At the beginning of the Linfield College softball season freshman Jessica Popiel knew that her new team was good—she just didn’t realize how good.
“We always knew that we were probably one of the best teams in the country, but I don’t think that we realized that we were the best team in the country,” Popiel said.
The Linfield Wildcats (37-11 overall, 22-6 conference) won the NCAA Division III softball title with a 10-2 win over Washington-St. Louis on May 22 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va. It was the first women’s national team title in school history and Popiel was an intricate part of the success throughout the season.
“It is pretty surreal,” Popiel said. “I don’t think that it has all sunken in yet. I think that when we start getting stuff like our championship rings then it will feel more real. It is not overwhelming now, not yet.”
While Popiel sat out the championship series with an injury sustained in a game against the Redlands on May 13, she doesn’t think that the team felt too much anxiety in the big series.
“To be honest, it didn’t feel like too much pressure,” Popiel said. “It just felt like any other game, just another tournament. Afterwards, it didn’t feel like we should be done playing.”
After the Wildcats won their trophy, Popiel’s phone started ringing with calls from well-wishers.
“Everyone has been calling me—my family, my old coaches, my friends and the coaches of my friends—everyone,” Popiel said.
That thrill of winning has carried over to her fans as well.
“It was very exciting,” Jessica Popiel’s mother Irene said. “It was really fun to be able to go and watch (Linfield games during the season).”
While Irene was unable to make it to the championship series, she followed her daughter’s team intently.
Jessica, who played shortstop for the Molalla Indians in high school, switched into the outfield for Linfield, spending most of her time in the right field.
“It is a very different perspective out there,” Jessica said. “You are the last line of defense. Well, there is the fence back there, but if it gets there that is no good.”
Jessica was thrust into the new role out of necessity.
“We really had a need for our freshmen class to step in and help us in the outfield and with
Jessica’s ability to run and make plays she was a natural candidate for the position,” Linfield softball coach Jackson Vaughan said. “It was hard for her to break a lot of her infield habits but the more she worked at it the better she got and by the end of the season she was one of the better defensive outfielders in our conference.”
Proof of Jessica’s success is in her 41 starts, 43 games played, a .309 batting average for the season, 25 runs, 19 RBI, eight stolen bases with one home run.
That ability to excel from all spots in the field made her valuable.
“Jessica’s biggest strength is probably her athleticism and versatility,” Vaughan said. “She is very athletic and has the ability to play a number of defensive positions.”
The jump from high school ball to college ball has meant better treatment as a player for Jessica who does not miss riding to games in the classic yellow school buses.
“It is very different,” Jessica said. “It is an amazing feeling to know that you are flying across the country to play softball.”
Another difference for Jessica has been the jump in the ability of opponents.
“You have to realize real fast that everyone can play,” Jessica said. “In high school there are competitive people but there are also people out there to have fun. In college you are always playing to win, and everyone has the ability to do that.”
The best part of being on the softball team for Jessica has been the support it has provided.
“Everyone on the team is great,” Jessica said. “They are all supportive so the feeling is really awesome because you know if you have a problem you can come to them with it and they will fix it. The seniors were really encouraging to us. They didn’t make us do anything like carry their bags or anything like that. They did make fun of us a little bit though.”
There will not be much rest for Jessica to enjoy her new status as part of the best team in Division III softball. She will take two weeks off before jumping into a summer workout regimen targeted to improve her strength and conditioning. That will lead her right up into Fall ball where she will have three practices a week for four weeks with the rest of the team to hone that strength and conditioning before running right up into the 2008 season in January.
“In softball you are always doing something and then pretty soon the year is over,” she said.
Jessica should have a central role in the team’s future.
“Jessica has a bright future in our program,” Vaughan said. “She needs to continue to work hard and develop her skills as a hitter at the college level but with her work ethic and attitude we expect her to be a contributor for years to come.”
Preparation for that future begins now and Jessica is eager to play a pivotal role in the Wildcats’ bid to repeat as champions.
“We are very hungry to repeat,” Jessica said. “Once you get that feeling of what it is like to win, you just want it more.”
Set to join Jessica on 2008’s edition of Linfield softball is former high school teammate Kendra Guest who is coming off of a dominant season of pitching for the Molalla Indians where she was named a first-team all-league pitcher.
