Aylor was a Madison County High School softball player who died in an ATV accident in August 2014, shortly before she was to begin her college career at Eastern Mennonite. A plaque in honor of Aylor marks the completed seating area.

Director of Athletics Dave King said the seating area, as well as a red bud tree recently planted near Gehman Field, will provide a lasting memory of Aylor, as will a second project, started at the request of the family. can be purchased for $100 to complete the walkway in front of the seating area and create a living memory of Aylor. The fundraiser will run through the end of December with the bricks installed in the spring.

鈥淭his is a special day for a special person,鈥� said Coach , 鈥渁nd Kaitlin Aylor will never be forgotten by the EMU softball community.鈥�

Angelia Miller, former player and current graduate assistant with the team, remembered meeting Aylor at a softball camp in 2012. The teenager introduced herself by her nickname, 鈥淔lea.鈥�

鈥淓very time we walk down this hill to the softball field, we know Kaitlyn is here,鈥� Miller said.

Aylor, a shortstop, had attended every EMU game since her freshman year of high school and made it her goal to become part of the Royals team. She wore double zero on her uniform in high school and negotiated with McCurdy to let her wear that same number with the Royals.

Jordan Aylor, a 2015 graduate and Kaitlin鈥檚 cousin, gave thanks on behalf of the family and mourned the loss of her teammate and future elementary school teacher. She urged the softball players to play each game 鈥渁s if it could be your last and play your hardest.鈥�

The event was one of three posthumous dedications during the weekend鈥檚 Centennial Homecoming and Family Weekend: the others included the dedication of an outdoor sculpture to an artist-alumnus who died of cancer and an alumnus who was murdered in Africa while on a peacekeeping mission.

President Susan Schultz Huxman expressed sympathies to the grieving family and gratitude for 鈥渢he way that you have joined us in honoring Kaitlin鈥檚 spirit.鈥�

鈥淚n the many softball seasons to come, may this space pulsate with competitive games; sparkle with great plays, particularly at the shortstop position; and above all, create lasting community among players, fans and families in the spirit of our master teacher and coach, Jesus Christ,” she said. “Kaitlin, we feel your presence. We thank you for your legacy. We gather as a community to extend your witness as the student-athlete-citizen we strive to attract at EMU. May double zero have double impact at EMU today and always.鈥�

The dedication was followed by an alumni game, which involved Miller and Jordan Aylor, along with Brooke Sigrist, Brooke Hensley, Mariah Foltz, Aislinn Lucas Bowen, Niki Cuevas, Casey Racer, Lauren Seale, Lauren Campbell and Erin Fartel.

For more information about purchasing a brick to honor Kaitlin Aylor, call 540-432-4631 or click .

Suddenly, it was no longer about softball, recruiting or winning games.

Mini-golf tournament Saturday

The EMU softball program hosts the Kaitlin Aylor Memorial Miniature Golf Tournament Saturday, Aug. 27. The tournament is a miniature golf fundraiser at recently renovated course in Harrisonburg.

Proceeds will go to the Kaitlin Aylor Memorial Fund to fund seating improvements at EMU’s Gehman Field. The project will also name a portion of the stands in Aylor’s honor.

Activities start at 8:30am, with flights of miniature golf set to start at 9:00am and 10:00am. Flighted prizes will be awarded, along with free drink and food, including turkey and ham sandwiches. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for ages 12 and under. Participants can take part in a 50/50 raffle. Hole sponsorships are also available.

To register or for more information, call head coach J.D. McCurdy at 540-246-2035 or assistant coach Danny Conley at 540-271-8519.

Aylor was a Madison County High School softball player who died in an ATV accident in August of 2014, shortly before she was to begin her college career at 草莓社区.聽Construction on the project at Gehman Field will begin next fall. EMU also planted a tree in Aylor’s honor before a game this past season.

The NCAA Selection Show is next Monday at 1:00pm, and will stream live at .

The 31 wins is a program record for most wins in a season. Monday’s game had originally been scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed due to rain.

