SB : Syracuse reflects on best season in program history, looks forward to future

After her Syracuse team swept Louisville to close out the regular season, head coach Leigh Ross couldn’t help looking past the Big East tournament. Ross was already excited for the NCAA tournament.

Her team had worked the entire season with the national tournament in mind. And with that postseason prize less than two weeks away, Ross reiterated her team’s ultimate goal.

‘We want to be top of the Big East, but we want to be a powerhouse in the country,’ Ross said May 8. ‘We want the country to recognize who we are.’

Though Syracuse is not a softball powerhouse yet, the Orange took a step toward that goal with its first-ever NCAA tournament win over Louisiana State on May 20. SU was eliminated from the tournament after two consecutive losses to Texas A&M and LSU the next day, marking a disappointing end to the best season in program history.

Despite failing to achieve its goal to reach the super regionals, SU established a new program standard for success while chasing that goal. The Orange set a program record with 45 wins, shattering the previous mark of 36 wins in 2006. Along the way, the team earned its first national ranking in program history and repeated as Big East tournament champions.

After SU won the conference championship and made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2010, expectations coming into this season were high. Ross and her players wanted to gain national recognition for the program instead of being viewed as a surprise Big East champion from the year before.

Outfielder Lisaira Daniels said the team made great strides since last season when it went 32-26. And she said after beating LSU 3-0 at the College Station Regional, the country should now know about Syracuse softball.

‘We’re not just a Cinderella story anymore,’ Daniels said in a phone interview following the team’s elimination. ‘We’re definitely a team to be reckoned with, and we definitely put ourselves on the map with the win yesterday.’

Ross said the program’s transformation from a mediocre side within the Big East to an NCAA tournament qualifier was the result of hard work and dedication. SU put in the extra time at practices and workouts throughout the last four years to reach that next level.

SU ace pitcher Jenna Caira acknowledged her teammates’ work ethic and support as a big part of her individual success. Caira set multiple program records and led the Big East in every major statistical pitching category en route to a 35-11 season in the circle.

Caira said she was proud of everything the team accomplished. And in addition to turning heads nationally, she hopes the Syracuse community has noticed the program’s success.

‘Hopefully, Syracuse, our town and our city, they all know that we have a softball team because we are a good team.’ Caira said. She added, ‘I wouldn’t want to be in any other circle other than Syracuse University.’

Caira, who just completed her junior season, will be among eight returning starters next season. SU only loses two starters. Third baseman Hallie Gibbs and outfielder Rachel Helman both graduated. Jasmine Watson, who batted .253 with nine home runs and 26 runs batted in, returns as well.

Ross said the regional in College Station, Texas, was a valuable learning experience for her team. The head coach said the atmosphere at the Aggie Softball Complex for SU’s matchup with the host, Texas A&M, was intimidating.

The Aggies had a large and loud fan base supporting them all weekend, while Syracuse had about 20 fans make the trip to Texas, Ross said. She thinks her players will be able to adjust better to that situation in the future.

‘We got a lot of kids that will be coming back next year that got opportunities to be in that game and get the feel of that next level,’ Ross said. ‘That’s where we belong is that next level, and we’ll be back next year, and we’ll handle things a little differently.’

Daniels said she has put the NCAA tournament losses behind her. Though disappointed, she said the team played up to its capabilities and ended the season satisfied.

Rather than focus on the end of this season, Daniels looks forward to next season. After improving from last year to this year, she expects even more progress.

Though Ross said the team won’t set goals for next year until after the 2011 fall sessions, she said the goal will be to go further in the NCAA tournament. And Daniels thinks all the pieces are in place to make that happen.

‘If we get better during the offseason and get better as a group,’ Daniels said, ‘nothing’s going to be able to stop us.’

rjgery@syr.edu