'You've got to have the courage': Looking for historic firsts, softball aims high

Upper West Side NY

18 February, 2022

3:54 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY MATTHEW ROWELL • FEBRUARY 17, 2022, 11:16 PM When head coach Jennifer Teague was hired in July 2014, she found herself leading a squad that had been struggling in matchups, often finishing the season near the bottom of the conference standings. Before the 2018 season, Columbia softball had never achieved a winning season in the Ivy League and had not secured a positive overall record since 2002. In 2019, the program earned its first back-to-back winning record in 17 years. Although the 2020 season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it proved that the Teague era of Columbia softball must be taken seriously by its Ivy foes. After being voted as the preseason favorite to win the conference for the first time in program history prior to the pandemic-shortened season, her squad received this accolade again heading into the 2022 season. Mid-major schools like Columbia are rising to prominence across the NCAA. Historically, Power Five schools such as UCLA and the University of Oklahoma have accumulated the most trophies and garnered the most media attention. However, last year, NCAA softball saw what many people had never before imagined: the mid-major James Madison University Dukes stormed through the Women's College World Series and took down the top-ranked program in their first WCWS appearance before they eventually fell in the national semifinals. Breakout star and two-way sensation Odicci Alexander powered the Dukes to an impressive finish, which has inspired the Lions as they enter this season, even prompting them to name a new pitching machine "Odicci" after her. "I'm obsessed with Odicci Alexander. That was just so exciting because I feel like all the SEC schools and the PAC-12 schools are just who you expect, and the announcers for ESPN always focus on those schools," fifth-year senior shortstop Maria Pagane said. "Her just coming in and dominating was insane, and how many people from other sports were checking in and following and supporting her, it was very cool to watch." In recent seasons, the Lions have made some deep playoff runs. In 2019, their last full season, their loss against the Harvard Crimson was the only thing that stopped their postseason run from extending to an NCAA Regionals invitation. As mid-major programs rise across the country, they show that it is not just storied programs or conferences that can build an elite team. Rather, passion and tenacity can create and sustain a competitor. That energy is what defines this Columbia program, according to Teague, who is not only looking for the softball program to make its first Regionals appearance in school history but also to leave with at least one win under its belt. The last time an Ivy League school won a game in the Regionals was in 2012. Harvard took two games, making it to the Regional final. "You've got to have the courage to set a goal that's never really been accomplished in a long time, and we have that courage," Teague said. "It's weird because we haven't even won a championship yet, but we're looking past that right now, and I think we're right where we need to be." The Columbia roster echoes these hopes, from the bullpen to the bench. "Our mantra basically on our team is 'leave the program better than you found it,'" Pagane said. "For me especially, I want to do it for the seniors that graduated that didn't get a chance to do it. I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder, and I think we could have done it in 2020 and probably in 2021. So we're taking the chance, and I just want to prove that our program is capable." This mantra—"leave the program better than you found it"—seems to have been internalized by both the coaching staff and its players during recent seasons. The 2022 roster is historically well-rounded with many viable options for every position. The team features senior all-conference first baseman Abby Stuart along with promising first-year pitcher Jordan Hill. Sophomore Jaden Hill also provides a deep selection at the shortstop position held by all-conference returner Pagane. This depth may be especially useful this season, since any player could have to sit out if they test positive for COVID-19. "I think we have more depth than we've ever had," Pagane said. "We have two to three people that could easily go in and play that position at any given moment, and I think that's something we've never seen before." However, despite high hopes of regional wins, Teague said the team's culture is focused on more than just performance. Instead, it involves a balance between competitiveness and creating a supportive team environment, giving the team's mantra a double meaning. "It's just about being a good freaking person, and that's all-encompassing, in terms of, we don't get bogged down with who's supposed to be carrying equipment," Teague said. "What does it look like when we're struggling? How can we help each other when somebody might need help? … We want to have fun, but with a purpose." As mid-major schools like Columbia and James Madison seek to make history and capture victories on the national level, the Dukes' breakout star has set an example for the Lions. In her last moments on a college softball field, Alexander lived out Columbia's mantra within her own team. As she handed the ball to the next pitcher to close out the Dukes' final game, the teary-eyed Alexander was embraced by her coaches and teammates who gestured to the crowd to get on their feet and cheer her off the field one last time. It is exactly that passion that Teague looks to bring in the Lions' quest for their first Ivy League title. "When I think about that moment, I really think about the alumni who I've had the pleasure of coaching and even the alumni that have come before them who just loved Columbia softball and really put the work in," she said. "I think about all of them and just the pride that they're going to be able to have in our program. … I think that if you talk to our players, they would tell you the same thing. Our culture is extremely, extremely important to us, and their job is to take that culture and protect that culture." Staff Writer Matthew Rowell can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @matthewrowell01. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.