The Cabrini softball team spent spring break in Winter Haven, Florida, playing 10 games to kickoff their 2023 season. The team used the time away from campus to enjoy the beach and pick up seven strong victories in the Sunshine State.
Traveling to Florida has been an annual tradition for the team since the 2012 season. Head coach Chris Protesto said that the trip has more benefits than just getting away from campus.
“Obviously, the weather is a benefit, as it’s a way for us to play games in February that 99 percent of the time we aren’t able to play up here,” Protesto said. “But it’s also a great bonding experience for the girls. Young kids get to know the upperclassmen as they all live in the same house, share rooms, and eat every meal together. It all really works out well.”
The defending Atlantic East Conference champions have several players returning on the roster. With freshmen and transfers joining the team, they got straight to work the moment they returned to campus in August.
Protesto noted how much the team was able to accomplish before the first day of spring practice.
“Our girls really worked hard in the offseason this year,” Protesto said. “It was our best offseason ever in the weight room. We had a lot of buy-in from the team. I give credit to our upperclassmen and captains.”
Facing tough competition
Another major reason that Protesto chooses to start the season away from campus is to see quality competition and test his team. The first day of games in Florida set the scene for the week ahead.
With two talented teams in front of them, the Cavaliers showed off the hard work they put in during the offseason.
“On day one we played Messiah, who won two games in the NCAA tournament last year and we beat them 4-1,” Protesto said. “Then we played Alma, a big school from Michigan, whom we were 0-7 against all time, and we beat them pretty handily this year 8-3.”
Through the first two days, the team started with a 3-1 record. With a hot start and some big wins, they gained confidence.
“Starting off with a big win against Messiah, that kind of set the tone for the week,” Ariana (Ari) Mirenda, junior infielder and biology/pre-med major, said. “That was probably our toughest game of the whole week and we went out and played dominant.”
Mirenda, the 2022 AEC player of the year, had 14 hits and 10 runs while leading the team in batting percentage all week. She was also impressed with the team’s performance against quality opponents.
“We were coming into Florida knowing that we would be playing hard teams,” Mirenda said. “So winning those first three games and only losing to Adrian College, who’s a very good team, it gave us confidence … It showed us how good of a team that we were at the beginning of the year.”
By the end of the week, the Cavaliers left Florida with a 7-3 record. Two of those wins came in dramatic fashion as they defeated Bridgewater College 2-1 and University of Dubuque 8-7, both games going into extra innings.
Protesto highlighted some of the trip’s most impressive players.
“Ari Mirenda and Avery Byrnes are two of our captains and really stood out,” Protesto said. “Ari was player of the year in our conference last year and she did exactly what we expected her to do. Avery, the same thing. She’s our senior pitcher and she’s been outstanding the last three years. Freshman Sydney Andrews, who played third and pitched, also did outstanding and junior Kaitlyn Delaney, who’s a junior transfer. Really nice seeing new people contribute to the team.”
Continuing to move forward
After a successful spring break, the 2023 Cavaliers have high expectations. The goal is once again to repeat as AEC champions, and with a young roster there is a bright future ahead.
But Byrnes, the lone senior pitcher, has different goals for her final softball campaign.
“Honestly, I just want to have fun this year,” Byrnes said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself last year. I was one of two pitchers, and I was pitching almost every game. So, I just want to enjoy this season.”
The Cavaliers continue to challenge themselves this season. Later in their schedule, in the middle of conference play, they will travel to Maryland to face off against nationally ranked Salisbury University.
“I am very interested to see how we do against Salisbury,” Protesto said. “This will be our first time playing them since I’ve been coach, so I expect a tough game.”
“Compared to last year, I would say we are in much better shape since we played better teams in Florida this year,” Mirenda said. “We put up a fight against all the teams, so I believe against teams like Salisbury we’re going to be able to compete and put up more of a fight than we would’ve been able to in previous years.”
Having a schedule filled with talented opponents will give the Cavaliers experience they’ll need to make a long run in May.
