NEW TAMPA — With a strong class of seniors that have been playing together for years coming back this season, Wharton pitcher Eliza Connell thought something special would be brewing this year.
So far, her hunch was correct.
Not only are the Wildcats off to a 6-0 start, but they are now fully convinced that come playoff time, they’ll still be playing.
“It’s been pretty exciting,” Connell said. “We’ve just been building on the energy we had last year.”
Connell, naturally, has been a big part of that. Not only is she one of the team leaders and captains, she is 6-0 from the circle and is batting .421 with eight hits and five RBIs.
And although she says she is still trying to figure a few things out at the plate, she is a .456 hitter who set career-highs in every offensive category last season, including 10 doubles and eight triples.
But while her bat and glove got her to the next level, where she will be an infielder at Southeastern College in Lakeland next fall, she is cherishing her last chance to pitch, arguably the most important position in softball.
“I love having the pressure,” she said. “I have to execute or the game turns against us. It gets me fired up to do good things.”
Her coach likes what she has seen so far.
“She is on a mission,” said third-year coach Breana Delgado.
Connell is one of several players stepping up after the Wildcats biggest offseason loss— catcher Madelyn Parker. Though only a junior, she graduated early and is now on the University of Central Florida roster.
But she took her big bat, which delivered six homers and 31 RBIs last season, with her.
“We worried about losing Maddie at first,” said Delgado. “I didn’t expect to be 6-0, I thought we might have to make some adjustments early on. But we’re doing it.”
Connell said in preparation for this season, she worked last year with current sophomore catcher Khloe Gonzalez on calling games, helping “mold” her. They have found in-game synergy, and Gonzalez is also batting .471 with a homer and team-best nine RBIs.
“I saw her potential her freshman year, when Maddie was hurt,” Connell said. “We knew we had to pick it up, and I think that’s given everyone a little extra drive this year.”
Isabella Bass is hitting a team-leading .500, and fellow seniors Adriana Cadicamo, Morgan Aulet and Skylah Stephens have all played key roles.
The team has played a solid schedule, but it gets meatier down the road, including a rematch with Steinbrenner, the team that ended their season last year with a walk-off homer.
With Connell leading the way and ready to tackle the high-pressure moments and the stingy defense and timely bats behind her, Bass says the Wildcats are dreaming big.
“I knew we had the potential to be doing this,” she said, “As a team, this is the closest we can get. This is our year.”