Eastern Mennonite traded leads with the Marlins, ranked No. 3 in the nation, before dropping the title game in nine innings. The Royals were playing in their first ODAC Championship game since winning it in 2010. Virginia Wesleyan claimed their fourth title over the past six years.

(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) put a quick stamp on the game, leading off with a long homerun to left center, hit of Kandis Kresinke. VWC’s star freshman entered the game with an ERA of 0.75. (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna) took the cue and followed with a triple and scored on a bunt from (Broadway, Va./Broadway) to give the Royals a quick 2-0 lead.

The Marlins got a run in the bottom of the second, but pitcher (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.

EMU’s offense then picked back up in their next at-bat, triggered by a leadoff single from Shaheen. Foltz followed with a single and (Broadway, Va./Broadway) made it three straight singles to bring in Shaheen. A sacrifice fly from (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) brought in Foltz to push the Royals ahead 4-1.

Virginia Wesleyan quickly returned fire, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning and then taking their first lead at 5-4 on a two-out, two-run homerun in the fourth.

Kresinke was settling into a groove, having retired nine straight Royals batters, until (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led off the sixth with a walk. Lucas laid down the sacrifice and Reath put an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 5-5. The women had more, however, loading the bases with two outs in the inning. Shaheen poked an RBI single to put EMU in front. Foltz then laced another single, which VWC’s left fielder misplayed, allowing the bases to clear and quickly ballooning the lead to 9-5.

But the Marlins didn’t leave the late-inning momentum alone, as they put together four hits in the bottom of the sixth to score three times and get within one. The Royals went down in order and Virginia Wesleyan’s offense picked right up again in the bottom of the seventh.

The first three batters reached, with Cassetty Howerin’s RBI single tying the score at 9-9 and leaving runners on the corners with nobody out. Reliever (Madison, Va./Madison County) coaxed a short fly to right for the first out. Taylor Galvin then floated a liner to short center field, but with EMU’s defense playing in, Shaheen nabbed it on the run and fired to third base to double up the runner, preserving the tie.

Unlike regular season games, the Championship Game did not utilize the international tie-breaker rule with a runner starting on second base. As a result, neither team scored in the eighth.

Foltz led off the ninth with a single, but was erased on a tough call at second on a grounder off the bat of Smith. Miller then rolled to the shortstop for an inning-ending double play.

Seale looked to be getting out of the ninth unscathed, issuing only an intentional pass to Howerin. But with two outs and an 0-2 count on Galvin, VWC’s catcher lofted a double to the gap in left-center, and Howerin legged around from first base to score the game-winner.

Shaheen and Foltz each had three of EMU’s 11 hits, each accounting for four runs. Shaheen scored three times while Foltz drove in three. Hill finished 2-4 with a walk, hitting her sixth homerun of the year. Reath also had a pair of hits, adding an RBI and a run.

Reath started in the circle, getting charged with nine runs in a no-decision. Seale (11-6) pitched 3.2 innings in relief, taking the loss with the one run she allowed.

All-Tournament Team
The Royals had three players named to the All-Tournament Team: Sydney Reath, Tiffani Shaheen and Mariah Foltz.

Foltz batted 7-for-17 over EMU’s five games in Salem, hitting one homerun. She drove in five runs and scored twice, while adding a handful of great defensive plays at third base. Shaheen also had seven hits as she scored four runs and had two RBIs. The speedy centerfielder also had two assists from the outfield. Reath connected on three hits with a run and RBI at the plate while adding a win in 18.0 innings of work from the circle.

The sophomore transferred to EMU this year after playing one season at York College (Pa.). Then in late March, Carli was moved to the top of the Royals鈥� batting order after an injury to the leadoff batter. Since the move, our Royals Athlete of the Week has flourished, batting .526 with all four of her homeruns, while the team has gone 11-3.

Carli began playing softball when she was in kindergarten, and it was her father who fueled her passion for the game.

鈥淢y dad played baseball and he started me off when I was little, so I just grew to love it,鈥� she explained.

Part of a family that loves the sport, she grew up playing with her older sister, (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance), who also plays for the EMU women. Payton influenced Carli to play softball with her at York College (Pa.), but the pair decided Eastern Mennonite would be a better fit for them.

