Highlights

Campus News

Wildcat Weekly Minute for Nov. 17, 2011

A look at what's happening on campus this week.

Faith

Cleansed through the Cross

Dr. Quarles speaks on the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice at weekly chapel

Sports

LC hoops teams wrap up homestand with pair of wins

Off to Ozarks, UT-Dallas next

Organizations

LC media student give to Toys for Tots

More than 100 toys will help local charity

Campus Life

February is Heart Health Awareness Month

Stay healthy and 'God Red'

Culture

All the Shakespeare you could laugh at… and more!

tlc's adaptation of 'Shakespeare Abridged' pulls out all the stops

Special Coverage

LC brings another successful ‘Follow the Star’

'Christmas on the Hill' and 'Gala' add to festive weekend

LC softball leaves memories from this year, hope for future years

by Al Quartemont

Program is now a national powerhouse

LC senior Jodi Montagnino put it about as well as you can for a senior who had just played her final college softball game.

"I was thinking all I have left is slow-pitch summer ball," Montagnino said after LC's 2-0 loss to ETBU in the NCAA Division III Regional Championship.

Montaginino is one of five seniors who played their final games in an LC uniform here Monday. All Jodi, Mary Alice Roy, Ashleigh Clement, Allison Frye and Aimee Dubroc had done as a combined unit the last four years was average 40 wins per season, make a trip to the World series in 2008, win two conference championships and took the Lady Wildcats' program to the top of the national rankings again this year. They will be missed. A lot. But, they'll miss a lot, too. Especially the fun times.

"It's great to win ballgames," Montagnino said. "But the friendships we made and the road trips that we had, you'll never forget that."

Neither will LC fans soon forget Montagnino. After coming to Pineville from Christian Life High School in Baton Rouge, Montagnino became the dominant hitter on this year's ballclub along with Roy who was voted ASC East Player-of-the-Year. But Montagnino took her game to a whole new level at the Regional. All she did was hit .400 in 5 games and smash three 2-run home runs. Her blast off ETBU's Ayrika Henderson's in Sunday's loss just landed in the southern tip of Rapides Parish.

It's not easy to replace five seniors, especially when those five are members of your starting lineup. But what LC softball has become more than anything is a tradition. It's a place where high school players in Louisiana now dream about coming to.

And LC's cupboard is hardly bare. Returning next season will be junior All-American pitcher Rene' Schwartzenburg who won 27 games this season. Kelly Williams is back, too, and she won 11 more games for LC. Freshman Carli Wheeler is poised to become the next dominant LC pitcher.

Junior Amber Thomas will anchor the defense at catcher. Sophomore Devan Greene is a vacuum glove with a canon arm at third. And the prospect of a healthy Kelsey Brown is exciting as well.

And when you look at LC's freshman class, there's talent all over the place with starting right fielder Brittany Menard promising to only get better. Other names like Burkett, Martin, Eastham, and Kirkis all contributed this year as well.

"This program has built a reputation of being consistent and there are some freshmen who are going to have to step up," said LC coach Tim Whitman. "We have a great group of recruits coming in. So, we'll be back."

So, will Montagnino. As a fan, that is.

"They can't keep me away," she said after Monday's loss. "I'll be here watching next year. And of course, I'm going to be wishing I was out on that field."

She's not the only one.

This entry has been viewed 782 times.