May 13, 2009

By Amy Farmum Novin
NCAA.com

The Tufts University softball team is not only the winningest squad in Division III this season, but the Jumbos are also on top of their game in the classroom as well.

The seventh-ranked Jumbos won 35 straight games to start the 2009 season before falling to Brandeis in the regular season finale, but bounced back to claim the New England Small College Athletic Conference and NCAA New England Regional championships over the last two weeks to advance to their first Division III Women’s College Series since 2000.

With an outstanding 42-1 record, Tufts is pretty tough in all aspects of the game.  The Jumbos boast the nation’s second-best batting average (.378), are ranked sixth in fielding percentage (.974) and are scoring 7.86 runs per game (3rd in nation). 

“I think we have a great mix,” said head coach Cheryl Milligan.  “We have a really talented team, but are really spread out with the talent.  We have a bunch of people that can hit the ball for power and for average, and we have people that are incredibly fast and great at getting on base, we have two very good pitchers, and have been able to put together a really great defense.”

The Jumbos strike often and early and Milligan says the squad now expects to win.

“We have learned how to win, and come to expect that whether we get runs early or get runs late, they will come, and we’re going to hold them back with defense and good pitching until then,” said Milligan.

Senior leftfielder Roni Herbst notes that the Jumbos’ mentality remains aggressive, no matter whom they turn to give them a lift.

“We know that on any given day that anyone in the lineup or on the bench can step up and get the job done,” said Herbst.  “We’re a pretty threatening team, and at any given point we can really break through and open the game up.”

Although Milligan downplayed her team’s lengthy winning streak during the season, and reinforced the importance of wins at the end of the year, she says that lone loss still stung.

“After going 35-0, when we lost we said, ‘how did that just happen?’” said Milligan.  “It hurt pretty badly even though it seems like such a miniscule thing.  We had gotten used to winning, and I think what you learn from that is how to pull games out.  There are a lot of games that went into extra innings or could have gone either way with one bounce of the ball, and I think tough teams pull those games out.”

Herbst says that never-say-die attitude the team has gained throughout the experience is more important than what reads in the win and loss columns.

“We had really high hopes and expectations, and set some high goals for ourselves,” said Herbst.  “I think there are a lot of games that we may not have finished on top, but we stuck together and that means more to us than maybe the actual record does.”

The Jumbos also strive for greatness academically with six members of the 17-player roster turning in a 3.49 or better grade point average, and 13 with a 3.0 GPA or higher.  Herbst, along with senior second baseman Danielle Lopez and senior third baseman Samantha Kuhles, was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine All-District Academic Team.  Tufts is the only school with three representatives on the College Division All-District Academic teams, which include Division II and III institutions.

“They are very good at balancing,” said Milligan.  “That’s what we look for in student-athletes – is the ability to succeed here academically as well athletically and they have worked very hard to do that.

“They are incredibly motivated and driven.  We don’t have to push them to work hard or take the next step or try something new. They are also a very mature team.  I definitely think being a smart kid makes you a smarter player.”

Tufts begins play in the NCAA Division III Championship on May 15 against Cortland State, the champion of the Ithaca Regional.  The championship runs May 15-19 at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J.