in terms of team defense?
I guess you have to be vocal, making sure that everyone knows where they are going for a specific instance. It is important to keep everyone comfortable and relaxed.

Everyone needs knows what play is on, which depends upon how many outs there are and where the runners are. That way when the ball is hit you don’t have to think about it, because you already know what to do next.

Having started just about every game since coming to UB, what do you feel have been some of the biggest changes in you as a player?
I think with all the experience comes a certain comfort level. There isn’t as much of a tendency to be nervous anymore – you’ve been there before and know how to react. Now I can take my mind out of it and let my body handle everything.

Last season you had a team-high eight stolen bases. What do you look for when you are going to steal?
The key is getting a good jump. I feel like I can beat any catcher in the league if I get a good jump, but if I don’t I similarly feel that any catcher could throw me out. My coach (Marie Curran) has given me free reign to steal whenever I feel comfortable doing so, but a lot of the time I will wait for a signal.

You also led your team with nine sacrifices last season. How much pride do you take in being a team player during those instances?
I have always practiced that aspect of my game and have taken that role on for as long as I can remember. I have never been a big power hitter, so I know that if someone gets on before me that it is my job to move them into scoring position.

Both you and fellow senior Allison Round came to UB from Ontario. How much more difficult was it for the two of you to be recruited to play college softball in the United States, having come from Canada?
In my case, Allison and I played for the same summer team in the months before we came to UB. She had already been recruited to play at UB, but I had an extra year of high school remaining. So I wasn’t actually planning on leaving to play college softball at that point.

But Coach Curran came to see Allison at practice one day and then also saw and recruited me. When I came to Buffalo, I fell in love with the campus and decided that I didn’t need my remaining year in high school. It can probably be characterized as an unexpected, but natural step.

You are majoring in media studies and have put together some athletic video presentations, including one for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Is that what you would like to pursue in the future? Do you have any plans to remain involved with softball?
Right now I have a job set up, which involves running the softball program at a summer sports camp in Massachusetts. I am hoping to gain experience in that position and one day hope to coach softball. I would like to stay involved with college athletics in some way.

I also would like to stay involved in media-related projects. I really like making athletic videos, similar to what I did for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. It is interesting to show people what they have accomplished by putting it on video.

After a two-year hiatus, women’s professional softball will return this summer as the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. How much does your team follow professional softball and what type of exposure do you feel that it can create for your sport?
I think professional softball is great and I am glad that they are starting it back up. I still feel that it will take a couple years to grow and expand – and I really hope it does. At this point though, I think a lot of us are bigger baseball fans – and a lot our players are Yankee fans, unfortunately.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.