With one month left in the season, the Miami Dade College softball team (15-19) is struggling to stay in playoff contention.
The Lady Sharks are 4-6 in Southern Conference play and a feeble 4-14 at home, losing 12 of their last 15 games. They have 10 conference games remaining.
“I have not given up on my team,” said Head Softball Coach Gina De Aguero. “We have half of our conference games left, which are plenty of games to turn our season around.”
The team has been hampered by injuries this season. They lost two of their starting outfielders, sophomore Samantha Arrastia and freshman Cortney Bunker, to season-ending injuries.
Despite the loss of two starters, De Aguero has kept an optimistic attitude as the season has rolled along.
“Losing two starters is always hard to replace, but definitely not impossible,” De Aguero said.
Despite the injuries and the underperforming, De Aguero continues to motivate her players to reach their potential, on and off the field.
“My expectations are always to win…I teach my players the fundamentals of the game and I mentally prepare them to excel on the field and in the classroom,” De Aguero said. “My players are doing well in the classroom, which is always the priority.”
Two players that have performed well are sophomores Crystal Garcia and Erin Sundook. Garcia leads the team in batting average (.450), RBI (21) and stolen bases (6) and is tied for the lead in homeruns (3). Sundook has three home runs, 19 RBI and a .390 average.
Pitching has been another weak spot of the team. Freshman Louise DiSi is the only pitcher with a winning record. She is 11-8 with a 3.25 ERA and 115 strikeouts.
The Lady Sharks next home game is at the softball field at Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104 St., on April 6 versus Broward College.
