Wave rolling toward goal
Greenville, awash in wins, faces Logan Elm today in state semifinals.
Greenville softball coach Jarrod Newland laughs, looking back on the exchange with his wife on the way home from Lebanon this spring.
The Green Wave had just dropped a 10-4 decision to fall to 7-4 on the season, uncharted territory in his decade at the helm. He talked optimistically about the end of the season.
“When I got in the car, I told her we would probably get on a streak,” Newland said as the Greenville (28-4) squad prepared to square off with 20-10 Circleville Logan Elm at 10 a.m. today at Akron Firestone Park in the Division II high school state semifinals. “She gave me a strange look, but you never know; that’s softball.”
Greenville rolled off 21 straight wins in boosting Newland’s decade record to 264-51, including nine years of 25-plus wins that include trips to the state final four three of the last five years and a title in 2007.
“With this team, it has been more of a cross-country run than a 100-yard dash,” Newland said. “It was unique. We had some older players playing new positions for the first time and it was very humbling for me. But we got to work every day and kept our eye on the goal at the end of the season.”
This version of the Wave is unique in other ways. In 2007, they were led by a strong offensive attack behind catalyst Justine Shilt. In other years, there has been an unstoppable pitching ace.
The Wave rely on strong defense and an offense centered around timely hitting and taking an extra base when the defense is rattled. Pitcher Ashley Haines has 23 wins. She has struck out 88 in 165 innings. The defense has committed just 31 errors in 32 games.
“Ashley has done a great job, but she is more like a Greg Maddux,” Newland said. “She is going to hit her spot and if they put the ball in play 20 times and we make most of the plays and get timely hitting, good things happen. Once something happens, we like to push the gaps (on the bases). We call it helter skelter; we bunt and run, hit and run because once someone boots it, the more likely they are going to think about that the next time.”
Newland believes the decade of success is raising a new generation of Wave softball players.
“When we have girls who are 8 or 9 looking up to our kids as role models and want to be like them, that is a good sign,” Newland said. “Success breeds success.”