After a two-week road trip to California, the Boston University softball team has returned home in preparation for their home opener on March 22 in a double header against Bryant University.
The Terriers (8-14) are led by six seniors, and outfielder and shortstop Moriah Connolly is pacing BU with a .352 batting average and 16 stolen bases. I caught up with the Dunedin, Florida native for The Daily Free Press’ 20 Questions Series.
- When did you start playing softball?
When I was 9 years old.
- Did you play any other sports growing up?
Basketball was the first sport I played, then I played basketball, track and softball up until high school.
- Did running track help you with stealing bases?
Definitely. Especially as a slapper from the left side, speed is an advantage. It’s one of the reasons I picked softball. I knew being fast would help me in all aspects of the game.
- What brought you all the way to BU from Florida?
My step-dad actually came to BU, so he was an alumni. I have a lot of family in New Hampshire and in the South Shore of Massachusetts right outside the city. I used to come up [to] visit every summer, and I fell in love with the city. And as soon as I came up on my visit, I knew it was a done deal.
- If you could change one thing about Boston, what would it be?
Definitely the snow and the winters. I think coming from Florida and playing sports there my whole life, especially softball, you take advantage of dirt and grass, so if we could have that it would be great.
- Do you model your game after anyone specifically?
Not necessarily consciously. I think that one of the players that I’ve always looked up to baseball-wise is Dustin Pedroia. He just plays the game with so much passion and heart, and you never question his effort or his love for the game, so I think that’s someone I look up to in that aspect.
- Looking back, what skill of yours was the most college-ready coming into freshman year?
My push. I think that my high school did a really good job of incorporating strength, conditioning and softball all together so you’re more in tune for a time commitment and that push mentally.
- On the flipside of that, what skill have you developed the most in college?
I definitely think my mental game and my approach to the game. I’m more able to make my own adjustments rather than having to wait for someone to tell me … also my leadership skills. Playing a game of failure, it gets frustrating and having that rebound attitude, just playing the game for fun.
- You’ve been honored all three seasons with postseason awards, how does it make you feel that coaches around the Patriot League acknowledge your hard work?
It’s obviously great to be appreciated and all the hard work pays off. I think as far as the stats go, they take care of themselves if you go in with the approach that “I’m going to go hard for every ball, I’m going to try to get on base every time.” You put all you have into the game, whatever it is and all that stuff will take care of itself.
- How has the coaching transition been from coach Kathryn Gleason to coach Ashley Waters?
It was great honestly. I think coach Waters does a really good job of embracing the culture of our team and improving it and kind of accepting us for who we are. We’re really weird and strange and have a lot of fun. I think she’s done a great job.
- Do you envision another Patriot League championship in 2017?
Oh yeah, definitely.
- After coming back from California, where is the team at now heading into games closer to home?
We are in a good spot. It’s frustrating sometimes when the record doesn’t show how you’re playing a little bit of a higher caliber team that we’d see in the Patriot League. At the same time I think we’re working on things and we are in a good place to start. We’ve seen a lot of regional worthy teams so when we come back down to the Patriot League it’s going to be a good time.
- Where do you feel that you’re at right now with your play personally, are you in midseason form?
Mentally, I’m in a really good place. I’m in a new position at shortstop but I’ve had a lot of support around that, so it’s everyday you go in, you work hard and you try to improve. No matter how you feel, you always want to get better.
- What are your personal and team goals for the 2017 season?
I just want to win another title, really. I like the idea of having the freshmen experience it and create the culture we want to carry on when the seniors leave, and I think we’ve done that for the classes below us by winning the title last year and going to regionals. It’s just a feeling you can’t recreate for them and that’s really important. Being a senior, it’s really important to just enjoy every moment and take advantage of being on the field.
- If you had to choose one teammate to live with the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
It would be the other co-captain, my best friend, Brittany Younan. We’ve been best friends since freshman year, lived together over the summer, she’s been my roommate here. People joke in the Athletic Department that we’re always together, so that would make the most sense.
- Who is the most competitive player on the team?
That’s a hard one … the senior class.
- Which teammate is the most entertaining on long trips?
Diana Parker, she’s always the one to put a smile on your face. When we were in California, she came back and had a ukulele in her backpack, and she wears really cool bucket hats and just keeps things really light.
- Do you have a favorite BU team besides your own that you like to follow?
Collectively, a lot of our sophomores live with the women’s basketball team and we go to a lot of their games. Me personally, I like going to the track meets because I relate to them, too.
- Do you have a favorite college sports team besides BU?
I kind of have soft spot for UNC because my grandfather went there and he played football there. Their basketball, their football program, it’s kind of fun to follow with him.
- Where do you see yourself 10 years down the road?
I have no idea, I don’t even know what I am going to do next year after graduation. I’m one of those people that makes their decisions day-to-day and long-term stuff works out, so I just hope I have good family and friends, a job, a house to live in and I’ll be happy.
