SEYMOUR SOFTBALL: Wildcats Off To A 10-0 Start This Season

Two years after its legendary head coach retired, the Seymour Softball team remains one of the top programs in both the Naugatuck Valley League as well as the Class M ranks.

At the mid-way point of the 2026 season, Seymour is 10-0 heading into a big part of its schedule.

In this edition of The Inside Corner Podcast, Seymour head coach Samantha Rossetti joins us along with seniors Cassidy Marcinczyk and Julianna Raucci and junior Daphne Shea to talk about the Wildcats and their start.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Hi everyone, we welcome you to the inside corner for this edition with John Nash. I'm Rob Adams, and John, they call it the Valley, and we're heading to the Valley right now.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

We are. It is one of the best softball conferences in the state. The Naugatuck Valley League, the NVL, and joining us today are four members of the undefeated 10-0 Seymour High School softball team. We have head coach Samantha Rossetti. Uh, let's see, senior pitcher Cassidy Marcinzek, senior Juliana Rocci, and junior Daphne Shea. So, first and foremost, thank you everybody for joining us. And coach, your second year up at Seymour replacing a legend. Are you feeling a little more kind of in tune now? Is this year two or is this year three?

SPEAKER_02 0:59

This is year two.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

It is year two. So you're feeling a little more comfortable now, you know, coming out 10 and 0, uh coaching the Seymour squad.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Yeah, definitely. I think this group meshes really well. I think it's nice to have the background of like last year getting to know them and just like being able to work with them this year has been so much more fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

And at this point of the season, you know, we're at the halfway mark, right? 20 games in a season. You guys are 10 and oh, and you know, I'm not gonna BS anybody. I looked at your schedule. You got to give your athletic director a big kiss right on the cheek because you were set up nicely to come into the season to build up some momentum. Your opponents are uh combined. I actually wrote it down 29 and 60. From here on out, it gets tough for you. Um, but but did you like your schedule when you saw it? And and again, it's not a punishment because you got to play everybody that's in front of you. But did you like the fact that that you were able to get off to this great start and build up a lot of momentum and and kind of uh you know get some success rolling before you do face some of the tough teams?

SPEAKER_02 2:06

I mean, yeah, it's always nice to have some confidence like going into the second half of a season, but the schedule gets it gets competitive, and it's nice to have like a good baseline and know that we have things we could work on, and it was a really nice way of like testing what we have to work out, like the kinks and all that stuff. So it worked out to our advantage, I do think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

And and it gets competitive very quickly for you because I believe let's see, we we're we're taping on Tuesday, we dropped the podcast on Wednesday, which means later this afternoon, y'all are playing Woodland Regional, and we know you've had plenty of wars with them over the years. Uh, but but this at this point it starts to get serious. Are you guys ready for what's next, the second half of the season?

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Yeah, I definitely think so. We had a nice talk today at practice about what the rest of this year looks like and how we can keep the momentum going and just the little tweaks and things we have to work on, and really just sticking to our game plan and just like staying on course and fettle put put our foot on the gas and just keep going.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

And Giuliano, let me let me jump to you. You know, your dad's a coach, your dad uh Sal is over at the University of Bridgeport right now, longtime travel coach. I've coached against him. Uh at this point of the season, how excited are you for the next 10 games and and all these tougher teams that are coming? Do you feel you're ready?

SPEAKER_03 3:33

Um, I think all the girls are ready. I think we're finally ready to play some real competition. You know, we played Wolkett last week and it kind of woke us up a little bit on some things that we need to work on. And I think practice today went really well with that. Um last year, you know, we had four and right there, and I think we're all excited to play them again. Um also knew Milford's gonna be a big game, so we're excited for that too, because they have a very solid team. So I think we have a very good chance this year at making it pretty far into states and also possibly winning the NBL this year, and I'm excited for that.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

And and Cassidy, what about you as one of the pitchers on the team? How excited are you to you know go up against some of these big-time lineups, you know, including New Milford's uh Sienna McNamara, who's only a junior, but she's already committed to North Carolina.

