Senior outfielder leads softball team with glove and bat
Jake Sonner
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Sports
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"Even to the last minute, she's doing what she did as a freshman," Threehouse said. Pazda took extra swings after her freshman year when she and Threehouse both wondered if she was taking the right approach at the plate.
"What worked for her in high school didn't work in Division I," Threehouse said. "So she went to work on her swing. She re-did her thought process about hitting the ball, and bang, she became a real good player."
In the waning days of her career as a Bonnie, Threehouse said Pazda's commitment to improvement hasn't faltered.
"It makes it easy on a coach to have that type of player out there," Threehouse said. "Her consistency and overall attitude have been a critical part of what we're trying to do here as a team."
Pazda's batting average has steadily risen since her freshman year. She batted .248 as a sophomore and .293 as a junior.
"It takes someone willing to learn and (who) is willing to get better," Threehouse said. "It was her willingness to come out here on a daily basis and take extra cuts all day long that made her into the player she is."
While the senior's batting average has taken a slight dip to .267, she has entered the batter's box 20 more times than anyone on the team (101). Pazda also leads the team in hits (27) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with five. She has yet to commit an error in the field and has started 33 of the Bonnies' 36 games.
"It's something I've looked forward to for four years," Pazda said. "I got the chance to go in my sophomore year and I've been there ever since. So it kind of brings it all to a close to start all my games senior year."
Threehouse said his centerfielder is a constant when he pencils in the starting lineup.
"(She's) the everyday player that shows up to play," he said. "She's going to contribute offensively, she's going to contribute defensively … and as a coach you wish that all your players were like her."
Recruiting with three scholarships is difficult for Threehouse, but he managed to snag Pazda from Clarence, N.Y.
"It's not like you can go out there and find the (U.S. Olympians) Jessica Mendozas or the Lisa Fernandezs of the year," he said. "You have to find the kids who have the potential to be great Division I players."
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