Coffey Competes Against National Teams
August 11, 2008 | Softball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Rising junior Alison Coffey recently competed against the Czech Republic National Team, Japan, and the Venezuelan squad as part of a team, the Renegades, put together from Coffey's home country of Canada.
The Renegades were comprised of fellow teammates of Coffey throughout high school. All of the players competed at different universities during the year and Coach Sask, who coached all of the athletes in their childhood, got a senior team going so that his former athletes could come back and play competitively in the summer.
"Playing against Olympic athletes was one of the most exciting experiences of my softball career," Coffey said. "It was really exciting to see that we could hold our own against some of the best players in the world. I know it's an experience I'll always carry with me."
The Renegades dropped all three games, but her performance was spectacular. Against the Czech Republic, the Bulldogs' pitcher tossed the first five innings of the game. Coffey allowed just one earned run. However, two unearned runs did cross the plate in the 5-1 loss.
Against Japan, Coffey's squad got beat 10-0. After her team was down 8-0, Coffey came in and pitched just over an inning. Against the first batter she faced, Coffey earned a strikeout to end the frame with the bases loaded. Coffey then struck out the first batter of the next inning. Two unearned runs (on two errors) crossed the plate when Coffey was pitching. She also had a solid inning of work against the Venezuelan team in the 4-0 loss.
"I think it definitely helped my confidence and that will be great going into next year," Coffey said. "I know if I can strike out Olympic players or get them to ground out, I can go into any game feeling confident that I can do the same to players on the opposing teams.
"The biggest thing I took away from the whole experience is just the knowledge that these Olympic athletes are regular ball players just like the rest of us. They can be challenged and they are not unbeatable. It's neat to be able to see ourselves competing at a high level with such amazing ball players. It was a lot of fun because there was no pressure feeling like we had to win. We were the underdogs and it was fun to be able to put up a fight."
Coffey is one of two upperclassmen pitchers on the Bulldogs' squad. She and fellow third-year player Christine Murray played against Olympic competition this summer.
The Bulldogs joined the Big South on July 1 and will vie for
their first conference title beginning in early 2009.
