BRCC set for softball opener
Baton Rouge Community College’s athletic program will celebrate an important milestone when its softball team plays its first regular season games on Wednesday.
A doubleheader with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will also be the first home games for the Bears, starting at 3 p.m. at the Oak Villa Softball Complex.
BRCC coach Stephanie Zellner could make these milestones the primary rallying cry for her 15-member squad. Instead, Zellner wants her players to keep it simple and play ball
“These girls have been playing softball all their lives, and that’s all I want them to do,” Zellner said. “Sure, this is a big day, but it’s still about playing softball and finding ways to win.”
BRCC attempted to start a softball program in 2007-08, but those plans ultimately fell through despite the fact that a few players were signed and some equipment was purchased.
Zellner was hired to jump start the program just over a year ago. The 27-year-old Oregon native played junior college softball at Central Arizona College and before moving on to Oakland University.
She spent two seasons as an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana University and also was an assistant at Dodge City Community College in Kansas and Texas-based Galveston College.
Zellner’s BRCC roster includes 13 Louisiana players and two out-of-state players who are both transfers. One transfer, Katy, Texas native Alyssa Williams, came from Southeastern Louisiana University and will be the Bears’ starting shortstop. First base-pitcher Danielle Dyar of Murrieta, Calif., is a Bossier Parish Community College transfer.
Zellner got an idea what to expect when her team compiled an 11-8-1 record in exhibition games last fall. The Bears won eight of their last nine games and posted wins over some notable opponents, including NAIA power Belhaven and Southern.
“Whenever you start a season, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect,” Zellner said. “Based on the fall, I feel good about where we are. I’m comfortable with our pitchers, and I think offensively we have the potential to hit for power and to use our speed to score.”
Former Holden High player Haley Grantham is scheduled to get the start in the first game, while ex-Jena player Paige Fink is scheduled to start the second game for BRCC, a Division I National Junior College Athletic Association team.
In Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Bears will face an NJCAA Division II team that has garnered three top 10 national finishes in recent years.
“Gulf Coast is one of the top Division II programs,” Zellner said. “It’s hard to get a read on what they’ll have because junior college rosters change so much from one year to the next. They’ll be a quality opponent and a real test for us.”
Zellner said several players are battling for starting positions. Dyar and former French Settlement player Kamryn Hill are vying to play first base. Ex-Archbishop Hannan player Natalie Powell and former Teurlings Catholic player Mallory Boudreaux are competing for the second-base spot.
Former Central player Kelsey Couvillion, an LSU-Eunice transfer, and Katelyn Hines (Avoyelles) will split time at catcher.
Ex-North Vermilion player Stephanie Picard is set to start at third. Zellner’s outfield rotation will include Alexis Gremillion (Denham Springs), Dara Butler (Jewel Sumner), Haylee St. Amant (Ponchatoula), Haley Jara (St. Amant) and Blair Sanders (Beau Chene).
“We’re excited to start the season,” Zellner said. “And we have goals. By doing what we do, which is play softball, we can hopefully put BRCC on the map.”