Woes build Bears’ character

University of Maine senior shortstop and former Bangor High star Michelle Puls, last year’s America East Co-Player of the Year, sat down with NEWS reporter Deirdre Fleming and talked about the softball team’s slow start and how the Bears can improve.

Before Maine went on its Florida trip you said it needed to come out a few games over .500 and you came out 8-12, how do you feel about that?

Disappointed, but we had a lot of things happen to us in the course of that week. [Senior second basemen] Melissa Creegan [jammed] her finger so she hasn’t played her position since then. That was our last practice before we left for Florida. That was devastating. Then [senior third baseman] Mary Wells turned her ankle. And the pitching wasn’t as strong as it was. Unfortunately, we haven’t come out .500 but our team has gained a lot of character.

How long has Wells been out?

She’s back in. She only missed four games in Florida but at that time, [catcher] Nicole Gamblin played third, [catcher] Sara Jewett played third. So one was catching, one was playing third. It was just interesting, because [left fielder] Jill Cassie’s playing second and either/or was playing third. And now we’re starting to get back in the normal swing of things. Melissa is back in practice. She can hit, she can field. Her finger’s just a little tender. So maybe by [the league opener against] Hofstra, she’ll be back at second.

You said before Florida your fielding was something you can improve on from last year. Do you think you’re playing worse or better than last year?

Worse. I have 12 errors already this year [in 24 games], and it’s kind of…. although I’ve only had one error in the last seven games, so that’s a big improvement. I wish I could do my fielding because that’s where I always felt I was the strongest and right now, obviously, it’s not my strong point so I’d really like to help improve on that.

With your 12 errors you have more errors than anyone on the team so if you clean that up, as you said you’ve done in the last seven games, will the team be playing well in the field?

I don’t think how I play depicts how the team plays. Shortstop gets a lot of balls. I have the most putouts and assists right now on the team so I get a lot of action. Having a strong shortstop is good in the infield because – not to mention I’m a senior – so if I play good, the rest of the team will play good. But I don’t think it’s a deciding factor in our games.

You talked about wanting to play after college… is the Olympics something you think about since women’s softball has been included in the Olympics?

It is something that I look at, but something I find too [far away] because of the competition level that we’re at. We don’t play all year round, we’re still not out on the field yet, and in the summer there are no competitive leagues in Maine. So if I want to try to reach the competition level of the Olympics, I need to move out of state, play softball year round. And I can’t do that.

At least right now?

At least right now, right. I’ve got to work on the degree thing and get a job.

Speaking of playing outside, you only have eight [home] games there, but after four years, how do you feel about Lengyel Field?

It’s a nice field. It’s a lot better in the summer than it is in the late spring. But, it could be a lot better. But with the area that it’s in, the way the drainage is and everything, it’s like you can’t get much better than that unless they put one up here [near Memorial Field House] – which I doubt they’ll do.