SB : Syracuse hopes 0-13 start adds experience for Big East competition
It’s awfully difficult to be optimistic with a 0-13 record. But Syracuse softball head coach Leigh Ross knows playing nationally ranked schools will ultimately enhance their preparation against the Big East.
‘I think with the strength of schedule you can gain a lot of experience from that,’ Ross said. ‘This isn’t really counting against us right now; it’s only making us better for the Big East. I just want our kids to think of themselves at that level and to think of our program at that level. So we try to schedule those (top) teams so we can see what that level looks like.’
The Orange heads to sunny Clearwater, Fla., Friday until Sunday to play in the USF Under Armour Invitational, its fourth tournament of the season. It features 24 teams, hosted by South Florida. Seeded in the ‘B’ pool, SU will open the tournament against Sam Houston at 9:30 a.m. and Kennesaw at noon Friday. On day two, the Orange will play a tripleheader Saturday against Indiana at 9:30 a.m., Quinnipiac at noon and Fairfield at 5 p.m. The single-elimination portion of the tournament will begin Sunday.
Coming into the USF Invitational, the Orange is still searching for its first win of the season. In the 13 losses, SU is batting a paltry .174 and is scoring 1.3 runs per game. Syracuse has also committed 30 errors that led to 35 unearned runs.
‘You only see the bottom line record of 0-13,’ Ross said. ‘But there were a few games where if one thing would have gone our way, if one mistake would not have happened, we would have been right in those ball games. We’re one big play away, one big hit away from playing with those (top) teams.’
Of the teams SU has faced, two are currently ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 national poll. No. 13 Baylor, a team the Orange has faced twice this season, is a perennial contender. Last year, the Lady Bears claimed the Super Regional title and advanced to the 2007 Women’s College World Series. And during the NFCA Leadoff, SU battled against No. 19 Mississippi State, and lost 8-2.
Other teams such as Nebraska, Auburn and Purdue also have established themselves as prominent softball programs throughout the past years. This year, Penn State revamped its program and upset then-No. 9 Louisiana State this week.
In essence, the strength of schedule has also played a role in hampering the Orange. Still, the team is confident the early-season challenges will prepare it for its Big East opponents.
‘It’s been tough on us losing, but we are playing tough Division I teams, big name schools,’ junior utility player Jorden Rosen said. ‘So we’re glad we’re playing tough competition and losing, instead of playing easier teams, which is what the Big East teams are doing now, and (they are) killing them.’
In addition, SU was in a similar position last year, yet it overcame early defeats to finish with a 21-31 record.
‘Last year around this time we had almost the same record, we were about 2-13 at this time,’ Ross said. ‘Just last weekend I had coaches come up to me after the game and say you aren’t a 0-13 team.’
After playing against superior competition, the Orange could be poised to sneak up on top Big East opponents such as DePaul, South Florida and Pittsburgh.
‘I think we will surprise some teams soon,’ junior shortstop Jamie Kelling said. ‘Because of the tough schedule, people might underestimate how good we really are.’
In the end, the coaching staff scheduled early-season games against difficult opponents for a reason. It is a tactical plan to test the team’s character, skill and mental focus against elite competition, while simultaneously preparing them for the intense Big East showdowns.
But the Orange has been outscored 85-17 so far this season as its school-record losing streak continues. Still, Ross remains plenty optimistic.
‘We tell them they are facing the best pitchers in the country, the best batters in the country, the best defense,’ Ross said. ‘So when you come play against your opponents in the Big East, it’s only going to make you better.’
