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“Ohmygod!!” was all I could say as the momentum carried my bat through the rest of its swing.  When it finally reached my shoulder, it fell from my hands.

“What?!  What happened?”  Rosie and Kristen turned around to see Coach Troyan jogging around in a little circle, still recovering from the shock.

“Coach!  Are you okay?”  I mumbled through my batting gloves, which were now up covering my open mouth.

He smirked as he smoothed down his shirt and straightened himself up, “Nice try, Carly.”  I sighed, relieved that so many years of coaching third base during games had taught him such quick reflexes.  Needless to say, we all got a little giggle out of it, and everyone stood clear while I finished my swings on the tee.

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February 28, 2010 – Opening Weekend
We are on a bus heading home from Virginia with the first weekend of games under our belts.  It was a split, 2-2, but definitely one of those weird weekends of random blasts, lazy dinkers, and big rallies that left us with a win and a loss to both Longwood University and Ohio University.

We opened up against Longwood on Saturday morning.  After literally trekking to class through ice and snow for the past two weeks, it was nice to see some green grass for a change (even though all of the recent snowmelt made it comparable to playing outfield on a Tempurpedic mattress).  And – it…was..freezing!! My outfit of choice – leggings under my pants, two underarmour long sleeve shirts under my jersey, a jacket for warm-ups, and an LU ear-warmer.  Even with all that, I’m pretty sure I heard Bender yell, “Stay with me, Bones!” when he saw me flirting with hyperthermia out in leftfield.  Somehow, we made it, and seven innings later, we were sitting on our first win of the season.  Highlights of the day – first career hits for Liz, Rosie, and Jacqui.  Liz slammed a line drive up the middle, Rosie beat out a sneaky bunt, and Jacqui came up clutch as a pinch-hitter with a first pitch RBI single.  The dugout went crazy!  It was one of those double-take, did-she-just-do-that moments, only to be outdone by one other: Ike’s first career homerun.  It came in the first at bat of her senior season, with a swing that connected perfectly to send the ball out over the leftfield fence.  Priceless.

We went into game two happy with our performance thus far and knowing that Ohio would be good.  And Ohio certainly was good and our performance against Ohio – not so good.  Pretty ugly, actually.  Sometimes teams just fall apart and errors pile up like useless gadgets in the back of Sam’s car - and this was certainly one of those times.  To avoid reliving the pain, I will leave you with the score – 10 to 1.  Enough said.

Sunday morning took us into a tight game with an unsuspecting Ohio.  We came out early with two runs, but Ohio continued to put us in pressure situations, reaching second and third multiple times with less than two outs.  Our defense pulled through, led by an outstanding performance by Curty on the mound, and we won by a close 2-1 count.    Game two, again, not so good.  On a positive note (it’s all relative), this time we did not accumulate a spirit-crushing mass of errors to load onto the bus with us, but we did feel the weight of multiple homeruns and a grand-slam from the Ohio Bobcats.  Ouch.  Yes, it hurt a little bit, but in the pitcher’s defense, we cannot overlook the painfully small strike-zone that they were working with.  Honestly, this was what my strike-zone looked like when I was eight…and I was a tall eight-year-old.  So, long story short, we lost by a few runs….is it worth dwelling on?  Absolutely not.  I’ve forgotten about it already and am now just itching to get off this bus and through the week so we can head down to sunny Florida.  You can expect big hits, big catches, and big-time shenanigans.

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February 22, 2010
If it’s possible to be left speechless and beside oneself in gratitude, then that is the only way to describe the emotion in the room when Coach Troyan gave us the news – a group of softball alumni had donated money to sponsor our Spring Break trip to Florida so that the players would not have to pay.  We were floored, and for the first time in my three years at Lehigh, the LUSB was without words.

Getting news like this reaffirms for all of us that we have made the right decision in choosing to be here.  To be part of something to which alumni, many of whom do not know us personally, are still willing to contribute is a sure sign that this program is something special.

It’s easy to forget how unique the relationships that we make here are because they are so thoroughly engrained in our lifestyles as members of Lehigh softball.  Sometimes we forget how rare it is for a team of girls to spend hours practicing and lifting together all week, then leave practice on a Friday afternoon making plans to hang out all together again that night.  And in the chaos of the day, I know I take for granted that I can email my teammates for a favor the night before and have them all show up the next day to help me.  It makes me wonder what kind of experiences LUSB alumni had in their four years at Lehigh to make them so willing to help the girls who are here now.

