Publication Date: Friday, February 11, 2005
Stanford softball program has come a long way
Stanford softball program has come a long way
(February 11, 2005) Contending for NCAA berths and sending players to national team is becoming commonplace for Cardinal
by Rick Eymer
In the beginning, there was no intercollegiate softball program at Stanford. It used to be a group of women would get together, grab a few bats, balls and gloves, and look for somebody to play. Winning wasn't a priority. That's how it was back in the good old days of the early 1990s.
This is a new century, and Stanford has put together one of the top softball programs in the nation; quite a feat considering places like UCLA, California and Fresno State were regularly competing for the national title way back in the 1980s.
What Sandy Pearce - the first full-fledged softball coach at Stanford - started is now reaching new heights under coach John Rittman.
The first competitive Stanford softball team took the field in 1994, and played an independent schedule. In 1995, the Cardinal finished 1-27 in Pac-10 play.
This year, the Cardinal are coming off their second ever appearance in the Women's College World Series, where they were eliminated in the semifinals by the Bruins, and their seventh straight postseason appearance. This season, with six freshmen beefing up a team that lost just two seniors from last year, Stanford has its sights on reaching the CWS for a second straight season.
Until Jessica Mendoza came along a few years ago, Stanford was just another team that the rest of the Pac-10, arguably the toughest softball conference in the nation, would beat up regularly.
Mendoza, who graduated in 2002, helped transform the program into a nationally-recognized one that began to draw some of the biggest names in youth softball.
It was during Mendoza's tenure that Stanford reached its first College World Series. It was also her presence that drew players like Lauren Lappin, Jackie Rinehart and Catalina Morris.
The United States Olympic team, which captured the gold medal in Athens last summer, had a Stanford presence. Mendoza was a starting outfielder and Rittman served as an assistant coach. Lappin, a junior this year, was an alternate.
Lappin, Rinehart and Morris played in the U.S. elite program over the summer, and all three are in the pool from which the next national team will be chosen. Stanford grads Dana Sorensen and Sarah Beeson will join Mendoza in the national program. Not far behind is freshman Anna Beardman, who played on the junior Olympic team.
The current crop of freshmen is so good, that several integral members from last year, including a handful of starters, have seen their roles diminish.
"Players like Jessica and Sarah were instrumental in getting us on the map," Lappin said. "Right now there are 20 players who all contribute. Every part of this team is important. Our Team USA experience is good for the program. It used to be just UCLA or Arizona. Now there's also Stanford."
Rittman has a problem any coach would love to have on their hands. With such a plethora of talent, he's had to move players around to get them into the lineup, and with such a deep bench, he's willing to chance chances.
"Team chemistry is a big part of our success," Rittman said. "People are adjusting to new roles but it's a long season. I have a lot of options."
Freshman Tricia Aggabao is a prime example. The wiry second baseman isn't much of a power hitter but that didn't keep Rittman from using her in the fifth spot of the batting order, a spot normally reserved for a home run hitter, in Stanford's first tournament of the season.
"I'm still playing with the lineup a little bit," Rittman said. "She had three RBIs in a game, so I wanted to give her a shot. She's a solid hitter who makes contact. We have to see what people can do."
Aggabao made her coach look like a genius, not only driving in runs but also giving herself the opportunity to score with power hitter Leah Nelson, a senior, batting sixth.
Nelson played first base last season, but is now behind the plate. Lappin, who plays shortstop, is also an accomplished catcher. There are also at least two other qualified catchers on the roster.
Lappin's future with the national team is as a catcher. She converted to shortstop as a freshman because the Cardinal needed one.
"It's fun; it's not too hard," Lappin said. "I'm more of a catcher than a shortstop, but I'm more comfortable at shortstop now. I can also do some catching drills with Stanford and I can take throws from shortstop with the national team."
Rinehart, a sophomore, also needed to switch spots when she came to Stanford. She was primarily a pitcher and third baseman in high school, and then switched to first base when she began playing summer ball in Los Angeles with Lappin.
Lappin was a help in getting Rinehart through the process of applying, and getting accepted, at Stanford.
"It was nice to know someone who went through the same process," Rinehart said. "It's definitely different than with most schools. I knew I loved this school and it was just a question of getting in. When I found out I was in, it was a weight off my shoulders. Until then I was nervous."
Rinehart moved to the outfield with Stanford, and knew ahead of time that's where Rittman wanted her. It made the transition easier.
"I knew the year before so I did some outfield work to get ready," Rinehart said.
Stanford is primed for another run at the postseason, something that has become routine under Rittman. Stanford has won at least 40 games in each of the past seven years and is looking to extend that streak.
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