By Garrett Collins
Many students on campus look forward to this time of the year. The warm weather, the longer days and spring break. For many students, spring break means a time to go home and relax, maybe work, and others use that time to go on vacation with family and friends. However, it is not like that for all students. For some, spring break means the return of Cardinal softball. Junior pitcher Julia Golino was excited to be with her friends and get a gauge as to how the Cardinals compete nationally.
“I definitely think Florida was good to see where we stand and what we need to work on,” Golino said. “Our team chemistry grew as well so I think we are going to be really successful this season and we can only grow from here.”
The team chemistry is something that Julia and the Cardinals pride themselves on being able to know what her other teammates are doing.
“Being a pitcher a lot of it is trusting the defense and trusting your team that you can get runs,” Golino said “[In Florida], we all bonded and learned things about each other that we didn’t know. It’s going to help us on the field so we can support each other.”
This chemistry really started for them during the COVID-19 shutdown season.
“I do think it helped in a way because our team chemistry got better and we grew as a team,” Golino said.
Last season the Cardinals went 7-9 and with such a young team they feel they can only move up from here.
“I definitely see a lot of potential with this team,” Golino said. “ We are a younger team, so a lot of us have been together for the last year or two and a lot of players played together before even coming here.”
This team seems to operate on the mentality that there is nobody in charge and they all do things for the betterment of the team.
“We don’t have specific captains on the team, we all consider ourselves leaders,” Golino said. “Even the junior and senior class being in charge of the team, being available for the younger classmen if they need anything, we’re modeling things for the underclassmen which I think helps us.”
Julia’s teammate Danielle Torres said she is always there for her teammates and making sure they perform at a top level.
“I would say as a teammate she is always involved in cheering and picking others up,” Torres said. “She’s definitely loud and uses that to her advantage on the field as well. As a player she’s a good leader and dominant in the circle and 3rd base.She always gets a job done whether it be at the plate, in the circle or the hot corner.”
The Cardinals softball season is right around the corner with the Cardinals welcoming the New Paltz Golden Eagles April 1.
