This early in the softball season, practicing on a basketball court can be maddeningly unavoidable. Even with snow finally melting away, fields are a muddy mess. The Greenfield softball team made due with some hitting and fielding drills as it prepares to embark on a new season on Wednesday.
Erich Leaper takes over for the Green Wave this season. With a baseball background, it’s all starting to come back for Leaper with each practice. Leaper spent some time coaching junior varsity baseball at Chicopee Comp.
“It feels good to be back,” Leaper said. “You don’t really remember what it all is until you are doing the drills. It reminds you of how fun it is.”
The Green Wave won a Western Mass. Class C championship last season before a loss in the state finals to Turners Falls. The players and the coaching staff are itching to get outside.
“Not ideal conditions,” Leaper said. “But we are doing our best. Pitching is looking good. We are working on a lot of fielding. We are going to try to work some stuff out today with some hitting.”
Hitters took turns launching indoor softballs all over Nichols Gymnasium. The Green Wave have some impressive swings along their potential starting lineup. Leaper hopes to continue the success of the softball program.
“Even though I wasn’t their coach I was very familiar,” Leaper said. “I know all the girls very well. I saw them play. I would talk about it with the girls after their games. I think there is some work to be done to really connect the community on things. I’ve been doing a lot of work with that with the soccer team in the last few years to really connect the youth groups to the middle to the high.
“They look good but there’s a ways to go,” Leaper said. “There’s always things we can work on. They all know that. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t want to get better.”
Stepping into a huge role this season is pitcher Olivia Lemay. Practicing in the gym has some benefits outside of just building skills. Sometimes team building can go beyond just what happens out on the field.
“We get to build connections with people that are new and that we might not have played with before” Lemay said. “It’s been good.”
She will not only be stepping into a starting role in the circle, but she will also anchor the lineup. Lemay’s swing is effortless, yet violent at the same time. In the circle, Lemay has an assortment of weapons at her disposal. She does not hesitate in the batter’s circle either.
“I use all my pitches whenever I can,” Lemay said. “I have confidence when I hit, I think that’s a big factor…I think confidence is the key to hitting.”
Lemay won’t do it by herself, as eighth grader Sammi Suhl figures to see time in the circle this season for the Green Wave. Suhl’s role will be more developmental. Leaper does not expect Lemay and Suhl to recreate what MacKenzie Paulin did for the Greenfield program during her decorated career.
“I don’t want them to think they have to get every single out themselves,” Leaper said. “I want the defense to be ready.”
As far as hitting, the Green Wave want to be aggressive yet smart at the same time in their approach.
“I would like to them be aggressive bit also smart with our swings,” Leaper said. “There’s a lot of girls out here who can hit well. We want to put them in good positions, get people on base. Score runs. Get hits. I want to make sure we are getting better situationally.”
The Green Wave open their season against South Hadley at Vets Field on March 27 against South Hadley at 4 p.m.