FROSH BRING FRESH ENERGY

Two NFCA All-Americans. The winningest pitcher in Texas history and a Sports Illustrated Face in the Crowd. The national record-holder for career stolen bases. The All-League First-Team selections and Most Valuable Players from regions of New York and Michigan to California and Washington State.

To find the names of those who possess these titles and accolades, look no further than the Harvard softball freshmen class.

“The Laurs”— Lauren Stefanchik, Lauren Tanner, Lauren Bettinelli, and Laura Miller—and those who Miller likes to call the “honorary Laurs”—Beth Sabin, Cecily Gordon and Ashley Augustine— are Harvard’s newest and most highly anticipated generation.

Sporting diverse backgrounds, coupled with talent and experience, the freshman class exudes a refreshing energy, passion for the game and appreciation for the integral role of teamwork that has meshed well with the returning players.

“All they do is come onto the field and have fun and play their guts out,” said sophomore infielder Sara Williamson. “Our freshmen are now beginning to blossom and open up. They’re so fun to be around. All of them are.”

Outfielder Ashley Augustine exemplifies the team commitment of her class. An accomplished swimmer in high school—a four time All-State Team selection—Ashley decided to narrow her focus to softball because she enjoyed the team aspect of it more than that of swimming.

Shared enthusiasm bonds the freshmen together, but their modest and team-focused nature makes them reluctant to distinguish themselves.

But being arguably the most heralded freshman class in Harvard softball history, its members are certainly deserving of individual recognition.

Slap Happy

Whoever said that good things come in small packages knew outfielder Lauren “Jersey” Stefanchik. Standing at 5’3, her small physical appearance serves as a natural decoy to her big playmaking potential.

Along with Stefanchik’s three-time NFCA All-American honors, her 295 career stolen bases is first on the all-time high school list.

Her impressive accomplishments come at the expense of ten years of practice and commitment.

A native of the state that bears her nickname, Stefanchik was first attracted to softball by her older sister’s games, and she first picked up her own bat and glove in the third grade. Although her sister exposed her to some fundamental skills, her father was always there, encouraging her to attend clinics and learn from anyone and everyone.

Stefanchik, the Crimson’s newest leadoff hitter and outfielder, used slap-hitting and her natural speed to make her mark.

Initially she batted right-handed, but then in sixth grade, her future high school coach changed her direction. Her coach, knowing that slap-hitting was a growing trend on the West Coast, travelled to California to attend clinics and brought the skill back to New Jersey.

“I went to his clinic and learned, and I just became a lefty from then on, since batting lefty starts you closer to first base,” Stefanchik said.

For Stefanchik, who has the skill to place the ball in different spots depending on the defensive setup, is naturally most attracted to the strategy of the game.

Her high school experiences and ability to get on base for the Crimson indicate that the strategy she’s adopted is effective.

Her instincts in deciding where to place the ball allow her to “eat up the defense,” in the words of Harvard Coach Jenny Allard.

With her ability to slap or bunt her way to first-base once or twice per game and run the bases, Stefanchik has already proven herself to be an invaluable team asset.

Pitching In

Harvard’s two freshman pitchers, Lauren Tanner and Beth Sabin, have changed the landscape of the Crimson’s pitching rotation. While last year Harvard only had three arms to rotate, now it has five.

Tanner—featured in Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd—remembers that her choice to focus on softball was a result of trial and error. She started with soccer, volleyball and cross-country, gradually eliminating those that didn’t seem to have a future.

But it was not by chance that after attending pitching clinics as early as the third grade, Tanner thrived at her chosen sport and—with 112 high school wins—became the winningest pitcher in Texas history, though Tanner’s never been one to focus on statistics.

“I didn’t know if [breaking the record] was a good or bad thing,” said Tanner. “It just happened. It’s not like I was counting.”

Tanner’s modesty masks the magnitude of her accomplishments, but having a good time is something she’s more than willing to talk about. Her free-spirit and enthusiasm is epitomized by her two-year reign as her high school’s mascot.

“I was wild,” said Tanner of her years spent encouraging crowds as “Willy the Wild Cat.”

Her wild and fun-loving spirit may be behind her, but her past lives on in the high school pictures she’s shown to her teammates.

“[Lauren] is perfect for a mascot,” Williamson said. “She’s so funny.”

