LYNN — After a 17-5 regular season last spring, St. Mary’s softball team is back in action. This time around the bases, the Spartans are looking to make another deep run in Division 3 after being eliminated in the Elite Eight last year.
Coach Colleen Newbury – whose Spartans are 1-1 – is optimistic about the season, despite fluctuating weather.
“The first few weeks have been good, considering what we had to deal with, weather- and space-wise,” she said. “It’s hard to get into a rhythm here this early with the inconsistency of the weather. Everyone is still smiling, so that’s good.”
Despite returning a good chunk of the roster, St. Mary’s lost five seniors due to graduation. Making matters worse, two seniors will miss this spring for differing reasons.
“We graduated five players, but lost two more, so seven people from last season’s team,” Newbury said. “We lost Brooke Moloney to an ACL injury that she suffered in the fall. We also lost another senior this season, Audrey Zinck. She’s going into the military, so she had to take some time off in the spring to get ready for that. I think she wanted to do some retreats at the school and do some volunteer work before she left.”
Moloney is still around the team, according to Newbury, and making her presence felt whether it’s giving advice or bringing energy.
“She’s around all the time. It’s hard for her because she loves softball. She’s the energy and the one always running around. She’s a three-year captain, so that’s a big deal,” Newbury said. “She kind of transferred into Coach Brooke a little bit. She can help the kids on deck, she can help them see some things when we’re in the field, and she’s in the dugout. We just have to utilize her talent – in bunt coverage or just bunting wherever she can help out. We just want her to get that leg ready for when she goes and plays at UMass Amherst. We love having her around.”
St. Mary’s standout sophomore pitcher, Aliza Crean-Oviedo, has returned in the circle.
“People forget that as an 8th grader, she was the starting shortstop. She’s super athletic. Last year, she put a lot of pressure on herself, having pitched behind Lily Newhall and Anna Fringuelli in the past. This year, she doesn’t have to do it all on her own like she kind of had to last year,” Newbury said. “Despite the fact we lost the first game and won the second game, she does put pressure on herself, but in a better way this year.”
Roma Braid, Ryleigh Williams, and Olivia DiSessa are three returners to keep an eye on, according to Newbury. Braid, Williams, and Moloney are captains.
“Roma has been catching since her freshman year. Ryleigh has been playing at first base the last couple of years,” Newbury said. “They just have really good experiences for a lot of the younger kids and teach them how to be loud. Communication is key to playing defense, and even if you guess wrong, just be wrong loud. We just need a lot of communication from both of them.”
When asked what she’s looking forward to most this season, Newbury pointed toward her younger student-athletes.
“Honestly, I’m just looking forward to the younger kids growing up. It may sound silly, but we have some good talent and it’s just about them understanding that talent and how they can improve it every day and not worry about what happened the day before,” she said. “Once that happens, hopefully, we’ll be in for another good year.”
