It seems like Cornell softball is constantly fighting an uphill battle with dual competition this season: weather and tough opponents.
After competition was cancelled in Delaware last weekend, the Red looks to start fresh this coming slate of games as the team voyages to Maryland to compete in the Mount St. Mary Invite.
The invite will force the Red to face the host school of Mount St. Mary’s, as well as Canisius, Morgan St. and Manhattan College. The start to the season has not been very comfortable for the team. At a record of 2-5, the team is still struggling to find its motion in the season’s opening stretch.
The women are prepared to turn things around this weekend. Well aware of the challenge it faces with its opponents, the team is prepared for the obstacle in front of them
“Canisius will be in midseason form,” said head coach Julie Farlow ’97. “They just finished an 11-game trip to Florida and they’re playing well in all aspects of the game. Manhattan and Mount St. Mary’s will be equally tough.”
Specifically, Farlow has looked to the Ivy League competition that Manhattan has defeated as a sign of its ability, whereas Morgan St. will enter the weekend without much game experience in recent weeks.
“Manhattan has some early season wins versus Harvard, Columbia and Yale,” Farlow added. “Morgan St. started the year off strong but have had their last 10 games cancelled due to weather.”
Farlow also acknowledged the difficulty of having such pauses in play at this point in the season. For her, early season repetition is key to get into a groove.
“It crushed me that we didn’t play last weekend and it’s tough on the team,” she said. “Six of our last eight games have been cancelled, making it hard to generate any momentum. We continue to practice but we need game situations.”
As the season has progressed, the Red realized the need to find its niche as the women begin to face tougher competition. Unfortunately, the weather has not aided them in that quest.
“We need game experience and game speed,” Farlow added. “It’s been a tough start to the season due to these cancellations. We’re a team without an identity. We need to play games to figure out who we are.”
But while there is plenty of negative that can be taken from a lack of games, the team looks to the fact that it has made them more desperate to get on the diamond and show their skills.
“I think it’s made us hungry to play. We are fresh, and excited to get out on the field,” said senior outfielder Jessica Bigbie. “We have a great team and if everyone can contribute, we’ll be golden. At this point we just have to keep learning from every game and every situation.”
Ivy League competition awaits around the corner for the Red, as the team is slated to face off against Yale and Brown next weekend.
For now, action in Maryland gets underway bright and early Saturday at 9:30 a.m. against Canisius.