Is there any better feeling than winning a championship with your team? Hold your breath as you count down the seconds until the buzzer sounds. Storm the field with your team, all cheering, and then start a dogpile.
The Longwood softball team knows this feeling very well. The Lancers have won the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Big South Softball Championships. After the third time, some people may wonder, how have they done it? Or will they do it again?
“One of the things you're after is to teach your athletes to be successful, and what is the equation to being successful? There are a lot of different facets to that, and because if that equation was easy we would all figure out what it is,” said head coach Kathy Riley.
The Longwood softball team has won three Big South Championships over the past four years, and as a result, will host the 2017 Big South Softball Championship in the spring. The Lancers are working toward winning their fourth Big South Championship at their own home field, and with the addition of two new assistant coaches to their staff, they are moving in the right direction.
Riley added former Longwood shortstop and four-time All-Big South selection Emily Murphy to the softball coaching staff as an assistant this fall. Murphy is from Virginia Beach, Va., and helped lead the Lancers to their three Big South Championships during her career. Her role as a part of the coaching staff will be to assist with hitting and infield defense.
"I'm thankful that Emily has decided to join our coaching staff," Riley said on the official Longwood athletics website. "We were lucky enough to see her maturation as a person and player the last four years. Her addition will be a big benefit for our entire program."
Riley also added former All-American catcher and two-time Big South Player of the Year Megan Baltzell as a volunteer assistant this fall. Baltzell was a 2015 graduate of Longwood, and helped lead the Lancers to two Big South Championships. Baltzell is Longwood's all-time leader in the Division I era in career batting average as she posted three seasons in a row with an average of .400 or better. She also finished among the top-10 all-time in NCAA history with 76 career home runs, twice finishing in the top three in the nation in 2013 (30) and 2015 (27). Baltzell’s role will be to assist with hitting and catching.
Baltzell spent one year away between her playing career at Longwood and beginning her coaching career. In this time, she coached a U-18 travel softball team and traveled all around the United States. After that, she decided to pursue a career in women’s baseball and competed on United States Women's National Softball Team in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. Following the tournament, she decided to come back to Longwood to pursue her coaching career.
“I wanted to experience coaching and what better place to do it than where I started and ended my softball career?” said Baltzell.
Winning three championship titles does not come without hard work. In their preseason, the players start their days at 5:30 a.m. with either a weight lifting or a gym practice. They work until their classes begin at 8 a.m., and then come back out in the afternoon for a team practice at their field.
“Our program is built on hard work and respect. I think first we want to make sure that we understand how to treat each other, and how to treat other people that we come in contact with,” said Riley. “The other thing is to work hard every day and understand that it’s a process.”
The team has proven that this hard work does pay off. However, they have not eased off in their work ethic due to winning the past two years. In fact, they continue to work hard and push to get better every day.
“I love that my team is competitive, and that the upperclassmen work hard and work to push our freshmen and sophomores to work harder, so we can keep our culture strong this year,” said junior outfielder Glenn Walters.
The Lancers will host the Big South Softball Championship on May 10-13 at Lancer Field. This is Longwood’s first time hosting a full postseason tournament since joining the Big South conference in 2012.
“Money was donated, so we are able to add cushioning in our outfield this year. So, our field will be ready. It is exciting to host, so hopefully more people will come out and support us,” said Walters.
Longwood will return 15 letterwinners for the 2017 season, including six starters and all four of their pitchers. They enter the season hoping to defend their title in front of their home fans.
Head coach Kathy Riley (center) talks to junior pitcher Elizabeth McCarthy (right) and freshman catcher Kaylynn Batten.