The love you give comes back in the end.
--------------------------------------------------------
“We always knew that we were probably one of the best teams in the country, but I don’t think that we realized that we were the best team in the country,” Popiel said.
The Linfield Wildcats (37-11 overall, 22-6 conference) won the NCAA Division III softball title with a 10-2 win over Washington-St. Louis on May 22 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va. It was the first women’s national team title in school history and Popiel was an intricate part of the success throughout the season.
“It is pretty surreal,” Popiel said. “I don’t think that it has all sunken in yet. I think that when we start getting stuff like our championship rings then it will feel more real. It is not overwhelming now, not yet.”
While Popiel sat out the championship series with an injury sustained in a game against the Redlands on May 13, she doesn’t think that the team felt too much anxiety in the big series.
“To be honest, it didn’t feel like too much pressure,” Popiel said. “It just felt like any other game, just another tournament. Afterwards, it didn’t feel like we should be done playing.”
After the Wildcats won their trophy, Popiel’s phone started ringing with calls from well-wishers.
“Everyone has been calling me—my family, my old coaches, my friends and the coaches of my friends—everyone,” Popiel said.
That thrill of winning has carried over to her fans as well.
“It was very exciting,” Jessica Popiel’s mother Irene said. “It was really fun to be able to go and watch (Linfield games during the season).”
While Irene was unable to make it to the championship series, she followed her daughter’s team intently.
Jessica, who played shortstop for the Molalla Indians in high school, switched into the outfield for Linfield, spending most of her time in the right field.
“It is a very different perspective out there,” Jessica said. “You are the last line of defense. Well, there is the fence back there, but if it gets there that is no good.”
Jessica was thrust into the new role out of necessity.
“We really had a need for our freshmen class to step in and help us in the outfield and with
Jessica’s ability to run and make plays she was a natural candidate for the position,” Linfield softball coach Jackson Vaughan said. “It was hard for her to break a lot of her infield habits but the more she worked at it the better she got and by the end of the season she was one of the better defensive outfielders in our conference.”
Proof of Jessica’s success is in her 41 starts, 43 games played, a .309 batting average for the season, 25 runs, 19 RBI, eight stolen bases with one home run.
That ability to excel from all spots in the field made her valuable.
“Jessica’s biggest strength is probably her athleticism and versatility,” Vaughan said. “She is very athletic and has the ability to play a number of defensive positions.”
The jump from high school ball to college ball has meant better treatment as a player for Jessica who does not miss riding to games in the classic yellow school buses.
“It is very different,” Jessica said. “It is an amazing feeling to know that you are flying across the country to play softball.”
Another difference for Jessica has been the jump in the ability of opponents.
“You have to realize real fast that everyone can play,” Jessica said. “In high school there are competitive people but there are also people out there to have fun. In college you are always playing to win, and everyone has the ability to do that.”
The best part of being on the softball team for Jessica has been the support it has provided.
“Everyone on the team is great,” Jessica said. “They are all supportive so the feeling is really awesome because you know if you have a problem you can come to them with it and they will fix it. The seniors were really encouraging to us. They didn’t make us do anything like carry their bags or anything like that. They did make fun of us a little bit though.”
There will not be much rest for Jessica to enjoy her new status as part of the best team in Division III softball. She will take two weeks off before jumping into a summer workout regimen targeted to improve her strength and conditioning. That will lead her right up into Fall ball where she will have three practices a week for four weeks with the rest of the team to hone that strength and conditioning before running right up into the 2008 season in January.
“In softball you are always doing something and then pretty soon the year is over,” she said.
Jessica should have a central role in the team’s future.
“Jessica has a bright future in our program,” Vaughan said. “She needs to continue to work hard and develop her skills as a hitter at the college level but with her work ethic and attitude we expect her to be a contributor for years to come.”
Preparation for that future begins now and Jessica is eager to play a pivotal role in the Wildcats’ bid to repeat as champions.
“We are very hungry to repeat,” Jessica said. “Once you get that feeling of what it is like to win, you just want it more.”
Set to join Jessica on 2008’s edition of Linfield softball is former high school teammate Kendra Guest who is coming off of a dominant season of pitching for the Molalla Indians where she was named a first-team all-league pitcher.
The love you give comes back in the end.
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