鈥淲hen I got here, Coach McCurdy and Coach Conley made me feel so comfortable,鈥� Carli said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a great coaching staff,鈥�

Coach JD McCurdy noted that he recruited Carli due to her athleticism and leadership ability.

鈥淲hen we first recruited her she was set on going to York College to join her sister but after her first year she decided to transfer to EMU and we are glad she did,鈥� said Coach McCurdy. 鈥淪he brings excitement to our team and leads by example. Carli comes to work every day. She has extremely quick hands and hit some tape measure home runs this season!鈥�

In a game against Roanoke last week, Carli batted 4-4 with her third home run of the year. She also scored twice and had a pair of RBIs. For the week she hit 8-for-15 and took over the ODAC lead in total hits.

She was named ODAC Player of the Week on April 14. She batted 14-for-30 on the week with at least one hit in all eight games, pushing her current hitting streak to 19 straight games. She doubled twice and homered while driving in five runs and scoring ten times.

Carli is fourth in the ODAC with a .473 batting average, and is top nine in no less than 11 offensive categories. She explained that her quick hand-eye coordination comes from her time spent practicing in the offseason.

鈥淚f I don鈥檛 hit good in a game I always go home and hit extra in our cage,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like not playing good so in the offseason I play all the time so I don鈥檛 get rusty.鈥�

Being her biggest critic is something that Carli is well aware of. She explained that her teammates are similar in that they are tough on themselves when they don鈥檛 hit well. Perhaps being a perfectionist is what has led them to be the best offensive teams in the ODAC.

鈥淓veryone on the team is a good hitter in their individual way,鈥� said Carli. 鈥淲e have some home run hitters, some line drive hitters, and then we have (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) who bunts and always gets on base because she鈥檚 extremely fast. We have a lot of great hitters.鈥�

When asked what she brings to the team she explained that positivity is the greatest and most consistent thing she has to offer.

鈥淚 always try to make everyone feel positive and happy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 try to make everyone feel good about themselves if they get a bad hit. I鈥檓 like the joker on the team, I make everyone laugh.鈥�

This article has been updated to include Hill’s honor.

And the story is that EMU’s softball women, from the top of the order to the bottom, can hit any pitcher.

The Royals proved that true by taking a pair of walk-off victories from Randolph-Macon Tuesday in Harrisonburg, each time knocking around one of the ODAC’s top pitchers. (Madison, Va./Madison County) launched a three-run homer to finish off a 7-4 win in game one and ‘s (Fluvanna, Va./Fluvanna County) RBI double off the right field fence capped a three-run seventh in the 8-7 nightcap.

Already brandishing the best offense in the ODAC, Eastern Mennonite earned an impressive sweep by disproving the old adage that “good pitching beats good hitting.” The women made a bold move from fourth to second place in the ODAC, now with a record of 10-4. R-MC, last year’s ODAC Tournament Champion, falls out of second and is now 7-5 in the league.

Next up for the Royals is a non-conference match Thursday against Messiah College, ranked No. 18 in last week’s NFCA national poll. Start time is 3:00pm in Harrisonburg.

EMU 7, Randolph-Macon 4
The Yellow Jackets snuck in a run in the top of the first of the opener and made it 2-0 with a solo homer in the fourth. But (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) returned fire with a two-run shot to left in the bottom of the frame, tying it up at 2-2.

Randolph-Macon took back momentum with another solo homerun in the fifth, setting up the game’s dramatic ending.

Hill hit a one-double in the sixth, but looked stranded until R-MC’s centerfielder dropped a fly ball on what should have been the third out. Hill scored to tie it up at 3-3.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, R-MC’s Brandi Mulvena tripled. The Royals set up to intentionally walk R-MC’s cleanup hitter, but a wild pitch brought in Mulvena to put the visitors back in front.

In what could have been a deflating sequence for many teams, the Royals kept at it. Senior (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led off the bottom of the seventh with a longball to center, tying the score once again at 4-4. After back-to-back singles, Seale smashed the first pitch she saw over the right field fence for the walk-off win. It was her fourth homerun of the year, and second time she launched one in the seventh inning of a game.

