Alicia Hansen, Gabby Teran lead Syracuse after changing positions from last season

Alicia Hansen and Gabby Teran have been nothing short of perfect for the Syracuse defense this season, combining for zero errors in almost 100 chances in the field. Teran, at second base, leads the team with 53 flawless opportunities. Hansen, at center field and first base, is second on the team with 45. Neither play the position they played last year.

The two players have started each of the 16 games for the Orange (10-6) this season, often batting at the top of the order. Teran has made an immediate impact as a freshman. She’s batting .313 and sits tied for second on the team with eight RBI.

The Atlanta native has filled in at second base after playing shortstop in high school. A junior who played second base last season, Hansen has lived up to her positional billing, as the utility player shifted between center field and first base due to Teran’s emergence. No matter where they play, Teran and Hansen have been staples for an SU team that’s heated up lately.

Despite a sophomore year in which she played the middle infield and was second on the team in batting average, Hansen was forced to change positions when Teran was recruited.

“You have two very outstanding athletes, both of them are going to be in the field in some capacity,” head coach Mike Bosch said. “It’s just a matter of what can one athlete do versus the other.”

Hansen had played shortstop her whole life before coming to Syracuse, where she was placed at second base as a freshman. The change startled her because it was a different outlook on the field, causing a slow transition. Her freshman statistics reflected the struggles, illustrated by a .213 batting average and a .962 fielding percentage, last among seven SU players with at least 60 chances.

As a sophomore, Hansen broke out offensively for the Orange. Her 12 doubles lead the team and her .376 average placed her second on the team behind All-American Sydney O’Hara, but her defensive woes continued. Her fielding percentage dipped to .949, and she committed a team-high nine errors.

This year’s transition to the outfield has been the most difficult, Hansen said. However, the Liverpool native’s athleticism has made her more consistent than ever for SU. In fact, despite only playing the position for a couple months, center field has already become Hansen’s favorite position, and her enthusiasm has positively affected her play in the field. Her success has rubbed off on Teran, who was mentored by the upperclassman prior to the season.

“Coming in, we both worked hard at second base,” Teran said. “She gave me a lot of advice, just tips about how to play at the college level.”

Teran started slow, notching only two hits in her first 18 at-bats at Syracuse. But she’s hit her stride in the past nine games, going 13-30 and tallying all eight of her RBI in the span. She’s done it all while playing second base, the position she’d played growing up but had stopped because in high school shortstop was the best fit for her. The transition back hasn’t seemed to affect her, though, as she’s responded by leading the team in assists thus far this season.

With more at bats and playing time, Teran’s play has risen. It began prior to the season, when she faced Syracuse pitchers in practice. Once the regular season started it took a little bit of time to adjust, but the eventual acclimation to the normal game routine has helped her get used to playing at the college level.

Her success is unsurprising to Bosch, who had high expectations for Teran out of high school. But it’s somewhat shocking to Hansen, her second base predecessor.

“My freshman year I struggled, and she’s not,” Hansen said. “I thought that she was gonna be kind of like me, but it’s just the complete opposite, she’s moved up in the order to batting three because she puts the ball in play.”

Teran’s struck out just four times in 48 at bats this season and leads the team with five sacrifice hits, three more than the second-most on the team. She’s also SU’s most prolific base-stealer, swiping five bags in six attempts.

Meanwhile, Hansen is currently on pace to set career-highs in runs and doubles, as well as slugging and on base percentage. She’s even tallied two triples this season after zero in her first two seasons.

The two not only make up half of the Orange’s front end lineup, but also serve as two of its key pieces in the middle of the Syracuse defense. If not for their adaptability, SU might be struggling to find consistency on both sides of the ball.

“Gabby, she does a great job, I don’t expect her anywhere else,” Hansen said. “That’s her spot and she does a really good job with it. And I absolutely love center field, even if I was playing second or first or anywhere, I would get comfortable with it … I enjoy playing anywhere, as long as I’m playing.”