Thank you so much to the Lehigh Softball Partnership for undertaking this incredibly thoughtful project.     And thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to our sponsors for their generous donations.  I wish we had a picture of our faces when Coach told us the news.  J  You are amazing and now we have no choice but to kick major butt in Florida!

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February 4 – Nice Moves
A quick shout out to the notorious Mr. Dave Bender, who proved to us on Tuesday night that even with a considerably higher number of decades under his belt, he can still climb a fence with more grace than any of the LUSB’s current outfielders.  Good stuff, Bender, and in the classic words of the LUSB, “Nice moves.”

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January 30 – Our day at the Food Bank
If I have left you too long with the thought of cow tongues and chicken livers, then my sincerest apologies.  But I can assure you that it was for good reason, given the unusual level of anxiety my typing was giving to the man sitting at the table behind me.

Before I proceed, I must ask one of life’s most fundamentally thought-provoking and compelling questions – what would you do for a free ticket to Disney World?  If you would pack cardboard boxes with assortments of frozen meat products in an unheated warehouse until they weighed precisely 25 lbs, then this story is for you.

It began with a text message.  Hey Carly I’m volunteering at Rocky Mountain Food Bank tomorrow if you want to come.  It’s part of that Disney thing.    Now, let me just say that I received this text message at around 8:30 am one morning over winter break.  As a member of the general population under the age of 25, I can admit that I am usually not awake at this time unless some pre-9am obligation has snuck its way into my life for that day.  And so I would like to commend Ms. Liz Lucas, whose impeccably responsible sleeping schedule continues to amaze me, for her early bird habits.

So I responded with a typical LUSB “Oh hey girl!” and accepted the invitation.  Rising bright and early the next morning, I got my coffee, programmed “Rocky Mountain Food Bank” into the GPS, and headed off towards Denver.  I met Liz and her totally hip grandma at the food bank at 8:30.  Our day began with the mundane task of putting stickers on envelopes and stuffing them with thank you notes.  But little did we know that all this was about to change, as we were summoned to the packing room….

The packing room consists of rows and rows of conveyer belts, empty cardboard boxes, and industrial sized scales.  Our task: to pack cardboard boxes with precisely 25 lbs. of packaged frozen meat donated by local grocers.  Easy.  So with Liz set up at the scale, we began strategically placing packages of frozen bratwursts and steaks into the box.  “Ummm…12 pounds.”  “What?!”  Yeah, so apparently frozen meat does not weigh nearly as much as we anticipated, because without the added weight of a cow tongue or a fully grown frozen turkey, a stuffed box weighs only 12 pounds.  Even a Lehigh education couldn’t have taught us that…

But as college athletes with impeccable mental toughness and determination (as well as a pretty good sense of humor) we got to work unpacking and repacking, digging through pounds of frozen meat products until we found just the right size and weight to take us up to that 25 pounds, and fist pumping before sealing it up and stacking it with the other completed boxes.  As a side note, any meat that was opened, brown, green, or leaking blood had to be thrown away.  And yes, we did find meat products that fit into all of those categories.  In my opinion, any “meat” that was actually chicken livers or turkey hearts packaged in Tupperware containers should have also been thrown away, but apparently that is not company policy.

So what did we get out of these three hours of meat packing, unpacking, repacking, and occasional gagging?  Besides the satisfaction of a job well done, we were planning on getting free tickets to Disney World by signing up for Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Day community service program.  But silly us…apparently you have to sign up for the free tickets three days BEFORE you actually do the community service.  No spur of the moment service allowed.  So long story short, plans are in the works for our next day of community service, for which we will register online perhaps even four days early to ensure our tickets.  This day will most likely not involve unidentified meat products, but I will keep you updated.

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January 14, 2010 – A New Year
Happy New Year!!  It is 2010 and time again for the LUSB to kick it in gear and prepare for the spring!  But before I go any further, I think it is important that we all take a moment to remember the glorious class of ’09.  Although the year is gone, the spirit of the Oh-Nine lives on.  Georgey Lorbs, Lisa “Sween Machine” the Swen Dog Sweeney, Alisia Gonzales (ay-ay-ay), Zinny Zanie ZanMan, and Kubi Chubi, may your oh-nines always be full and your zebs striped in brown and white.  We miss you and promise to put a little oh-nine in it for you this season!!

The end of the fall semester wrapped up beautifully; complete with an LUSB cookie decorating extravaganza and of course, the traditional Secret Santa party.  Unfortunately, this year, we were unable to lounge around at the Troyan house, as tradition has it, because of a kitchen remodel. But, Coach never fails to throw a great party, and we made ourselves at home in the beautiful Gander Room above the Goose.  While huge flakes of snow fell outside, we sat together and (of course) chowed down on an amazing array of chicken and pasta.  After dinner, the secret Santas were revealed.  The gifts ranged from hilarious – like the box of grass that P-nut gave Audra to patch up the outfield – to sentimental.  I can’t deny that I teared up when Steph gave Curty the framed pitching chart from her perfect game last season.  This year, as always, LUSB Secret Santa was another celebration of inside jokes, memories, and how much we all adore each other.