The offense banged out 12 hits, including three homers, to go with six walks off of R-MC’s vaunted pitching staff. Carli Hill was 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs and Shaheen batted 3-4. Miller had her homer and two walks while (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) was 2-3 with a walk and two runs. (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) also had two hits along with a sacrifice.

Seale pitched all seven innings and worked around eight hits to get the win.

EMU 8, Randolph-Macon 7
The Yellow Jackets again scored in their first at-bat in the second game, combining four hits for three runs. But Carli Hill singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and the Royals caught fire. The women got back-to-back-to-back doubles from (Broadway, Va./Broadway), (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) to plate four runs and take a 4-3 lead.

Miller added an RBI single in the third to bump the lead to two runs.

Randolph-Macon got going late once again, started by a Candace Whittemore’s solo homer in the fifth. They added two more in the sixth to go ahead 6-5, with the go-ahead run coming across unearned. The Royals went down in order in the sixth, and R-MC added an insurance run on a two-out single in the seventh to lead 7-5.

But in similar fashion to the first game, Miller led off EMU’s last at-bat and started a rally, this time reaching on a fielding error. After a pair of strikeouts, a comeback looked bleak, but (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) shot a gapper to right center to bring in Miller and put herself on second. Carli Hill lined a single to left and alertly advanced to second when the throw went home to try to get Johnson. Shaheen followed, and with the slap-hitter down to her final strike, she swung away and lined a double off the right field fence to chase home Hill and give the elated Royals their second walk-off of the day.

The women had 11 hits in the nightcap and capitalized on six R-MC errors to score four unearned runs. Six of the first seven Royals in the batting order reached base safely twice, either with two hits or a hit and a walk. Carli Hill and Smith each scored twice with one RBI, while Foltz had two RBIs and one run scored.

Reath pitched the first 5.2 innings and took a no decision after giving up six runs. Seale threw the final 1.1, allowing one run, to earn both wins on the day and improve to 7-2.

Eastern Mennonite has a .366 team batting average, well ahead of Guilford’s .345 to lead the ODAC.

Following Saturday’s sweep of Emory & Henry and the split with the Quakers, Eastern Mennonite is 18-8 overall and 5-3 in the ODAC. The women head to Bridgewater College on Wednesday, with the doubleheader starting at 3:00pm.

The Royals still lead the conference with a .369 team batting average while scoring 7.3 runs per game. Guilford is second with a .347 batting clip.

EMU 16, Guilford 2 鈥� 6 innings
Neither team scored in the first inning of the opener, but the Royals slowly picked up steam after that. (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) had a two-run homer as EMU took a 5-2 lead into the fifth.

The women had four hits in each of the fifth and sixth frames, but had more runs than hits scoring five and seven runs, respectively. (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) had a three-run blast in the fifth as the offensive explosion triggered the mercy rule.

Shortstop (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was in the middle of a lot of the action, finishing 1-2 with two walks. She scored four runs and batted in three others. Reath laid down a pair of sacrifices to go with her three-run longball. Hill finished 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs.

(Madison, Va./Madison County) went the distance from the circle, scattering six hits while striking out five. She improves to 5-2.

Guilford 4, EMU 3
The offenses did not catch fire in the second, although it looked like they might. Reath and (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) each had RBI singles in the top of the first, but Guilford earned four straight hits to plate three runs in the bottom of the first for their first lead.

Pitching then dominated the rest of the game. The deficit stayed at 3-2 until Hill ripped a solo shot to left in the fifth, making it 3-3. The Royals had a runner on in the top of the seventh, but a line drive near first turned into an inning-ending double play.

The Quakers then started the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles. A fly ball out moved the runners to second and third, and an infield single allowed Guilford to score the game-winning run in walk-off fashion.

EMU was limited to just five hits in game two.

Pitcher (Kenbridge, Va./Kenston Forest) was tagged for three runs while getting just one out in the first. Reath worked the final 6.0 frames, but the lone run she gave up handed her the loss.

