Alex Heinen making immediate impact
The Boston University softball team encountered mixed results in season-opening games at the Charleston Southern University Tournament and the Florida Atlantic University Invitational, and one bright spot emerged from the two trips.
Freshman catcher Alex Heinen, who came to BU (3-6) as a two-year captain of her high school team, has thrived under the tutelage of head coach Ashley Waters. She leads the Terriers with six runs batted in and is batting at a sterling .348 clip.
Heinen has also started every one of BU’s nine games, often batting fourth in the lineup and being trusted to drive in runners. Waters effused praise onto Heinen, noting that her “very big and bright” personality has made her transition to college softball seamless.
“She’s not too much of a thinker,” the first-year head coach said. “She really plays the game, trusts her instincts and does what she knows … From day one when she came in, she’s had a lot of power, she’s phenomenal behind the plate, she handles the pitchers really well, has a calming demeanor and has a cannon for an arm.”
Brittany Younan leading by example
The Terriers boast a relatively young roster, and one of its veteran leaders has taken to her role with aplomb. Junior shortstop and captain Brittany Younan has left a mark on the stat sheet, as she leads BU in total bases (13) and her .414 batting average is by far the highest on the team.
This contribution comes as no surprise, as Younan was named the 2014 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and had the 13th best batting average in the conference a year ago. For Waters, Younan’s contributions extend far beyond any metric, though.
Waters noted how Younan shows up ready to improve every day, has a high work ethic and is a stable presence in the lineup’s third position.
“She’s a tremendous leader on the field who understands the game, knows the game and instinctually knows where to go and what to do,” Waters said. “For infielders, especially having younger kids in the infield with her, she’s really captivated them in terms of command and telling them what to do, what’s the next play and what they should be looking for.”
Hynes, Overly leading BU’s pitching staff
Four different Terriers have taken to the mound so far this season, and senior Lauren Hynes has asserted herself as an “ace” atop the rotation.
The San Diego, California native has appeared in seven games so far this year and posted a team-leading 1.69 earned runs average. With those stats in mind, Waters effused praise for the “veteran player who has been through it all before.”
“She knows to command the ball, she knows what she’s doing out there and she definitely has a great game sense,” Waters said. “I’ve been very impressed with her in terms of the first weekend into the second weekend in terms of wanting the ball and wanting to take ownership of it all.”
Another pitcher who has stepped up for BU is sophomore Sydni Overly. She is coming off season-ending surgery and posted a 2.47 earned runs average so far.
Waters asserted that getting Overly back to full health is a constant battle, and it’s all about best preparing her for when conference play rolls around at the end of March.
“For [Sydni], coming back from this injury, it’s going to be a process,” Waters said. “We try and find days where she feels good and can go in and throw, but it’s still kind of a battle. I’m pushing for her in California to throw a little bit more and then when she gets back to the Patriot League, she can have a defined role of what she can do.”
Nick Neville contributed to the reporting of this article.
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