By the time we finished, our cars were absolutely covered in snow and, being the impeccably prepared young ladies that we are (pause…not!) we were without any sort of windshield scrapers.  So, we dusted off our cars with whatever Lehigh sweatshirts and t-shirts we had cluttering up our trunks.  Ill-prepared but always resourceful. J  Let me just take this moment to make a brief disclaimer, knowing that my father will soon be reading this and will immediately pick up the phone to call and ask me where the heck the ice-scraper he bought for me was during all of this…Dad, I do indeed still have the amazing, high-quality ice-scraper that you so kindly bought for me.  Although I could not find it on this particular night, the good news is that I later found it underneath the two grocery bags of Thai-noodle microwave dinners that Sam left in my car.  Since then, I have returned the microwave dinners to Sam and have given my ice-scraper a designated spot in my trunk.  Thank you, Dad!

As I sit here in the Vic’s coffee shop in my Colorado neighborhood (a delightful little piece of colorful paint jobs and bazaar architecture which Bri has dubbed “Whoville”) the text message inbox on my phone has already nearly filled with texts from the LUSB.  As winter break winds down, we are all anxious to see each other and get back to our usual hoopla and shenanigans at school.  In a desperate attempt to reconcile with my fellow coffee shop-goers, who were beginning to give me dirty looks from all of the buzzing and vibrating going on in my corner of the room, I have since silenced my phone and am attempting to type as quietly as possible.  I will pick this back up on Saturday, when I am flying back to the greatest place on earth, to recap the meat-packing community service extravaganza that Liz and I underwent last week in an attempt to earn free tickets to Disney World to use over Spring Break.  Long story short, we now have exceptional knowledge of the approximate weight of the average cow tongue or chicken liver...check back soon!

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November 2, 2009 – The Official Fall Recap
Okay, okay…I am here to admit that I have definitely been slacking on my blogging this fall!  But in my defense, going to Lehigh and playing a Division I sport isn’t exactly a low-time-commitment kind of lifestyle.  BUT the good news is that I have lots to report!

First things first, let’s talk softball.  The fall season was filled with rain cancellations and chilly game days, but the LUSB always prevails and we were able to get in two weekends of play.  Our first weekend of games was, let’s say, slightly un-athletic.  Ahem.  Let me just move to the last weekend, where the LUSB truly “sparkled and shined” (new LUSB phrase…feel free to use it and embrace it).  The bats were alive…so alive in fact that our sophomore shortstop Jen Colquhoun, who has been lovingly dubbed “House of Chen,” became known as the “Power House of Chen.”  And the big question of the fall is always “how did the freshmen look?”  Here’s your answer….AWESOME.  Not only did they play well and have great energy, but they continue to surprise me with the things I am learning about them.  For example, let me just reveal a fun fact about our outfield speed demon, Rosie Roessel.  I literally think this girl knows every Taylor Swift song ever written.  Impressive?  Yes.  BUT, she also has extensively choreographed dance routines and hand motions to each one.  I have already pegged her as a handy source of entertainment on long bus rides in the spring. J

For the past three weeks, we have been attending “Unity Council” meetings at 7 am in Taylor Gym.  There are many glorious aspects of the LUSB, but one of our ever more glorious traits is the ability to love each other even at 7 am.  In order to most accurately describe a typical Unity Council meeting, let me take you through my morning, beginning at 6:40 am:

Beep, beep, beep, beep.  (That’s my alarm clock).  Ding-ding, ding-ding, ding-ding-ding. (That’s the alarm on my cell phone).  Yes, I am one of those people who worries so much about being late that I set two alarms.  Uggghhhhh.  (That’s me grumbling).  Noooo.  (That’s me whining and pulling the covers over my head).  Beep, beep, beep, beep.  Sigh.  I snap the covers off and spin over so my feet are on the floor.  It only takes ten minutes to prepare for a 7 am gathering with the 16 people who have seen you at your sweatiest, grimiest worst.  Make-up is unnecessary.  Doing your hair is overrated.  And brushing your teeth….well I guess that is technically optional, but considered a common courtesy.  So, I brush my teeth, wash my face, put in my contacts, and shuffle downstairs.  Did I change, you ask?  Of course not, I slept in the clothes I was planning to wear (come on, everyone’s done it).  It’s 6:50 and just when I get to the bottom of the steps, P-nut opens her bedroom door and emerges.  “Ughhh,” she says.  “Yeah,” I respond.  We are on the same page.  Without anymore conversation, we drag our feet out to the car.  “Cold,” she says.  “Yeah,” I reply.  At 6:54 we arrive at the back of Taylor Gym.  6:56, we shuffle down the hall to the Student-Athlete Lounge and open the door to a mess of brown and grey sweatpants, “OH MY GOD, HI!!!!”

