2008 Woodie Awards
Softball regroups after hard losses
Veteran player knows team can get back on track despite sluggish start to open 2008 season
Chris Cox
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Sports
When it comes to resiliency, no one is more knowledgeable than junior softball player Ashton Payne.
As a sophomore, Payne helped lead the Gamecocks to a startling upset in the NCAA Regionals in which the Gamecocks were the fourth seed and lowest seed in the tournament. Yet somehow, Payne and her fellow Gamecocks were able to surprise the regional teams and advance to the Super Regional against Northwestern a week later.
Last season, as a utility player on that super regional team, Payne started all 59 games in which she played in and tied for the team lead in hits with 61 and stolen bases with 13. In addition to putting up those outstanding numbers, she led USC in triples with five and ranked second in batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.394), on-base percentage (.338) and total bases with 78.
With such a decorated player on a team that only lost one starter from a year ago, no one can understand why USC has struggled to the abysmal 1-4 start to begin the season.
"Honestly, we're trying to figure out where everybody's going to go and how are things going to fit together," Payne said. "I mean we were a really good team (last year), we only lost one player and we're very solid."
Payne looks to lead the Gamecocks in the right direction this weekend, as Carolina faces some stiff competition in UCLA, Oklahoma and Oregon.
"I'm hoping this weekend we'll prove ourselves," Payne said. "Like coach said, we're playing against four, potentially five, ranked teams and I think we can beat them all. I think we have what it takes. We have good pitching, our defense is solid and we have good hitting."
As a freshman, Payne led the Gamecocks in stolen bases with 15 and in runs scored with 29. Her 15 steals as a freshman were the most by a Gamecock since 2004 and the most by a freshman since 1994.
With Payne's experience at the plate and on the bases, she is sure that the Gamecocks will bounce back after close loses last weekend.
"We're a very resilient team. I don't think this is going to keep us down in any way. We are a comeback team. We like to lull people to sleep," Payne insisted. "Like coach said, we like to lull people to sleep and we like to be the underdog. I think that's just our team spirit. I think we perform better in that situation. So I think that may have been a good thing for us to wake us up and get us fired up."
Despite the fact that the Gamecocks will be looking to prove they are still a solid team, they can't help but realize what could have been at this point in the season.
"We could easily be 5-0 right now," said coach Joyce Compton. "But as it turns out a couple of breaks didn't go our way and we didn't execute here and there and when you play good teams that's going to happen."
The Gamecocks will look to reverse their fortunes starting tonight against Western Carolina at Beckham Field.
As a sophomore, Payne helped lead the Gamecocks to a startling upset in the NCAA Regionals in which the Gamecocks were the fourth seed and lowest seed in the tournament. Yet somehow, Payne and her fellow Gamecocks were able to surprise the regional teams and advance to the Super Regional against Northwestern a week later.
Last season, as a utility player on that super regional team, Payne started all 59 games in which she played in and tied for the team lead in hits with 61 and stolen bases with 13. In addition to putting up those outstanding numbers, she led USC in triples with five and ranked second in batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.394), on-base percentage (.338) and total bases with 78.
With such a decorated player on a team that only lost one starter from a year ago, no one can understand why USC has struggled to the abysmal 1-4 start to begin the season.
"Honestly, we're trying to figure out where everybody's going to go and how are things going to fit together," Payne said. "I mean we were a really good team (last year), we only lost one player and we're very solid."
Payne looks to lead the Gamecocks in the right direction this weekend, as Carolina faces some stiff competition in UCLA, Oklahoma and Oregon.
"I'm hoping this weekend we'll prove ourselves," Payne said. "Like coach said, we're playing against four, potentially five, ranked teams and I think we can beat them all. I think we have what it takes. We have good pitching, our defense is solid and we have good hitting."
As a freshman, Payne led the Gamecocks in stolen bases with 15 and in runs scored with 29. Her 15 steals as a freshman were the most by a Gamecock since 2004 and the most by a freshman since 1994.
With Payne's experience at the plate and on the bases, she is sure that the Gamecocks will bounce back after close loses last weekend.
"We're a very resilient team. I don't think this is going to keep us down in any way. We are a comeback team. We like to lull people to sleep," Payne insisted. "Like coach said, we like to lull people to sleep and we like to be the underdog. I think that's just our team spirit. I think we perform better in that situation. So I think that may have been a good thing for us to wake us up and get us fired up."
Despite the fact that the Gamecocks will be looking to prove they are still a solid team, they can't help but realize what could have been at this point in the season.
"We could easily be 5-0 right now," said coach Joyce Compton. "But as it turns out a couple of breaks didn't go our way and we didn't execute here and there and when you play good teams that's going to happen."
The Gamecocks will look to reverse their fortunes starting tonight against Western Carolina at Beckham Field.
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