Timing is everything
After a successful run as the softball head coach at North Smithfield High, Paul Mercier was set to try something new. His first season as the assistant coach at CCRI was cut short after the pandemic struck.
Former North Smithfield softball coach Paul Mercier is still waiting to make an impact on CCRI’S program.
NORTH SMITHFIELD — When Paul Mercier decided to become the new hitting coach for veteran mentor Kim Warrington’s Community College of Rhode Island women’s softball team late last spring, he couldn’t have been more excited.
The way he figured it, he had experienced a stellar run as North Smithfield High's head coach, one lasting decades, and believed it was time to try something new.
But never in his worst nightmare did he believe his first spring with the Knights turn out this way – with the cancellation of the entire National Junior College Athletic Association spring slate due to a virus gone wild.
“In our first game back after our spring training trip in Florida, we were to face Monroe College in New Rochelle, N.Y., which obviously back then (in late February and March) was a hot spot,” stated Mercier, 56. “They canceled the series, so we never played. From there, everything kind of trickled down, and it became cancellation after cancellation.
“It was tough; it was heartbreaking,” he added. “Kim and I had a meeting with (longtime CCRI Athletic Director Kevin Salisbury), and he told us the school would be closing, but that he would keep the schedule open until we started hearing from other schools. Slowly, one by one, he started receiving those phone calls. When the NJCAA decided to pull the plug, around April 5, that’s when we knew we were done.
“Kim and I had a meeting with the girls in the Warwick (campus) gym, and most of them
were in tears. They were asking, ‘Can we do this instead? Can we do that? Can’t we at least practice?’ Remember, we’re only a two-year school, so the sophomores who were finishing up, this would have been their last season.
“The worst part was, we had a decent team coming back, so it was a crying shame. We had a ton of potential.”
With the campaign blown away like smoke in a stiff wind, Mercier – also the recruiting director – decided immediately to get to work on that phase of college athletics. The problem: High schools were about to cancel their seasons as well, so how do you recruit?
“The thing is, Kim is pregnant (with her third child), and she’s also teaching at Portsmouth High School, so she’s got her hands quite full right now,” he explained. “With this COVID-19 thing going on, we weren’t going to get the chance to go to high schools and watch the players we were interested in, and there are no summer programs yet. In fact, who knows if there will be?”
With normal, every-day scouting out of the question, Mercier had to get creative, which meant older than old-fashioned in some cases. He made phone calls, wrote letters; in some cases, he sent texts. In all, he asked coaches statewide to talk to their seniors, ask them if they were going to attend CCRI in the fall, if they were interested in playing softball and to get back to him.
“I talked to the coaches and asked them their players’ names, positions, statistics, strengths and weaknesses, and naturally their phone numbers,” he said. “I asked them to give me a little background on the girls, and – I’ve got to say it – the coaches have been unbelievable! I can’t thank them enough.
“I thought we were going to be in big trouble, and we were going to have scramble, but some coaches are still calling me. As tough as recruiting is, this has been so much easier than it could have been, and it’s because of those high school coaches.
“I’ve had a good response from the girls, too.”
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A graduate of Woonsocket High School, Mercier had an inkling as to what was to come after the knights left for their spring training trip to Cocoa Beach in early March, one in which they would partake not only in conditioning drills and such but also play a non-league schedule.
“We flew down March 5 and back the 11th ad stayed in a hotel,” he offered. “We had heard some of the chatter about (coronavirus), so when the girls were coming in after a game, they wouldn’t shake hands with the other teams but bump elbows.
“Softball-wise, we were learning on the fly; we finished 3-5, but we hit the ball very well, and fielded and pitched well, too,” he continued. “The record didn’t show well we did play. I was very impressed. I mean, we played some really good teams; in fact, two were D-I programs out of Minnesota and Texas, and we held our own.
“I’ll bet we had a .340 or .350 team batting average, so we were much better than I anticipated we would be. When I first took the job after leaving North Smithfield last year, I had heard hitting wasn’t one of the team’s strong points, so my goal was to get them to hit. We went back to Square One, and in Florida, they were hitting the (stuffing) out of the ball.
“Coming out of Florida, we were very excited. We had beaten some juggernaut teams, so we figured once we came up here, we’d (flourish).”
Because there aren’t an abundance of junior college/community college programs in the Northeast, CCRI plays an independent schedule – or at least it would have again this campaign.
“The recruiting process, that’s what had me the most worried,” Mercier offered. “God, not seeing the girls play live? That’s so critical. When you’re there in person, you can see a kid’s intangibles, not just the physical tools, and talk to them one-on-one. You can converse with them, allow them to get to know you, make them feel comfortable.
“Not being able to made us all improvise. For a guy like me, softball’s my life. I’ve coached for so long – as President of the North Smithfield Little League, coaching my daughter in town, and she later played at Rivier (College). She became an assistant at
RIC; it’s in our blood.
“All my kids are older now but they all played. I still wanted to give back, and I figured it was time to leave North Smithfield. I stepped up to the college level because it’s in my blood. This whole thing has been so depressing. I feel so bad for our girls, but also the girls I left behind at North Smithfield. I still keep in touch with them, and I know they were crushed. This would’ve been a good year for them.”
Two such Northmen, he indicated, may grace the CCRI roster this coming school year. A sure recruit is outfielder Brooke Artruc, while Mercier is still trying to talk Kayla Butler into it. He’s also landed two from Lincoln, one from Seekonk and another from West Warwick.
“Kayla’s not sure if she wants to play softball, but I know she’s coming to CCRI, and I’m going to try to help her decide,” he laughed. “We sure could use her. She’d be a terrific addition to this team.
“At this point, my fingers are crossed for this coming fall,” he added. “'Fall Ball' is so important. We had it last year, and we were going to again this year. It helps develop camaraderie among the girls, along with pride, excitement and trust. They develop relationships with other players and coaches, really get to know each other.
“It’s also a good buffer for those who are more nervous, who may be thinking, ‘Are they going to be friendly?’ or “Will I make friends with them?’ In ‘Fall Ball,’ you find out. They know that they’re becoming part of a family. Academics is also important to Kim and I. We make sure that all parts of a student-athlete’s life is going well.
“Now the only question is, ‘Will we have ‘Fall Ball?’”