Eastern Mennonite returns both of their All-ODAC performers, led by First Teamer (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance).聽 Lucas, a senior outfielder, has back-to-back awards as an All-ODAC First Team honoree, as well as two straight years as an All-Region and All-State performer.聽 She batted .452 in 2015 (third in the ODAC) with 22 runs and 21 RBIs.

(Madison, Va./Madison County) earned the designated player spot on the All-ODAC Second Team as a freshman, batting .346.聽 She turned into the top pitcher for EMU, going 5-5 with two saves and a 3.06 ERA.

Also back are senior first baseman (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby), with her .411 batting average (5th 鈥� ODAC), six homeruns (5th) and 38 RBIs (3rd).聽 Juniors (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who each had five homeruns and 31 runs, add teeth to the lineup.

The Royals open the new season at powerful Christopher Newport on March 4.聽 They play at Greensboro the following day before heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for eight games at the Fastpitch Dreams bash over Spring Break.聽 The home opener is March 16 against Southern Virginia with the ODAC season starting one week later at Virginia Wesleyan.

For both his athletic prowess and his coaching contributions to the Shenandoah Valley, McCurdy was among 13 inductees into the RCBL Hall of Fame on Saturday evening [June 27, 2015] at the Weyers Cave Community Center.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored and humbled to be among such a great class of athletes and managers, many of whom I remember seeing play or hearing about as I was growing up,鈥� McCurdy said. 鈥淚 was blessed to have outstanding coaches and mentors that not only taught me the game of baseball but also instilled character, class and mental toughness. They are the ones who really deserve the credit.鈥�

In his acceptance speech, McCurdy said that his best memories of the game are 鈥渢he lifetime friendships with coaches, players and fans.鈥�

McCurdy also noted the honor of being inducted with former teammate and coaching colleague Donnie Fulk, who retired in 2014 as head softball coach at cross-town rival Bridgewater College. McCurdy鈥檚 first collegiate softball coaching experience came as an assistant coach during Fulk鈥檚 first two seasons at Bridgewater College in 1991 and 1992.

This is the second Hall of Fame induction for McCurdy, who was similarly honored at his alma mater Turner Ashby High School in 2010.

“J.D.’s extensive experience with both baseball and softball in the valley has been the foundation upon which he has built the EMU softball program,” says 草莓社区 (EMU) athletic director Dave King. 鈥淗e has used his experience as a player to develop teams that get the most out of what they have and seem to peak at tournament time. His connections in the softball community provide valuable contacts for the recruiting process.聽 A student of the game for a long time, J.D. is now one of the premier teachers of the game. He has a good eye for talent and potential and develops players through the four-year experience of college softball.”

Daughters brought him to softball

McCurdy grew up around baseball, and primarily turned to softball after his baseball playing days were over because of his three daughters. Arin, Jody and Brittany each and were coached by their dad. Jody was an All-Conference and academic All-American selection as a pitcher and outfielder at Pfeiffer University.

Brittany McCurdy Caricofe played four years for her dad at EMU. As a senior in 2010, she was an All-ODAC tournament selection on one of the most competitive squads to ever take the field. The 2010 team was the first eighth seed in any sport to win the ODAC tournament, winning four straight tournament games to clinch just the second conference championship in program history. They also earned the first automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

That year, McCurdy earned his second of two ODAC Coach of the Year awards. He鈥檚 been consistently successful since his arrival in 2004, when he took over a program suffering from 11 straight losing seasons (their record was 5-20 the previous year).

From batboy to first baseman

But McCurdy first grew to love baseball watching his dad play and being the batboy for the local team. 鈥淚 remember those big rivalries and the mammoth homeruns,鈥� he says.

His first season with Bridgewater was in 1968. 鈥淔ather, Son Share Bridgewater Win鈥� was the Daily News-Record headline: the 16-year-old making his first start on the mound and his dad, Pete, entering left field in the eighth.

After helping Turner Ashby to their first state championship in 1971, McCurdy went to Bridgewater College, playing two seasons (including one in the Valley League) and helping his senior year as an assistant coach with Jim Reedy when the Eagles won their first ODAC title.

He eventually played all but one of 18 seasons with the RCBL team in Bridgewater. McCurdy鈥檚 bat was a big part of the Reds鈥� success (career stats aren鈥檛 available). At first base, he was known for his great footwork.

