Softball: Major impact – Five achieving seniors play final weekend at Lamson Park

Kevin Foote, Daily Advertiser, April 4, 2013

Troy at UL

SERIES: 1 p.m. doubleheader today; 1 p.m. single game Sunday.
RADIO: KPEL 1420 AM.
TV: KLAF today.
RECORDS: Troy 20-27, 7-11; UL 34-11, 13-4.
TOP PITCHERS: Troy, Rachel Rigney (8-13, 4.24); Michaela Hamilton (5-5, 3.89); UL, Jordan Wallace (22-6, 1.79); Victoria Brown (7-1, 4.06).
TOP HITTERS: Troy, Caitlin Ortiz (.348, 3 HRs, 28 RBIs); Kacie McAllister (.333, 2 HRs, 25 RBIs); Chandler Griffin (.309, 3 HRs, 26 RBIs); UL, Nerissa Myers (.419, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs); Sarah Draheim (.413, 12 HRs, 48 RBIs); Brianna Cherry (.394, 10 HRs, 39 RBIs).

Five seniors. Five different stories. All 100 percent, full-fledged members of the UL Ragin’ Cajun softball family.

For four years, they’ve all heard it and all lived. Every player is just as important as the next. Every player has a role. It’s a sisterhood.

Perhaps all cliches, but all axioms preached by coach Michael Lotief that the girls adhere to and that have produced a lot of victories.

The other thing that all five seniors have in common is a special bond with the fans and ardent supporters of the program.

So while they’ll be focused, all five figure to experience an emotional moment or two this weekend when they played their final games at Lamson Park in a key Sun Belt Conference home series against Troy.

“My feelings are mixed,” All-American shortstop Nerissa Myers said. “It’s going to be sad to go on this field for the last time with the girls that you’ve competed with for four years, but it’s also exciting to be beginning the next stage in our lives.”

Myers and the other four seniors – catcher Sarah Draheim, first baseman Matte Haack, centerfielder Brianna Cherry and outfielder Megan Waterman – have certainly left their mark on the program.

They’ve built relationship and established new standards.

They’ve also learned that while there are more important things than softball, that still doesn’t mean you sacrifice the principles.

That means, once the game starts, it’s about focusing on the next pitch – and the emotions must take a back seat.

Sure, partly because the Cajuns (34-11, 13-4) are still trying to win the Sun Belt regular season title, but mostly because that’s what they’ve been taught to do throughout their careers.

“The emotions are going to be there, but after the game, we’ll have our Senior Day,” Myers said. “During the game, it’s all about the game.”

Myers arrived as a slow-pitch softball player with potential. She’ll leave as one of the best players the program’s ever produced.

Despite an injury this season, she’s still hitting .419 with seven doubles, six homers and 28 RBIs

“The injury definitely created a different path for my senior season, but all of our goals are still in front of us,” she said.

Haack’s story is a different one. She left Katy High in Texas highly heralded, but her stay at powerhouse Arizona of the Pac-10 wasn’t a successful one.

After transferring to UL last year, Haack has realized her potential. Her leadership skills have been invaluable and so has her versatility.

Primarily a first baseman, Haack has also played second base and right field this season.

“It’s only been two years, but I feel like I’ve been playing here for four years,” said Haack, who is currently hitting .331 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 44 RBIs.

In fact, Haack has liked her stay in Lafayette so much that she plans to make this her new home.

“The community took me in and everybody’s been so welcoming that I plan to live here after my playing days are over,” she said. “Everything has been great, from the school to the program to the coach to my teammates and the fans have been great.

“It’s just been a great experience. People welcomed me into their homes and just made me feel a part of the community right away. It’s just a great place.”

Waterman has been known more for her academic example as the Outstanding Graduate in her college earlier this season, but she also got her first career hit and first career homer earlier this season to also contribute on the field.

Draheim arrived as a backup catcher with promise. She began to display that potential as a junior and is now finishing up a senior season that will be difficult for any catcher to duplicate any time soon.

In addition to her superb defensive skills handling an unseasoned pitching staff, Draheim has delivered in her first season as a clean-up hitter, currently batting .413 with six doubles, 12 homers and 48 RBIs.

“The fans here have just been tremendous,” Draheim said. “They’ve always been there with us and for us – through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.”

Draheim said she arrived at UL just hoping “to be a good catcher at UL” and take over for Lana Bowers when her career ended.

Ironically, Bowers has since returned to the program as an assistant coach and now Draheim has raised the bar for their position at the school.

“And we’re trying to make sure that Shyanne (McDowell) and Linzey (Cifreo) are even better.”

Cherry’s path was somewhat similar to Draheim with a steady rise upward through her career, ending with a spectacular senior campaign.

Cherry is currently batting .394 with eight doubles, 10 homers and 39 RBIs.

“There’s going to be a little bit of a different feel to the games (this weekend),” Cherry said. “I have so many memories with these other four seniors. There’s a sense of accomplishment. There’s going to be a satisfying feeling getting on that field again with them.”

Cherry and her teammates have certainly experienced a lot of highs – like last year’s NCAA Regional win at Lamson Park and Super Regional at Arizona State – and also some trying times like earlier this season with off-the-field controversies and getting to double-digit losses earlier than normal.

“Yeah, we went through a little bit of a slump, but the details weren’t something we thought a lot about,” Cherry said. “We were really thinking about that next pitch and that next game.”

Like UL softball players are supposed to.