Meet the club softball captains

As the spring semester is getting underway, so is the club softball season. The club team is a competitive softball team that plays against other schools from all over the country.

The club team here at UF is extremely competitive and they know what it takes to win. Over the past six years they have won three national championships and are looking to bring another one back to UF this year.

The Tab got the opportunity to catch up with the three captains/ leaders of this year’s team.

Azurae Orie, senior, Political Science/ Anthropology major

Position: President – Outfielder

Why did you start playing softball?

When I was in the fourth grade one of my friends said that she was playing and told me that I should too. I had my dad sign me up and he was really excited since he played baseball. He coached my team that year and that’s how it all started.

What is your favorite winning moment being on the club team?

Definitely beating FSU in the national championship in 2012. Seeing their faces was great. Beating our rival after the long journey we had made that season. That was my favorite moment for sure.

What is your favorite thing about being president and what is the hardest thing?

The hardest thing is definitely feeling like everything is on you. Feeling like anything can come down to you messing up or you doing your job right. My favorite part is definitely seeing all the hard work that I’ve done come together and seeing us succeed.

Do you have anything else that you would like to say to the readers?

Softball is a great sport and you should come out and watch. It is really fun. Better than baseball for sure.

Kayla Sheffield, senior, Biological Engineering

Position: Captain – Shortstop

Why did you start playing softball?

My parents put me in t-ball when I was like four or five and then I just kept playing. I was naturally good at that versus like other sports. I always had a love for it.

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened on a road trip or at an away game?

It happened at nationals last year. One of the girls on the team accidentally cut herself with like a piece of glass. So she had to go get stitched the day before the championship game and then played all day with stitches in her hand. (I was there and I didn’t even know this happened!)

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I do have rituals during the game. I can’t cross the chalk like with my left foot; it has to be my right foot. When I go out to my position I have to sprint past it to the clay and grass line and touch the grass with my right foot first, then my left, then back on the clay with my right foot. I don’t know, that’s kind of weird but I do it EVERY game.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened while you’ve been on the team?

Ashton. She either says something or does something and it’s hilarious and I feel like she’s a good comedic relief when we need it.

If you had to be stuck on an island with one person from the team, who would it be and why?

Cari because I think we would somehow make the best of the situation. Maybe make like a killer tiki hut house thing or something. We would definitely survive. We would be killing things and eating them and living off the land.

Do you have any last words for the readers?

We are going to win the National Championship.

Cari Broderick, senior , APK

Position: Captain – Catcher

Why did you decide to play on the club team at UF?

My freshman year I walked on to the varsity team here. However, the whole aspect of playing varsity softball was more of a full time job and I wasn’t getting much from it. My sophomore I decided to go through recruitment and I joined a sorority that another girl from the team was in and she knew that I played my freshman year. She told me that I should come out and give it a shot. Ever since I came to that first practice I couldn’t walk away from it. It’s just a lot more fun.

Would you say that FSU is your biggest rival or has it changed?

It is always a big rivalry when we play FSU. It’s just the Florida/Florida State rivalry. Whenever you go into Tallahassee and you’re in Gator gear everyone just automatically hates you. It’s that kind of negativity that always fuels that hatred.

If you had to be stuck on an island with one person from the team, who would it be and why?

Kayla because I feel like she is so stubborn and determined that we would find a way off the island. I feel like she would never give up. I know that if we were stranded on an island together we would work well together.

What’s the craziest thing that’s every happened on road trip or at an away game?

When we scrimmaged FSU. I was driving there with Kayla and we were driving up on Saturday morning at like seven or so. I had copied and pasted Kendall’s directions and address to the field the exact way she put it into my phone. We ended up in Georgia. Luckily, we had only driven 30 minutes out of the way and we were able to get there but I felt really bad because we got there and it was 20 minutes until game time. It was a big mess but we made it and I think we swept FSU. We probably did.

Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers?

Come watch us play. We are really cool and fun to watch I hope haha.