At 18-6 the No. 11 ranked University of Tampa softball team has handled the season to date like business as usual. The Spartans stand at 6-3 in Sunshine State Conference play after breezing through their non-conference schedule going 11-2. The team has also managed to downplay extremely high expectations following last year’s astounding 37-8 record.
The Spartans have won big time games already such as beating ranked Columbus State twice as well as taking two of three games this past weekend from fellow SSC foe Rollins.
Head Coach Leslie Kanter acknowledged the difficulty in maintaining form following a great season saying with a smile, “It’s certainly a tough act to follow.” Despite the expectations however, the Spartans have kept piling on the wins. Behind All-American pitcher, Kayla Cox, the team has rallied to multiple wins despite losing some key players from last year’s squad including another All-American pitcher, Deanna Henriott.
Cox, at 13-3 on the season with an ERA at a microscopic 0.41, hasn’t lost any of her last season form that earned her All-American honors. “I knew she could do it last year,” said Kanter. “She has definitely carried the load to this point.”
Despite Cox dominating, the Spartans have seen key contributions from numerous other outlets. “We’ve done well the past five years bringing in kids who can play,” said Kanter.
Pitcher Julia Morrow, 5-3 this year, is among the latter. “[Julia] Morrow played a big game for us against Rollins,” said Kanter, going five innings allowing just one run. The Spartans finished their three-game bout with No. 6 ranked Rollins winning two of three.
Senior outfielder Brie Walton commented on the series against rival Rollins. “It was nice taking two of three from Rollins,” Walton said. “Three [wins] of three is what we expect in most series but Rollins is solid so two of three will do.”
Another key contributor has been sophomore first baseman Meagan Burke. Burke is batting a team-leading .329 and leads the team with three home runs. “Of course the expectations are high,” said Burke on this season compared to last. “We really didn’t know what to expect with a few key losses in personnel but we’ve got a good group of girls.”
The offensive production has been the biggest issue for the Spartans. “The lack of hitting has been the only real surprise,” said Coach Kanter. “We’re struggling to string hits together, but this past weekend at Rollins was definitely more of an offensive positive.”
“We lost of couple of our big hitters last year,” said Walton. “But the chemistry has been there more than ever this year than in my previous years.”
Chemistry and hard work are certainly two components that contribute to a positive season. Senior left fielder Katie Bannon, hitting right around .300 on the year, acknowledges that fact. “Hard work pays off,” said Bannon. “But we’ve got a range of personalities on the team and that helps us lighten up at times.“
The team has 12 games left on the SSC schedule including a three-game series against Barry who top the SSC standings at 7-2. “Barry’s got a lot of speed and a lot of lefty batters that make you make the plays in the field,” said Walton. The Spartans have already beaten Barry once this season earning a 1-0 win in a tightly pitched game by Cox.
Though there will be much at stake in those three games, the team remains confident that come tournament time, they should be there. “We’ve definitely got the pitching to go all the way,” said Coach Kanter.
Yet, even with the hitting, which has recently picked up in question, the Spartan’s morale is high. “We have a lot of potential, and I think we’ve got enough to see it through the end,” said Walton.