TAMPA, Fla. – There’s nothing bigger for a women’s softball player than the College World Series.
It’s also the dream for Brooke Hartman, infielder on the University of South Florida Bulls.
“As you are growing up, you watch the College World Series on TV,” said the third baseman, last Wednesday night after the club had beaten the Penn State Nittany Lions. “And you think, ‘that’s going to be me someday’.”
A way to the CWS is complicated. First you must win your conference, which leads you to the regionals, and by taking that, you end up in super regionals. The winners of the super regionals, consisting of eight teams, will play the World Series.
This year, the CWS is set for May 28 to June 3 in Oklahoma City. Whether it will be played because of the Coronavirus outbreak will be up in the air for many weeks.
The Bulls’ journey to the CWS has ended in regionals three times in last four tries.
Thus far the Bulls’ season looks good even though they started with four losses. After that USF have won 16 of their last 19 games.
“Nothing is really changed,” says Hartman. “We’ve always played our hardest and sometimes we come out on top and sometimes we don’t, but we always give the same effort.”
Hartman is playing one of her best seasons in college. Especially her hitting game has improved registering a .271 batting average and two home runs in 23 games. Last season her batting average was .205 with no home runs.
“I’ve seen the ball better than I have over the past year. I’m definitely having more fun with what I’m doing and have more relationships with my teammates.”
Jessica Moore, the interim coach of the Bulls while Ken Eriksen is running the Olympic team, appreciates the good run Hartman is having.
“I’m just super happy for her because she has worked hard in the off-season on what she has been trying to do,” says Moore. “This success in the first 25 games is a really need for her.”
Hartman is going through her senior year meaning USF and the Bulls will be a life left behind after the season. The future is unknown, but she is delaying the emotion.
“I hope it doesn’t hit me yet. It’s not going to hit me anytime soon.”
