Opening Night Shows Bright Future for USF Softball
February 25, 2011 | Softball
Tony Allen
USF Athletic Communications
As 785 fans filled the new softball stadium Thursday night, it became evident that the Bulls' days of playing on a basic field with only a few sets of bleachers are over. The team now has a stadium that is out in the open and they will undoubtedly have a larger presence on campus than in years past. The excitement that filled the air in the night of the stadium's debut carried out onto the field as well. The Bulls clobbered Central Connecticut State 8-0 and made the picture-perfect night complete.
“It (was) pretty emotional,” said coach Ken Eriksen following the game. “Those young girls back in '96, '97, '98, '99…They won a lot of championships. They're really the ones who got this program into national relevance. So to have this type of place and have the brick and mortar of relevance, it's pretty exciting.”
23 former USF softball players were in attendance and each one threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the start of the game. For Shannon Dodge, who played first base and outfield for USF until 1999, it was surreal walking into the new stadium for the first time.
“The stadium is amazing,” Dodge said. “We (Dodge and Betsey Gload) walked up together and our mouths were just dropping to the floor. I'm amazed by how beautiful it is and how lucky these girls are to play here.”
When Dodge was playing softball for USF, she never imagined that one day the same program would be playing in a premiere college stadium. Seeing the large home crowd that came out to support the team on opening night made her realize just how far the program has come.
“This was like a dream in somebody's mind that could happen way down the road,” said Dodge. “So many schools around the country have wonderful stadiums. They can recruit the biggest and best players because their stadiums are so fantastic and now we have that as well.”
The team's confidence was through the roof as they shut out the Blue Devils in front of the largest home crowd in recent program history. Sophomore pitcher Lindsey Richardson was really taken aback by the atmosphere on opening night as she cruised through four innings, giving up only one hit on her way to the first victory in the new stadium.
“It was shocking when the game first started and everyone started filing in. It was awesome,” Richardson said. “We knew they'd all be out here for the big day that this really was.”
The team has a lot to look forward to and its future at the new park is looking bright after an impressive win. Opening night was a major success and the team hopes to build off of it. Along with the impressive new home, the Bulls now have a much stronger presence on campus as well.
“We plan to come here to come to many games,” Dodge said. We're bringing our kids out here to watch and maybe someday our kids will play on the same field.”
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