Softball: Missy Romero has MVP Year for Copiah-Lincoln
The ReSporter caught up with Missy Romero who has just finished her first year of College
Missy Romero: Offensive Player of the Year for Co-Lin
Softball.
Romero, you might say, had a great break out year at Copiah-Lincoln with a decent batting average and playing a pivotal part for the Wolfpack team.
Romero was CL’s, in the circle, player for four years and also finished her career with several Hawk records.
Romero's Records for the Hawks: Played 2009-10-11-12 Batting Stats #'s Place At Bats 251 2nd Runs 77 1st Hits 90 1st Doubles 24 1st Triples 9 1st Home Runs 2 1st Base on Balls 35 1st Batting Ave. .359 2nd Pitching Wins 35 1st Innings Pitched 498.1 1st Strikeouts 528 1st ERA 2.77 1st
After you rub your eyes taking all of those numbers in, then you will certainly get the idea that this young lady was a site for sore eyes for a team like Canyon Lake, especially when you have a pitcher that is so important for the Softball game.
The ReSporter had a chance to talk to this remarkable Hawk player to see how her first year of playing College ball went.
The ReSporter: Hello Missy, earlier this year I went to the Copiah-Lincoln’s sports web site to check up on your season and the first thing I read was a write-up on your home run. You had two for CL, but both were inside the park homers…tell us what you were thinking when you hit your first home run over a fence?
Missy Romero: “I did not know I had hit it (home run) and when I got to first I started running to the dug out because I thought the outfielder had caught the ball.”
“Then everyone was yelling at me to run around the bases…even the first base coach thought it had been caught, but when the team started acting excited I knew that it had gone over.”
The ReSporter: What was the difference from last year for Canyon Lake and your first year of College softball?
Missy Romero: “I was more relaxed and coming to college I started seeing the ball better and that helped me in waiting for the ball.”
“In high school I would always pull the ball and was anxious and now by waiting on the ball longer I can get my right swing.”
The ReSporter: Tell us what games were like and what were some of the differences between high school and college game.
Missy Romero: “We are constantly talking in the field and at high school that was not happening as much.”
The ReSporter: I guess by talking it helped your softball I.Q.
Missy Romero: “Definitely, you know where to go with the ball when the team is telling you to go home if that runner did not get a good jump off the bat and things like that. By talking it allows better decisions on the field.”
The ReSporter: The Wolfpack started the season real well (12-0-1) and then fell off during Conference play, why do you think that happened?
Missy Romero: “First off, we had a lot of double headers and in the first game we came out hyped and ready to play and then after a win, we would come out sluggish in that second game. That happened quite a bit.”
“We had a game with LSU-Eunice and played them real well, but lost our first game of the year 2-1. We were undefeated going into the game and after those two losses we lost our confidence.”
“Eunice has a lot of players that did not make the LSU team and are playing at Eunice to make the jump back up…so they had a lot of good players. We kept up with them in that first game but after the loss our team attitude was hurt.”
The ReSporter: Tell us what positions you played for the Wolfpack.
Missy Romero: I ended the year playing DH (Disignated Hitter) but before that I played right field and I would also come in for relieving in the circle.”
The ReSporter: I bet that was hard playing in a position that you never had played in high school.
Missy Romero: “It was a change and it was hard to get used to.”
The ReSporter: This is a two year college so tell us about your teammates and how many Freshman and Sophomores that played.
Missy Romero: “The girls in college are a lot better and it is a lot faster pace. We had 33 players and it was about half and half between the two classes.”
The ReSporter: What are your plans this Summer?
Missy Romero: “I will be working a lot on my game, I really want to get more time pitching next year.”
“I also want to get with Brianna (Young) and Kelsey (Ahrens)….and I’m hoping to see Coach Gallagher at graduation and see about working with some of the team.”
The ReSporter: If you could give the Hawk players some wisdom about college ball what would that be?
Missy Romero: “Just communicate more, that will always help the I.Q. of the team and helps everyone know where to go.”
“It was a good year and I ended up getting Offensive player of the Year.”
The ReSporter: Your kidding me….we have been talking all this time and you just now tell me something like that? What was your batting average?
Missy Romero: “.366 batting average.”
The ReSporter: Now you have to go and work with the team and help them with their batting. You went from high school to college and had a break out year with the bat. No wonder your Coach wanted you in the batting order even if you weren’t playing in the field.
Why don’t we end with you telling The ReSporter how Coach John Gallagher helped in getting you where you are today.
Missy Romero: “Coach Gallagher helped prepare me for college, by encouraging me and telling me that I could do it. He said that I could hang with the competition. He was always there and telling me that I could do it.”
The ReSporter: Thanks Missy, The ReSporter hopes your Summer goes well and we will look forward to seeing how you continue your career. Thanks for talking with us.
