That venue was the home of Elon University softball for 35 seasons, dating back beyond the “fastpitch era” of Phoenix softball. But as of 2013, that outdated and hidden field is history. Elon will begin a new era of playing home games at Hunt Softball Park, located across Williamson Avenue from Latham Park, in close proximity to Rhodes Stadium and Rudd Field.
“Over the last few years, [Elon] had been talking about getting a stadium for the softball program,” said Kathy Bocock, who is beginning her second season as Elon’s head softball coach and first without the interim tag. “It kept moving in the right direction, [the university] had the blueprints, and the Hunt family stepped up and made it happen.”
Home sweet home
Vicky Hunt, an Elon trustee, and her husband Sam footed the $1.25 million bill to provide the Phoenix with a top-notch facility. In addition, the BB&T Corporation paid $500,000 for the completion of the complex. When fully complete, BB&T Field at Hunt Softball Park will feature “brick grandstands with seating for 311 fans and a spacious press box; concourse and concessions areas; two batting cages and a bullpen on the home side; and a batting cage and bullpen on the visitors’ side,” according to the Elon athletic department.
Although the venue is functional for the 2013 season, there is still more work to be done. The Elon athletic department states, “The second phase of construction for the project will include locker rooms, concession stands, a team lounge, coaching offices and training facilities.”
The program is very excited about the venue.
“People drive past it all the time and say stuff to me,” Bocock said. “I’m like, ‘You gotta come in it. It’s a beautiful place.’”
Senior outfielder Tomeka Watson, a preseason first team All-Southern Conference selection, is full of praise for the facility as well.
“I’m really excited to play on this field for my last season,” said the Jackson, Ga., native. “The girls before me have worked really hard, and I’m proud and I’m happy to be out here and represent them at the new stadium.”
Watson was echoed by her fellow preseason second team All-Southern Conference pick, junior outfielder Carleigh Nester.
“It’s just beautiful. I know a lot of people have put time and effort into [Hunt Softball Park] and hopefully we’re going to have some great games this year and show everybody we can play, and suit this nice stadium they’ve given us.”
Added pressures?
Elon’s ability to be successful and play “great games” will be determined by how well the young team gels together and how leaders such as Watson, Nester, and senior Ali Ford carry the team.
For any preseason all-conference player, it can be expected that greater pressure might come along with the honor. However, Watson and Nester insist this is not the case with them.
“It doesn’t add any pressure to me,” Watson said. “It just shows what people expect, and I expect the same thing out of myself. It makes me want to work harder to represent Elon and the SoCon.”
That hard work and leadership is apparent to her head coach, who has seen Watson develop as a player.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with such a great student-athlete as Tomeka Watson,” Bocock said. “She is a leader. She gets it. She’s trying to guide these young ladies to where I want to see this program go with a lot of pride and respect.”
Bocock added Watson understands the game so deeply that she can also direct the other fielders from her spot in the outfield, essentially serving as an extra coach.
Nester echoed her teammate when asked about the added pressure.
“It doesn’t add any pressure to me. I just go out there and play for myself and my team. I have fun – I love softball. I’m just gonna go out there and do me.”
Bocock credits Nester’s time spent on the bench two seasons ago as a key motivator.
“Carleigh Nester didn’t actually start in her freshman role. She earned that position and once she got the opportunity to step in she didn’t let it go.”
While both players are different, Bocock values their presence together. “Carleigh and Tomeka together, they’re an unbelievable duo. The underclassmen can see how hard they work every day.”
While Ford is busy breaking Southern Conference three-point records on the basketball court, her softball coach, a former college basketball player and coach herself, anxiously awaits the senior infielder’s return to the team.
“There are some people that can play multiple sports, and Ali Ford is one of those,” Bocock said. “She ended up making a big impact last season and we all support her basketball. In sports, you just take that talent and leadership to another program. We’d like to get her tomorrow and take her with us, but as long as [women’s basketball] keeps winning… she’ll join us when she’s done.”
Turning the page
A major key for the Phoenix in 2013 is pitching. Erin O’Shea, who started 33 games in 2012, was lost to graduation. While Bocock recognizes she will be difficult to replace, she believes the future is bright inside the circle.
“Erin is going to be very hard to replace,” Bocock said. “Most of our players played with Erin and she was a great leader. We have a freshman pitcher in and transfer pitcher in. Coach [Jess] Kohut is the pitching coach, and we’re very fortunate at Elon to have such a great pitching coach.”
Elon’s new pitchers and leading outfielders will tackle one of the more challenging schedules in school history. Teams such as Ohio State University, the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are on the docket in 2013 for Elon.
Despite the challenge, Watson and Nester are unfazed.
“We prepare like any other game,” Watson said. “They put on their jersey the same way that we do. We’re going to go out there and work hard.”
Nester stressed practice and routine when discussing her preparation.
“We practice the same way before every game – preparing like we always do and forming a pattern.”
Bocock also weighed in on challenges ahead.
“Being in the SoCon, we have some strong teams [in our conference]. By playing those out of conference teams, we have to work hard, but every game is the same. Softball is softball.”
That philosophy has already paid off early in the season, as Elon defeated the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, 5-2, on Feb. 8 in Athens, Ga.
2013 is the beginning of a new era in many ways for Elon softball – the first year without Erin O’Shea, the first year of Kathy Bocock’s tenure without an “interim” tag, and the first year in the new Hunt Softball Park. As the young team familiarizes itself with one another and finds its identity, Elon fans will have a top-notch venue to view it in.
The first official game in the stadium will be played against the Fighting Camels of Campbell University on Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. In 28 previous meetings between the two, Campbell holds a 20-7-1 advantage on the Phoenix. The last time the two teams met was April 14, 2010 when the Phoenix swept Campbell in a double header, 8-6 and 5-2.
Now that Hunt Softball Park is a reality, 2013 promises to be an exciting season of competitive Phoenix softball.