It is 7 am, and we LOVE each other.  And with the help of our wonderful Leadership Coordinator and LUSB alum, Julie Sterrett, we are also productive!  The Unity Council meetings really have been great.  We have done team building exercises and had discussions about team intentions and goals.  I think that the most valuable part of the meetings has been the opportunity to open up about ourselves and share our own personal intentions.  Because of this, we are continuing to grow closer as a group and gain deeper understandings of each other’s values, motivators, and desires.  7 am on a Monday morning is not exactly a crowd-favorite time for serious discussions, but we make it work. J

So, thus far this fall, the team has gathered to talk softball and life, but we have also gathered for even more pressing and serious matters.  A.K.A. the Lehigh Softball Halloween Costume Party!!  For weeks leading up to the party, each class plans and plots their “Class Costume.”  THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!  The LUSB doesn’t just throw on a sheet and call itself a ghost.  Trash is talked and bonds are tested in the final days of costume preparation.  And it all boils down to one night…one epic night where each class reveals their true heart, character, and will to be that year’s LUSB Costume Contest winner.  In the past, the costumes have been clever, creative, and downright hilarious, and this year’s line-up was no exception.  The freshmen charmed us as “Party Animals,” sporting animal print and party hats.  The sophomores got crafty and creative in incredibly detail oriented “Mario Kart” costumes.  The juniors poked fun at ourselves as “The Notorious Lost Boys,” Lehigh’s most wanted criminals for crimes resulting from our less-than-subtle quirks.  And the seniors wowed us as the dancers in Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” music video, performing an incredibly accurate rendition of the ever-famous “Single Ladies” dance.  After each class revealed their costume, the verdict was obvious….EVERYVONE’S A VINNERRRR! (translation: Everyone’s a winner.  Add that to your arsenal of LUSB catch phrases).

I would really like to leave you with that visual of the LUSB in all its creative glory.  But, if I haven’t hooked you yet, here are some upcoming winter events to look forward to… I have no doubt that they will be blog worthy: the Lehigh/Lafayette Football Game, LUSB Secret Santa and Holiday Party, and the continuation of our somehow always eventful lifting and speed training sessions.  It’s pretty much guaranteed to be a glorious rest of the semester.  J

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August 30, 2009 – And so it begins….
It’s a new year and time to start up the old blog.  It was a long summer without the glorious LUSB by my side and although I was caught on multiple occasions laughing out loud at my computer reading the LUSB Summer Email thread, nothing compares to being reunited with the only other people who truly understand the power of the Zeb.

We kicked off the year on Thursday with a nice relaxing afternoon of speed testing…pause-NOT. (Borat references have retaken over my vocabulary since being reunited with my Lost Boys).  After an hour of sprints, broad jumps, and the dreaded 300 shuttle, I am happy to say that there were no casualties. However, the LUSB was certainly experiencing a very uncomfortable level of soreness on Friday.

This morning we had our first official practice of the year.  Mad props to the freshmen for figuring out how to do backwards lunges on the first day; I can’t say the rest of us were that plyometrically-gifted during our first weeks of practice.  I think I should just go ahead and say mad props to the freshmen all around.  They have been awesome so far!  They rocked the 300 shuttles, they all had great first practices, and they are continuing to laugh at all of our lame jokes.  The only thing they have left to prove is that they can hold down a spontaneous dance party in an inappropriate location.  After that, they will be truly LUSB.

On a different note, some excellent news for LUSB right-fielders of the past and present – that giant patch of dirt and shrapnel in right field that simply will not grow grass (yeah, you know the one) is…gone!  GONE!  What kind of magical things the Brickman field crew did to rid us of that demon grassless patch, I do not know; but on behalf of every right-fielder who has ever had their pants dyed green from attempts to make the patch blend in, let me just say, THANK YOU!  Of course, I will also keep all of you right-fielders updated on the status of the bolts, but I think we all know deep down that they will never be defeated.  (Shout-out to Julie Sterrett for still seeing black spots out the corners of her eyes.) J

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