鈥淚 practiced handling bad throws,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd was always expecting one, not that my infield was always going to make one, but I wanted to be ready if they did.鈥�

After his last season in 1984, McCurdy, who was a Nationwide insurance agent for years, went back to coaching. He coached his daughters in Little League and started the Smashing Apples, a summer team that drew area high school athletes 鈥� 鈥渢ravel ball before there was really travel ball,鈥� he says.

In 1998, he took over the Turner Ashby High School junior varsity team, and then in 2000, was named varsity coach. Three seasons later, EMU came calling.

鈥淭his has been a great place to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y first question to athletes is 鈥榃hat do you want to do after college?鈥� and I tell them about the school and its fine academic programs and where that degree can get them. And yes, we have softball, but you won鈥檛 do that for the rest of your life. What you gain from this university is far more than that.鈥�

He says this knowing full well that playing the game is a big draw to some prospective student-athletes, and if they come to EMU, they鈥檒l make more memories and great friendships on the diamond, just as he did in the County League.

鈥淚鈥檝e got seven weddings to go to this summer, all former players getting married,鈥� he said, looking both delighted and a little weary at the same time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how the game brings you together.鈥�

“This is potentially the best offensive team we have ever fielded at EMU,” said ninth-year Head Coach J.D. McCurdy.聽 “We have six returning All-ODAC athletes and some talented freshmen.”

In 2011, Eastern Mennonite set team marks for most hits (386), runs scored (287), homeruns (39), RBIs (266) and slugging percentage (.521).

The team finished with the second-best record in EMU history at 27-13 and the best record ever in ODAC play at 14-4.聽 The Lady Royals took the top seed into the ODAC Tournament but were knocked out late on day two of the three-day, double elimination tourney.

To make a postseason run this year and claim just the third ODAC Championship in program history, McCurdy needs his returners to continue to improve.

High school teammates (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) and (Elkton, VA/Spotswood) were each named to all-region teams last spring as freshman.聽 Smith led EMU with 40 RBIs, 14 doubles and 55 hits as the outfielder earned NFCA All-Region (Atlantic) Second Team honors.聽 Hensley was a defensive general at shortstop and led the Lady Royals with a .441 batting average.聽 She was named All-Region Third Team.

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) earned All-ODAC First Team honors as the ODAC Pitcher of the Year, and was a star in the circle and at the plate.聽 She was 19-7 with two saves as a pitcher, charting a 2.24 ERA and breaking the EMU season records with 19 wins and 165-2/3 innings pitched.聽 She was also second on the team with seven homeruns and led the way with 42 runs, 18 walks and 15 stolen bases.

Other All-ODAC performers include: All-ODAC First Team designated player (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.364, 4 HR, 21 RBI), All-ODAC Second Team catcher (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell) (.395, 1 HR, 14 RBI), and All-ODAC Honorable Mention second baseman (Mt. Solon, VA/Fort Defiance) (.286, 8 HR, 30 RBI).

McCurdy also returns three other players: (Stanley, VA/Page County) (.300, 4 HR, 18 RBI), (Shenandoah, VA/Page County) (.304, 1 HR, 7 RBI), and (Berkeley Springs, WV/Berkeley Springs) (.500, 17 R).

The incoming class of freshmen (Madison, VA/Madison County) and (Powhatan, VA/Powhatan), while not very deep, is quite talented.

“Jordan will be an impact player as a pitcher and position player,” said McCurdy, “and Taylor provides additional offensive punch.”

With so many of the bats returning, as well as both pitchers (Lee and Smith) and newcomer Aylor, McCurdy feels his team can make some noise this year.

“A great offense and strong circle will help us stay competitive with every team we play,” he said.

The Lady Royals were tabbed to finish second in the ODAC Preseason Poll, behind ODAC Tournament Champion Virginia Wesleyan, but McCurdy is indifferent to the preseason prognosticators.

“We are never concerned where we are picked in the ODAC,” he said.聽 “We will put the crosshair on every team we play!”

EMU’s coach is simply excited for this season.

