The NCC Cardinals softball team is hoping to carry their hot start over spring break into the regular season.
Coach Venus Taylor believes she has a very athletic team with an aggressive style of play and a competitive spirit.
“We have a talented team with the ability to compete for the CCIW Championship. I am excited to see their improvement and growth. If they play like they are fully capable, we will have a successful season. Seeing them thrive together is what I look the most forward to,” said Taylor.
She says the biggest difference from last year is that the team is more experienced, athletic and stronger. “We have spent time in the weight room with the goal of hitting extra-base hits and being stronger and faster. We are also more experienced, which should help us to handle the pressure in a more confident and relaxed state,” she said.
Starting strong in Florida
The Cardinals opened the spring break trip on March 12 in Leesburg, FL, with wins against Roger Williams University, New Paltz and Stockton University in 11 innings. The team fell short in their following two games against New York University and Concordia University-Wisconsin.
They ended their Spring Break trip the same way it started, with a three-game winning streak against the University of Minnesota Morris, SUNY Geneseo and Curry College to finish the trip 6-2.
Talia Torosian, ’24, started all 43 games for the Cardinals last season and led the team with five home runs and hit .285 with 37 hits, nine doubles, 23 runs scored, 23 RBI and 11 walks. After a great 2021 season, Torosian hopes to continue her success into 2022.
She recognizes that despite going 6-2 on the spring break trip, the team must continue to do the little things. Torosian wants to continue to be a leader on the field and become a more consistent hitter. For her team goals, she wants to win the conference, compete as a team at the highest level and beat Millikin.
“Our defense is more solid than last year. We go for balls we never would have last year because we train with that intensity, and it shows that we have power hitters throughout our whole lineup, and I think that by having that, we will be a force this year,” said Torosian.
The team has credited their hot start to chemistry and coaching
Taylor believes the spring break trip went very well and was a great learning experience. She was very happy with the team’s ability to get extra-base hits, defense and pitch out of jams.
Taylor says the team’s experience is the biggest change from last season. “We have an incredibly talented senior class. We have learned and grown a lot, and I think that growth will prove to be our strength,” she said.
“We also really bond with new Head Coach Taylor. She wants the absolute best for us and has pushed us to be the best team we can be. We know our strengths and can compete with every team we play. We are 100% ready and know what we can do,” said Andrea Richards, ’22.
Richards is eager to carry the momentum back home. “We are a very competitive team and even will give the “ranked” teams a good run for their money. I would consider us a team that should be viewed as a very tough team to play against,” she said.
She is excited for this season because of the team’s experience. “I feel like this year we are so much stronger and versatile all-around. We have the ability to win the conference tournament and go far into regionals as well,” she said.
Gianna Corban is the conference’s Pitcher of the Week for her performance on the spring break trip. She pitched in the final three games of the trip, in which she posted a 2-0 record while giving up just one earned run over her 14 innings pitched, good for an ERA of 0.64. She had 23 strikeouts and pitched a complete game in the Cardinals’ win over Geneseo.
