Syracuse softball learning to get up after being kicked down
By Cole Purvis | @Cole_Purvis
Syracuse softball (21-13, 2-10 ACC) takes on the personality of its head coach, Shannon Doepking. The sixth-year leader is brutally honest, does not mince words, and preaches toughness in every facet of the game.
If there’s another way to describe Doepking, it’s self-aware. She knows SU softball is not historically a powerhouse, neither has it been during her tenure. Due to this, she is almost numb to the pain of what would otherwise be some fairly tough-to-swallow results this season.
Take this past weekend for example, when Syracuse won its first of a three-game series against North Carolina. It finally seemed as though SU was going to break through and win an ACC series for the first time this season, but in Sunday’s doubleheader, the Orange lost twice. Both of those games were tied going into the final inning, with the final game not being decided until the tenth frame, when the Tar Heels took it 10-9.
Despite this, Doepking keeps a very even-keeled demeanor postgame, stating, “I’m not a moral victory kind of coach, I’ll never be a moral victory kind of coach. They just beat us.”
The self-awareness also shone through the week before, when Syracuse dropped all three games of its home series vs. Clemson in blowout fashion. “The messaging was pretty clear; Clemson’s supposed to beat us. We weren’t supposed to win these games,” Doepking stated.
In sports, you’re taught from a young age to have a short memory; to flush the bad things away and focus on the next play, game, match, or whatever it is. Although the results have not been ideal for the program, this stone-cold, emotionless mentality may be what Syracuse needs from its leader, and they sure are getting that.
No panic is present with this team, and that “throw it away” mentality stems from the coach. The players have echoed her sentiments. They know they cannot dwell on the past, and have to put their heads down and continue to grind, no matter how tough it’s been.
Now really behind the curve in conference play, Syracuse knows it has quite a hole to dig itself out of, which starts this weekend at Georgia Tech. If you rewind to last season, the Orange took two out of three games against the Yellow Jackets. It’s now-or-never for the ‘Cuse, who must finish in the top-12 in ACC play to make the ACC tournament.
For live coverage from Atlanta, follow me on X @Cole_Purvis as well as @CitrusTVSports.