Though Tanner has the national recognition, pitcher Beth Sabin has had the stronger start to her Crimson career. Coming to Cambridge all the way from Woodinville, Wash., Sabin brings her athletic and academic prowess.

Ranking number one on and off the field, Sabin received Most Valuable Player recognition in the east side of Washington—along with numerous pitching distinctions within her county—and was valedictorian of her high school class.

Her favorite memories from high school include the time she spent traveling with her ASA team.

“On our way to games we would put on Centerfield by John Foggarty and had a whole dance to it,” said Sabin. “We would be dancing in the vans, singing into our hairbrushes at the top of our lungs, then get out and play.”

Sabin’s talent and love of the game are still growing.

Sabin throws “very, very hard,” said Allard, and “she’s continuing to work on pitch movement and pitch rotation.”

While both Tanner and Sabin are adjusting to facing more experienced hitters and a three-foot increase in distance from the mound to the plate in the college game, they’ve been able to come in and give Harvard good innings thus far.

Catching On

The freshman class not only brings an arsenal of talent to the pitching mound, but behind the plate as well. Allard has looked toward three freshmen to fill in the gap left by last season’s loss of two Crimson catchers.

Cecily Gordon, a California native, was a four-time selection to the All-Private School Athletic League.

A high school first baseman, Gordon has recently been working at the catcher position, although her progress has momentarily been delayed due to a rotator cuff injury.

Lauren Bettinelli—a middle infielder being trained at the catcher position—was twice named to the NFCA All-American First Team. Along with being the ultimate utility player, Bettinelli also pitched her high school team’s way to three New York State Championships.

“We’re able to give her good innings and she’s able to call a good game having had pitching experience herself,” Allard said.

Having already extinguished a runner’s steal attempt in a game earlier this season, Bettinelli seems to have no problem adjusting to her new, masked world.

But the freshman who used her glove to target the main starting catcher position is Southern Californian Laura Miller—a two-time First-Team All-CIF and four-time First-Team All-Prep League selection.

While Miller may not have as much pitching experience as Bettinelli, she began her softball career on top of the mound. It wasn’t the desire to see the field from a new perspective that got her behind the plate, but a hard-hit ball straight to the mouth.

“Soft-ball is a misnomer,” said Miller remembering the pain of the hard line-drive she was hit with when she was 12.

“My teeth came completely out of my mouth and were dangling by the wires of my braces,” Miller said. “The metal of my braces absorbed enough of the shock to keep my teeth from shattering.”

Perhaps Miller was destined to lead a masked existence.

Now that she’s been behind the plate for several years, having to step into a starting role at the college level hasn’t phased her.

With the support of her teammates and the experience of highly competitive Californian play behind her, Miller is having a ball.

High Utility

Although Ashley Augustine doesn’t fit directly into the worlds of pitching or catching, she contributes to the team in her own right.

“She’s a very quick runner with a consistent bat,” said Allard. “She’ll be a good role player for us.”

Possessing the athleticism to play in either the infield or outfield, Augustine—a two-time All-League selection in Michigan’s South Eastern Conference—represents the depth of talent characteristic of successful teams.

Easy Catch

Allard didn’t need much of a recruiting pitch to bring in her seven freshmen, five of whom applied early action.

“We’ve been a top team in the league for several years, and I think that helps in recruiting,” Allard said. “But I don’t think anyone comes here to play softball. I think they come here for Harvard.”

While the freshmen share a passion for softball, this emotion extends beyond the game to Harvard College itself.

Stefanchik admits that she always wanted to go Ivy League and to Harvard in particular.

“I thought Harvard offered a good balance,” said Stefanchik. “I wanted to play softball but I didn’t want it to take over my life.”

Feeling overwhelmed by application deadlines and college visits, Sabin describes her senior fall as a “whirlwind.” It was Harvard that brought her clarity.

Sabin remembers arriving in Cambridge and being asked if she wanted to walk through Harvard Yard.

“I consented and the rest is history; it just felt right,” said Sabin. “I knew this was where I wanted to attend.”

The positive energy that radiates from these players could bring a smile to the face of anyone they encounter.

Their silent confidence suggests that everything from dealing with their first year of college classes to getting it done on the softball field is nothing they can’t handle.

What will they accomplish next?