Lehigh University Athletics
Unstoppable
12/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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In just three seasons, Lisa Sweeney has put up some staggering numbers on the softball diamond. In the circle, she has won 26 games in two of her three seasons, and struck out 304 batters in 2008. Sweeney is already the Patriot League’s career leader in both victories (71) and strikeouts (687). At the plate, Sweeney enjoyed a breakthrough junior season where she batted .414 and belted a school-record 13 home runs. Equally impressive is the stream of honors and accolades that have come her way. She has been honored as Patriot League Player and Pitcher of the Year. Not to mention a three-time Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection.
If you look beyond the softball statistics and accolades, there is a lot more to Lehigh’s ace. A history major with a sparkling 3.80 grade point average, Sweeney last spring became just the third Lehigh softball player to earn Academic All-America honors, with her third team nod. In addition, Sweeney has been incredibly active in Lehigh’s award-winning community outreach C.O.A.C.H., while also donating her efforts to Lehigh’s new educational leadership program.
“Getting involved in the C.O.A.C.H. program was something that was introduced as part of the culture within our team, especially the older players,” says Sweeney, who has co-chaired the program for two-years. “It’s something that is really encouraged and the experience has been gratifying because of the way it brings the Lehigh and Bethlehem communities together.
Sweeney continues, “Every student-athlete talks about balance between academics and athletics here at Lehigh and it works for us. That’s just the way the culture has been established here. It has really been a blessing how everything has fallen into place. I’m thankful I was able to be involved in all the great things that Lehigh student-athlete experience has to offer.”
“I’m not certain how she does everything that she does,” adds Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan. “Usually you see a student-athlete try to take on as much as she has on her plat. When you try to keep so many dishes spinning usually something falls and breaks. Not only does she do a myriad of things but she does them all at a high level.”
Sweeney’s interest in softball was cultivated on the diamonds of Lumberton, N.J., where she grew up watching her older sister Chris play the game. As she grew older, Lisa moved on to Rancocas Valley Regional High School, where she would eventually captain the softball, basketball and tennis teams. It was a summer tournament where she caught the eye of the Lehigh coaching staff.
“Lehigh just seemed to have a good balance for a Division I school with good softball and great academic opportunities,” says Sweeney. “When I came on my visit I fell in love with the place and felt right at home when I stepped on the campus.”
After deciding on Lehigh, Sweeney completed her high school career in style, tossing a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts to lead Rancocas Valley to a state championship.
Upon her arrival on South Mountain, Sweeney wasted little time ascending to the front of the Mountain Hawks pitching rotation. She teamed with senior Kate Arico to form a dynamic 1-2 punch in the pitching circle for what would become the most successful Lehigh softball team in school history.
“We didn’t promise Lisa a starting position in the recruiting process,” recalls Troyan, who has led Lehigh to six Patriot League tournament titles in 13 years. “The fact is she moved up to the No. 1 position about three pitches into her first practice. The thing that distinguished Lisa from a majority of players was her ability to focus on the task at hand and to do so in a very calm and composed way. Hitting or pitching she’s able to get herself in the zone mentally, and that really separates her from other great players.”
In just her third career start, Sweeney fired the first of four career no-hitters. As the season progressed, Sweeney continued to impress. She smashed the league’s single season record for victories (26) and strikeouts (228). In the Patriot League tournament Sweeney earned Most Valuable Player honors as she led Lehigh to its third straight tournament title. In the tournament’s opening game, Sweeney hurled a perfect game, the first in Lehigh and Patriot League tournament history.
The following week, Sweeney played a major role in the biggest victory in program history. It was Arico who started Lehigh’s NCAA Tournament game, and stymied No. 13 Texas A&M through six innings. In the seventh, Troyan called upon Sweeney, the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year to close out Lehigh’s stunning 4-3 victory.
“That team was unlike any other team I had ever played on,” recalls Sweeney. “We had a great blend of personalities and a hard working attitude. They really helped me fit in as a freshman. The seniors were great, especially Kate (Arico) who taught me everything I know and was instrumental in helping me become the player I have become.”
Sweeney’s sophomore campaign was solid, with 19 more wins and another 155 strikeouts, but in the Patriot League tournament, Colgate’s Kelsey Nordstrom was a little bit better and the Raiders dethroned the Mountain Hawks as league champions.
In the fall of 2007, Sweeney’s work ethic, and dedication to her teammates came to the forefront. An arm injury prevented her from pitching in Lehigh’s fall season, a limitation which allowed Sweeney to work on another aspect of her game, hitting. A .269 hitter through her first two seasons, Sweeney’s work away from the circle in the fall resulted in a breakout offensive season in 2008. Sweeney led the Patriot League in batting average and smashed the school single-season home run record.
“I’ve always found hitting more fun and I think most other pitchers would agree,” says Sweeney. “It’s just less stressful. Pitchers always need to be composed and mentally tough, but hitting is a different breed of mental game.”
“Lisa made a sacrifice that fall not to pitch for the sake of the team in the spring,” adds Troyan. “Having her out in the fall certainly ended up being a benefit not only in the pitcher’s circle, but in the batters box as well.”
In addition, her time away from the circle kept her arm fresh enough for another record-setting season in the circle. She matched her single-season win mark and obliterated her own single-season strikeout mark, becoming the first Patriot League pitcher to eclipse the 300 strikeout mark in a season. She became the Patriot League’s career leader in both categories as well, and became the first player in league history to be named both Player and Pitcher of the Year.
More importantly, Sweeney hit and pitched the Mountain Hawks back into the NCAA Regionals for the fourth time in five years, throwing 13 innings to lead Lehigh past Lafayette in the Patriot League championship series.
“Last season was interesting in a lot of ways,” notes Sweeney. “We lost a lot of league games and struggled with consistency. We showed a lot as a team in working through those things and we were able to pull it out when it counted, in the tournament.”
Not necessarily blessed with overpowering stuff, Sweeney has relied on variety, changing speeds and locations and keeping hitters off balance. Sweeney throws five pitches: a curveball, screwball, rise ball, drop ball and change-up, and works the strike zone with the precision of a surgeon to keep hitters guessing. Now entering her senior season on the diamond, Sweeney is being encouraged to sit back and enjoy everything her final season has to offer.
“My only wish for Lisa personally for her senior season is that it goes slowly enough that she can truly enjoy each and every moment,” says Troyan. “As a team, we intend to enjoy each and every moment of the spring season.”
Sweeney also knows it will not be her last at Lehigh. She is studying in a five year master’s program in history and although there is some interest in teaching or coaching, Sweeney is keeping her options open for life after Lehigh.
“Kind of like leaving it open and seeing what opportunities arise,” says Sweeney. “Whatever makes me happy, that’s where I’ll be.”
