Looking at the Elon University softball team’s starting lineup on most game days, one would probably be surprised to see four true freshmen playing critical roles so early in their careers.
Two of the four — right fielder Alaina Hall and catcher/designated player Emily Roper — are everyday contributors to the Phoenix lineup, while starting pitcher Alli Burdette and reserve Carey Million have contributed from the bench. Those freshmen helped Elon to a 5-0-2 start to the season and an 11-5 record in nonconference play.
“They’ve all stepped up and done really well,” Elon head coach Kathy Bocock said. “All four ladies are incredibly hard workers, and when that happens, you’re going to be successful. We thought they could be good, so it isn’t a surprise that they’ve caught on and are doing as well as they are.”
After outfielder Tomeka Watson graduated last year, Bocock knew she and her staff would have to find a replacement, both in the outfield and at the top of the lineup. It turned out that Bocock found a gem in Hall, who was recruited by high-profile programs in the Southeastern Conference and around the country. But those schools lost interest after Hall’s high school coach told them she didn’t want to give up pitching just to be a “slap” hitter.
It was then that she was pursued by Elon’s assistant coaches and took a visit to Elon. After becoming enamored with the campus, Hall signed with the Phoenix.
“[Associate head] coach [Jess] Jacobson found me, and then [former assistant coach Mike] Steuerwald went after me hard,” Hall said. “He was one of the main reasons why I came for a visit. When I came, I loved the campus and the coaches right away, so I knew that here was the best place for me.”
Hall has succeeded in both the leadoff spot and, more recently, at the No. 2 and 3 spots in the lineup, where she has been moved as of late in order to drive in more runs. Hall admitted she’s more comfortable now she’s further down in the lineup because it’s the spot in the order that she has the most familiarity with.
“I haven’t batted in the leadoff spot in a long time,” Hall said. “So when I got moved down to third, where I’ve been for the last two years, I knew I would do well because I’m familiar and comfortable in that spot. It’s not a spot I’m trying to learn in-season.”
As of April 4, Hall leads the team with a .369 average, has scored a team-high 28 runs, leads the team in hits with 41 and is third on the team with five doubles.
Roper, a highly regarded basketball recruit who was found by chance at a camp by Bocock and her staff, has also put together a fantastic rookie campaign.
“I got really lucky to be able to come here,” Roper said. “I came down to [Elon’s] camp and they liked me, and they offered me a scholarship, which I wasn’t expecting. But I took it.”
She’s taken advantage of her fortune, hitting .299 and sitting in second on the team in doubles with seven, home runs with six and runs batted in with 28.
She said the adjustment from high school to collegiate softball was easy thanks to the team’s offseason workouts and training program.
“It was hard to adjust to the college game in the fall,” Roper said. “But I think after we got the fall under our belts we got more comfortable.”
Burdette was plugged into the Phoenix’s pitching rotation right away alongside juniors Chelsea White and Caitlin O’Shea. Despite being teamed up with two savvy veterans who have a ton of big-game experience, Burdette has held her own.
Burdette has appeared in 16 games, nine of which she’s started, going 3-1 with a 5.14 earned run average. In 47.2 innings, she’s struck out 33 opposing batters.
“[Burdette has] bought into the program that Coach Jacobson has laid out for her, and because of that, she’s having success,” Bocock said. “She’s gotten knocked down a couple of times this year, but that’s going to happen. She believes in herself and her teammates, and that belief will bring confidence and success.”
Million, meanwhile, is a key reserve who has contributed three home runs and driven in 10 despite having just 73 bats.
“Carey [Million] is a really important piece to our team,” Bocock said. “We can bring her in or start her and know that she’ll give us what we need from her. She’s come up with some big plays for us in big moments.”
Senior outfielder Carleigh Nester saw the potential in this year’s freshman class from the beginning and knows the future is looking bright based on what the four have shown her so far.
“After seeing them work their butts off in the fall I expected them to be doing great,” Nester said. “And they have. The best part is that they’re only going to get better in the next four years.”