Flames Softball Prepares to Repeat Title Season in 2018

The Lady Flames softball team has set its sights on another stellar season after winning its first National Invitational Softball Championship at the end of the 2017 season in the spring semester.

Junior pitcher Julia DiMartino was selected as the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year and sophomore catcher Amber Bishop was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year. The team was also voted No.2 in a Big South preseason poll, according to the Liberty Flames website.

The Lady Flames open their home season Friday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. as they play against Delaware State University.

Softball head coach Dot Richardson is pushing her team to play harder than ever before in the 2018 season.

“This team is very talented, so I’ve given them permission not to play it safe, you know, to go all out and leave it all on the field,” Richardson said. “If they do that, a lot of good things are going to happen.”

DiMartino aims to play even better than last season. She was awarded Big South Pitcher of the Year last season and hopes to achieve the title again.

“(My goals are) to get Pitcher of the Year again and to have more strikeouts than last year,” DiMartino said. “I want to stay ahead in the count and try not to let the hitter own the pitch.”

The team has the full potential to reach greater heights than last year. With only one graduate leaving the team after the 2017 season, the Lady Flames have a full team of returning players.

Bishop, just like the rest of her team, is excited for the season to begin.

“I think we’re going to do really well. We’re all really excited to start playing,” Bishop said. “I’m excited to see how we do competing against good teams this season.”

DiMartino said she is most excited for the level of competition the Lady Flames will be playing against this season.

“I know last year when we played Florida some of us were like ‘Oh, wow, it’s Florida,’ but now we just play whoever plays us with the same attitude,” DiMartino said.

Their season will not be easy. The Lady Flames are facing one of their most difficult schedules yet, including teams like Baylor University and University of California, Los Angeles.

DiMartino recognizes this, and said she is up for the challenge.

“Between the different teams we compete (against), we’ll play some teams that are weaker and some teams that are very challenging, and I think the biggest challenge is to play every game like we’re playing Florida or UCLA and have that energy,” DiMartino said. “We don’t always do it, but you can definitely tell when you’re playing a weaker team and you don’t play your full potential.”

But some of the biggest obstacles are personal. For Bishop, she is working to overcome expectations.

“Personally, I’m trying to focus on not thinking about what other people have in mind of what I might do this year,” Bishop said. “And also not thinking about what they’re going to do and feeling disappointed if they don’t do something.”

Richardson has a slightly different approach to the season’s challenges. From her perspective, the biggest challenge is overcoming any fears the team may have.

“I think the challenges are pretty much within ourselves. I look at this team and I feel that there’s nothing we can’t do if we stay together and everyone commits themselves to being the best they can be,” Richardson said. “I hope they remove all doubt and fears to seize the opportunities that God has given us and above all trust the Lord.”

For DiMartino, that blessing was extra motivation for the season.

 “God definitely blessed me and the team. He was with me and the team, and the motivation he gave me was just such a blessing,” DiMartino said. “I had so much help and I was a lot more focused on the season than I thought I would be.”

Bishop experienced those same blessings.

“I think God’s given all of us the ability to play hard and with a passion and to play the sport that we love and give Him the glory through it,” Bishop said.

Richardson has full confidence in the team for the 2018 season.

“No matter what happens, win or lose, the Lord is blessing us like crazy. We’re so blessed to be supported as we are,” Richardson said.