The Pilot News - Bremen’s softball senior leaders showing no fear

Bremen head softball coach Chris English — who helped start the school’s softball program 18 years ago — said her players looked a little rattled in that first trip opposite Frankfort. With a core squad consisting of eight seniors, many of whom have been playing together since their sophomore season and a few of whom were even present for the 2005 state semis, English says she expects greater poise from the team Friday as the Lions (22-8) take on South Spencer (20-10) at North Central High School in Indianapolis.
“Last time we were there in 2005, the kids were kind of in awe and just felt the pressure,” English said. “I don’t think these kids are going to react like that.
“They’re just loose,” she added of this year’s squad. “You don’t see pressure in their faces. They’re playing with a lot of fun, and it makes them play with confidence, with a kind of no-fear attitude. Their season could come to an end Friday, but they’re not thinking about that. They’re feeling no pressure.”
That fast and loose approach has served Bremen well in the state tournament.
The Lions entered LaVille Sectional play having lost four of their last seven games, and their level-headedness has gotten them out of a couple jams in the state tourney so far. In the team’s sectional opener against Northern State Conference rival Jimtown, Bremen found itself down 1-0 with the bases loaded and no outs in the first inning, but they kept it calm and came back for an eventual 3-1 victory. The Lions got off to a similarly bumpy start in their regional opener versus Garrett, falling behind 1-0 again, but came back once more for another 3-1 win to proceed to the championship against Boone Grove on Saturday.
“That fear is just not there,” said English. “They’re able to bounce back. Two times in the tournament we’ve been down — against Jimtown and in regional against Garrett they were down 1-0 also — and it didn’t even faze them.
“The fact that we have eight seniors — there’s something different about them, there’s a maturity about them. They just don’t get rattled. Most of our seniors have been playing together since their sophomore year, and you just get on a roll and once get on a roll you maintain it.”
Besides the maturity factor, Bremen’s senior leadership has also given the team some real chemistry. Many of them have been playing on the same team for the past three years, and that has led to real camaraderie among players. They’re having fun, said English, and it’s showing in their level of play.
“They’re just clicking together with a cohesiveness, and you don’t always get that,” English said. “Sometimes you have talented players, but they don’t click together. We don’t have the most talented players — I mean we’ve got some talent — but they just play well together and play with a lot of heart.”
Behind three-year starting pitcher and lead-off batter Jenni Andrews, Bremen’s roster boasts seven other seniors including catcher Jenny Fraine, center fielder Amanda LaFree, Courtney Bahr — who was a pinch runner for the Lions in their ‘05 state bid — Rachel Jensen, Toireasa Schutz, Renee Zeltwanger and recent returner Jessie Creakbaum — Bremen’s only four-year starter who was sidelined with a basketball injury until just a few weeks ago.
While the heart and soul of Bremen softball has always been defense, English said this year’s team has been a little more proficient in scoring runs as well, something the ‘05 squad was lacking. The Lions’ skipper is hoping the re-introduction of one-time offensive leader Creakbaum will spark even better offensive numbers.
“We’re hoping she’s going be our secret weapon; nobody who’s scouted us this year has seen her break out,” said English of the senior DH. “No one who’s scouted us probably thinks she can do anything and up until she broke her leg she was our best batter, best bunter, and she played center field for us. She plays summer ball, so she’s one of these kids that breathes, eats and sleeps softball. She’s getting a little better each day, and like I say, this weekend could be her break-out weekend.”
The Lions’ senior factor isn’t exclusive to them in the South Spencer match-up, however.
The Lady Rebels have nine seniors of their own and are salty veterans in their own right. Led on the mound by senior hurler and University of Evansville recruit Maggie Little, whose pitches have been clocked as high as 60 miles per hour, English says Friday’s contest could boil down to an exercise in senior brinkmanship.
“They’ve got nine seniors, we’ve got eight, so it could come down to which seniors flinch first, I guess. It sounds like we’ve got two good teams coming together, and it could come down to just a break, a bad hop. Hopefully, those breaks will go our way.”