Lehigh University Athletics
Making an Impact
5/3/2017 3:59:00 PM | Softball, Student Athlete, Features
By Austin Vitelli '17, Lehigh Sports Communications
Outfield. First base. Designated player. Pitcher.
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It doesn't matter where Vicky Lattanzio plays for the Lehigh softball team — she's going to make an impact.
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She's easy to pick out on the field or in the dugout, as she's likely heard yelling, "It's a great day to be a hawk!" That positivity is infectious.
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"Vicky has one of the most positive, contagious personalities that we've ever had in our program," Lehigh coach Fran Troyan said. "She comes to every workout, every practice, every game with an incredibly positive attitude. Positive energy breeds positive energy."
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Lattanzio is wrapping up her final year in the brown and white and is finally playing the position she loves best: first base. And this confident, supportive approach she brings as a senior leader has translated to winning.
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The Mountain Hawks are 14-1 in the Patriot League and have the opportunity to host the Patriot League Tournament for the sixth straight year. In 44 games this year, Lattanzio is batting .250 with a .431 slugging percentage, which is fourth best on the team. She's even made an appearance in three games as a pitcher.
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"Vicky's primary goal going into the season was to leave a positive impact, to leave a legacy where the culture was even better than it was when she got here, and that's the sign of a true leader and a true difference maker," Troyan said.
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She's embraced leadership opportunities at every corner, completing the Leadership Academy, which includes the Spring PRIDE program, as well as Personal Responsibility and Determining Excellence. She also was a three-year SAM, or student-athlete mentor. The list is endless.
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"Lehigh as a whole has helped me develop tremendously with my own personal growth and development," Lattanzio said. "It's helped me learn a ton of new leadership skills that are helpful to bring back to my team where I know how to provide constructive criticism now, and I know when it's appropriate to do what with the team."
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Her freshman year, the team had a need at right field, so Lattanzio stepped in, starting 44 games and hitting .315. Sophomore year, the team had a need at pitcher, and Lattanzio, a southpaw who pitched in high school but wasn't recruited as one, made a few appearances in the circle for the Mountain Hawks.
Â
She pitched in a career-high nine games as a junior, recording eight strikeouts in 21.1 innings. When she wasn't pitching, she served as the team's designated player, getting first-team All-Patriot League honors at the position.
Â
Self-driven and determined, Lattanzio just wanted to do whatever she could to help the team.
Â
"From the start of softball, I've always brought passion to the field and left my heart on the field," she said. "I love this sport, and I love the people that have been brought to me because of this sport."
Â
Carolyn Wright, a junior and teammate on the softball team, said what really makes Lattanzio stand out is her ability to unify everybody and make everyone feel included. If someone makes an error or the team has a bad inning, Lattanzio is the first one in the huddle to pick everybody up.
Â
This is a quality she's always had. Wright remembers her first official visit to Lehigh and how when she saw the team play, she knew Lattanzio was the player she was most excited to play with.
Â
"She was just so outgoing and not shy about anything," Wright said. "To have someone like Vicky who's such a positive and unifying force on the team, if the team ever runs into any type of drama or any kind of problem, someone like Vicky is going to keep the team together and make sure we're all focused on our softball goals."
Â
A Fishkill, N.Y., native, Â Lattanzio was first recruited by Lehigh when she was playing for the New Jersey Intensity, a high-end travel team that played in California each year. At a tournament in California, Troyan saw her play, and Lehigh became her first college phone call.
Â
She was going through the recruiting process for three years and considered a couple other schools, but she ultimately committed to Lehigh in September of her senior year of high school because it provided the best combination of athletics and academics.
Â
This combination of leadership skills and academics will mesh perfectly for her new job at Fortitude Systems/AIM Group in Falls Church, Va., where she's going to work in recruiting.
Â
She's not nervous about moving to a new state — she said she always likes to start new chapters of her life. Her brother works in the area as well, and she has friends who have been to and enjoyed the area.
Â
Troyan is convinced no matter where she goes, she's going to succeed.
Â
"She's the type of person that every encounter she has, you leave that encounter, and the person that she met with feels better about themselves," Troyan said. "It's really a unique gift that she has."