“The chemistry of this group is outstanding,” McCurdy explained.聽 “We have a good mix of very talented athletes and two very strong freshmen.聽 If we have a weakness it’s in depth and speed on the bases.聽 We will need to let our bats do the talking to overcome our weaknesses.”

If history is any indicator, the women should be able to mask their flaws.聽 Last year, the Lady Royals out-hit their opponents .346 to .267 and smacked nearly three times as many homeruns as they gave up (39 to 14).

Eastern Mennonite will get a big challenge as they continue their 2012 season this weekend at the Beach Blast in Virginia Beach, VA.聽 The women will take on two teams ranked in the NFCA national preseason poll, No. 3 Christopher Newport and No. 8 Salisbury.

McCurdy says these tough non-conference games will prepare his team for their ultimate objectives.

“Our goals are to win the ODAC Championship and win the region,” he said.聽 “Those are lofty goals, but our women are ready for the challenge.”

That is the task facing the Eastern Mennonite softball team in 2011. Last year the women became the first ever eighth seed to win an ODAC tournament in any sport. Despite coming in with a younger team, eighth-year Head Coach J.D. McCurdy believes he has the talent to make a run once again.

“We have four returning seniors and some other big contributors,” McCurdy said. “I feel like we are as strong at EMU as we have ever been in softball. We may not have the depth that you look for, but I feel that as far as the athleticism and ability to play softball, I think we can do as well as anybody ever has.”

Senior Jessica Blosser has been named All-ODAC twice in her career.

Senior Jessica Blosser (Crimora, Va./Wilson Memorial) headlines the returning crew. The two-time All-ODAC honoree batted .405 last season and has 79 runs and a .507 slugging percentage over her career. She will hold down one of the outfield spots for the Lady Royals.

Junior Lisa Lee (Buckingham, Va./Buckingham) has been All-ODAC Second Team in both of her seasons and will again pitch and play third for EMU. Lee batted .400 last year and already holds the school’s career record for homeruns with 12. She also has an 11-12 career record on the mound.

Sophomore second baseman Courtney Allman (Weyers Cave, Va./Fort Defiance) had six homeruns and 36 RBIs in her rookie campaign and will again add some punch to the lineup.

The Lady Royals will have four seniors, two juniors and four sophomores to lead a talented crew of freshmen.

Three of the newcomers have already earned consistent starts early this season: high school teammates Molly Smith (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) and Brooke Hensley (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) along with Alexis Labiche (Winchester, Va./Millbrook).

Smith has split her time between left field and the pitching mound while Hensley has taken over the shortstop position.

“Molly is a powerhouse offensively and has a really good dimension as a pitcher,” McCurdy said. “And Brooke is tremendously gifted as a shortstop. She has great range with a quick release and strong arm. Alexis is athletic and can play multiple positions. She’s also an outstanding baserunner.”

The coach said the meshing of new players with the returners is always a process, but should be a strength for them this season.

“We are working on it,” said McCurdy. “But we are further ahead in that process than we have been in the past and that will make a big difference as we get into the conference season.”

Eastern Mennonite was picked sixth in the ODAC’s preseason poll. McCurdy was not surprised by the vote of his fellow coaches, although he expects his women to aim higher.

“That’s about where I would have put us,” McCurdy said, “in the middle of the pack. There are some really good teams in this conference with some good juniors and seniors like Guilford, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Bridgewater. But I wouldn’t expect anything less out of them than a championship. These girls know where we want to go and they are on board with that.”

Although the Lady Royals expect to have solid pitching this year, the offense has the ability to lead the team and put up a lot of runs.

“Our offensive side should be a strength this year,” he said. “Our offense has potential to be very powerful. I think our pitching is ahead of our hitting right now, although we have been facing some of the best pitchers in the country. When that offensive piece comes together, hitting is contagious and it should be a lot of fun to watch us.”

The women are starting the 2011 season with a string of 16 road games, including four-game tournaments on three straight weekends. The Lady Royals have their home opener Saturday, March 19, when Guilford comes in for an ODAC doubleheader. EMU also hosts Lynchburg that Sunday.