The weather might not be cooperating, but there’s no denying it—we’re quickly approaching study days, finals week, and (mercifully) Summer Break. I’m betting many of you may be preoccupied with bumping up (or saving) your grades, studying, securing summer housing and jobs, and figuring out just who is playing Modstock next week. That’s a lot to handle, so you’re probably missing out on the end of the Boston College sports year. You might think it’s no big deal, because football, basketball, and hockey are over. But if you’re not paying attention now, you’re actually missing out on a lot. Plenty of teams are still in season, including softball—and softball has given students plenty of reasons to show their support.
First of all, junior pitcher Jessica Dreswick has been considerably more than solid all season. In fact, you could say she has been elite. Dreswick, the team’s best pitcher, has hurled more than 193 innings this season. She has recorded an astonishing 148 strikeouts this season, good for top-50 in the country. Her strikeout mark thus far this season also represents a major improvement from 2016, when she threw a relatively unimpressive 81 strikeouts.
Her big leap this year comes after numerous games with more than just a couple of strikeouts. In February, Dreswick started the season strong when she struck out nine batters against Arizona State. In March, she twice recorded eight strikeouts in a single game—against Kansas and then against Pittsburgh. So far in April, Dreswick has struck out eight against Syracuse, eight against Boston University, and 10 against Georgia Tech. In 14 games, Dreswick has recorded at least five strikeouts. It’s safe to say that she is definitely in a dominant groove heading into the final games of the regular season.
She pitches more than just strikeouts, however—Dreswick earns wins for BC. Earlier this week, in a series sweep of Georgia Tech, Dreswick earned her 20th victory of the season. With the win, she set the BC program record for wins in a season, surpassing Allison Gage and classmate Allyson Frei, both of whom recorded 19 wins in a single season. Dreswick currently has a 20-10 record on the season. Her losses have generally been close, though—BC lost by one run in four of her losses and by two runs in three of her losses.
If Dreswick’s commanding pitching alone isn’t enough to draw you in, consider some of the batting statistics of her teammates. Tatiana Cortez has made the most of her senior season so far—she has posted a batting average of .306, adding 20 runs for the Eagles this season. She’s doubled six times, gone deep nine times, and walked 20 times. Cortez leads BC in RBIs, knocking in 38 runs over the course of the season so far. (Jordan Chimento, in second place, has 25 RBIs, and Chloe Sharabba, in third, has 19.)
Sophomore Lexi DiEmmanuele has also put up strong numbers this season. Batting .287, she has recorded 39 hits and scored 29 runs. She’s been especially productive lately, scoring eight runs over the course of eight games between April 12 to 23.
Sharabba has also been an offensive asset to the Eagles this year. In 139 at-bats, she has been good for 43 hits. Sharabba has knocked in 19 RBIs, contributing 33 runs herself. She’s hit five doubles and seven home runs, too, proving that she’s got the power to record extra-base hits.
Home games are when BC excels—and fortunately for BC, it has four coming up. The Eagles will host North Carolina State in a series over the weekend before welcoming Providence next Wednesday for the final home game of the year. The Eagles currently have a 9-2 record at Shea Field. And the two times they’ve lost at home this year have been close—a two-run loss to conference opponent Louisville, and a one-run loss to in-state opponent University of Massachusetts.
But for the most part, BC has dominated at home. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 37-14 at home over the course of their nine home wins. What’s more, seven of the nine home victories have been against ACC opponents.
You may want to just coast through the rest of the semester, just getting by until exams end and you’re free from schoolwork for a couple of months. Believe me, I understand that feeling all too well. But with the weather finally improving this weekend (supposedly … ), there’s no better time to go support the Eagles.
After all, they’ve more than proved they deserve it. Dreswick, Cortez, DiEmmanuele, and Sharabba are just four of the talented players on the roster—many of their teammates have also put up strong numbers, making games fun for fans and putting BC in a good position right before the ACC Tournament. Plus, with BC’s dominant home record, it’s a safe bet you’ll get to see some victories before the semester ends.
So there’s really no better time than now to support BC softball. With the season winding down, the Eagles will want to keep their foot on the gas, charging into postseason play with all the momentum they can muster. You can definitely find worse things to do than spend a few sunny, warm hours watching BC dominate a conference opponent at home this weekend.
Featured Image by Shaan Bijwadia / Heights Staff