Outfield. First base. Designated player. Pitcher.
Â
It doesn't matter where Vicky Lattanzio plays for the Lehigh softball team — she's going to make an impact.
Â
She's easy to pick out on the field or in the dugout, as she's likely heard yelling, "It's a great day to be a hawk!" That positivity is infectious.
Â
"Vicky has one of the most positive, contagious personalities that we've ever had in our program," Lehigh coach Fran Troyan said. "She comes to every workout, every practice, every game with an incredibly positive attitude. Positive energy breeds positive energy."
Â
Lattanzio is wrapping up her final year in the brown and white and is finally playing the position she loves best: first base. And this confident, supportive approach she brings as a senior leader has translated to winning.
Â
The Mountain Hawks are 14-1 in the Patriot League and have the opportunity to host the Patriot League Tournament for the sixth straight year. In 44 games this year, Lattanzio is batting .250 with a .431 slugging percentage, which is fourth best on the team. She's even made an appearance in three games as a pitcher.
Â
"Vicky's primary goal going into the season was to leave a positive impact, to leave a legacy where the culture was even better than it was when she got here, and that's the sign of a true leader and a true difference maker," Troyan said.
Â
She's embraced leadership opportunities at every corner, completing the Leadership Academy, which includes the Spring PRIDE program, as well as Personal Responsibility and Determining Excellence. She also was a three-year SAM, or student-athlete mentor. The list is endless.
Â
"Lehigh as a whole has helped me develop tremendously with my own personal growth and development," Lattanzio said. "It's helped me learn a ton of new leadership skills that are helpful to bring back to my team where I know how to provide constructive criticism now, and I know when it's appropriate to do what with the team."
Â
Her freshman year, the team had a need at right field, so Lattanzio stepped in, starting 44 games and hitting .315. Sophomore year, the team had a need at pitcher, and Lattanzio, a southpaw who pitched in high school but wasn't recruited as one, made a few appearances in the circle for the Mountain Hawks.
Â
She pitched in a career-high nine games as a junior, recording eight strikeouts in 21.1 innings. When she wasn't pitching, she served as the team's designated player, getting first-team All-Patriot League honors at the position.
Â
Self-driven and determined, Lattanzio just wanted to do whatever she could to help the team.
Â
"From the start of softball, I've always brought passion to the field and left my heart on the field," she said. "I love this sport, and I love the people that have been brought to me because of this sport."
Â
Carolyn Wright, a junior and teammate on the softball team, said what really makes Lattanzio stand out is her ability to unify everybody and make everyone feel included. If someone makes an error or the team has a bad inning, Lattanzio is the first one in the huddle to pick everybody up.
Â
This is a quality she's always had. Wright remembers her first official visit to Lehigh and how when she saw the team play, she knew Lattanzio was the player she was most excited to play with.
Â
"She was just so outgoing and not shy about anything," Wright said. "To have someone like Vicky who's such a positive and unifying force on the team, if the team ever runs into any type of drama or any kind of problem, someone like Vicky is going to keep the team together and make sure we're all focused on our softball goals."
Â
A Fishkill, N.Y., native, Â Lattanzio was first recruited by Lehigh when she was playing for the New Jersey Intensity, a high-end travel team that played in California each year. At a tournament in California, Troyan saw her play, and Lehigh became her first college phone call.
Â
She was going through the recruiting process for three years and considered a couple other schools, but she ultimately committed to Lehigh in September of her senior year of high school because it provided the best combination of athletics and academics.
Â
This combination of leadership skills and academics will mesh perfectly for her new job at Fortitude Systems/AIM Group in Falls Church, Va., where she's going to work in recruiting.
Â
She's not nervous about moving to a new state — she said she always likes to start new chapters of her life. Her brother works in the area as well, and she has friends who have been to and enjoyed the area.
Â
Troyan is convinced no matter where she goes, she's going to succeed.
Â
"She's the type of person that every encounter she has, you leave that encounter, and the person that she met with feels better about themselves," Troyan said. "It's really a unique gift that she has."
Players Mentioned
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