SPEAKER_04 4:23

Yeah, I'm really excited for it. I feel prepared, and I know um having Leah too is such an asset because I can always rely on her, she can rely on me, and I feel like we're just a really good team. We have a really good dynamic together. So I think we're ready for whatever is gonna come for us.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

And coach, I'm gonna jump back to you real quick because you know, last year you had three pitchers. This year you have Cassidy, and you also have, you know, she referred to Leah, which is Leah. Is it Parkassevich? I don't want to, I don't want to butcher her last name.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Yeah, it's Parkassevich.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Parkassevich. Yep. You know, you've been blessed to come into the Seymour program with this pitching depth, and just talk about the two of them, Cassidy and Leah, and how they complement each other and and uh you know can can really give opponents fits because uh they're a little bit different, you know, style-wise and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Uh yeah, we are truly br blessed to have two really great pitching pitchers on staff. They really do complement each other so nicely. They have different pitches, they work different, um, different quadrants of the zone. They do a really nice job. Daphne catches for them, I'd say 90% of the time, and she works with them so well. They are great at communicating their needs to me and her, and they're really great at communicating their needs to each other, and they're each other's like truly like they really do support each other. They're like each other's biggest fans because it works so much better with the two of them, and it's so much more fun to like have them both on staff and to be able to mix them up in games and stuff like that. And like yesterday was like a little bit of a struggle because Cassidy was coming off like an illness, so Leah was able to come up and step in big time and throw an inning, and she was lights out, and Cass was great all day. And I texted them both after the game, and I was like, that was big, like the both of you, like you both did really hard things today, and it was really great to have you both be able to step up in those moments and just like be a big dog and like do what you gotta do. And it was just like really nice to see.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

And that's a perfect swag a perfect segue to Daphne. You know, you get to catch these two pitchers. Uh, what's that like for you to to you know have Cassidy in there maybe for half the game or one game, and then you switch to Leah. What what's it like to have two just top quality pitchers, you know, kind of leading the team when you guys are on defense?

SPEAKER_05 6:44

Um, I I really enjoy like catching for the both of them because they are like they're because they're similar in a way that they're both like pitchers, and like I don't know, like you both kind of show up to the same team, do the same things, it are are expected the same, but like the different styles that they have, like it's kind of like it's cool to watch and it's also cool to like experience and get to work with them differently and see because they react to different things differently in the game, too. So, like adapting with both of them, it's just a fun experience in the games overall.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

What is the you know Seymour has traditionally been just you know one of one of the top teams every year in the state? You're always in contention, you're always uh, you know, again, you play in the the NVL, which is is has always been one of the more competitive conferences. So every time you guys throw on your jersey, and let me jump back to you, Juliana. What's it like to represent CMOA high school and and just know that every time you put on that jersey, teams are either coming to you or you're going to them, and they're going, oh God, we gotta play Simoa today.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

I think that every time we have a game, no matter who it is, um, we are a threat. Uh, we have a very good supportive system off the field too. So last night was our first night game, and you know, the field was pretty full, and that's a lot of motivation when our fans come out and support us. And that's from what the girls in the past have built. Like all those girls over the years have built Seymour as a strong softball program, and people come out and support us, and that is also just big motivation when we go out and play those games against bigger teams.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

I'm gonna jump in off uh uh what you said, Juliana, and uh maybe this is for anyone to take. Um, and maybe you just answered it, but I'm gonna take a shot. What makes this team special? A team goes 10-0, and you think, all right, we've got something going on here. But what makes your group special?

SPEAKER_03 8:42

All all of us on the team, we've all grown up together. So we're not like a St. Joe's where these girls just come together from different towns, or even like Nanawag, those girls are all from different towns. I mean, I grew up with Daphne all through elementary school, Leah, Rachel, Mia Cunningham, even Cassidy, all of us grew up together. And I think that's also motivation for each other. So we all support each other. We're we know each other so well. I mean, I played travel with Daphne for years, um, all through middle school. We were supporting each other. We just know each other so well, and I think that's a very big part of the game. Even our seniors last year, we were all so close with them, and that just makes playing the game a lot easier.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

So I'll I'll stay on that topic for a moment, Cassidy or or Daphne or Coach. Um what's your personality as a team? You know, what what makes you fun? What makes you, you know, what's your tradition? And not that you have to go inside, you know, too much for us, but give us an idea of what the personality is like of this squad.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

I can say something really quick on that. It's just before they'll both answer because they have they probably have good answers, but I just know that this team is a lot they truly are having the best time. Like that's all I can say is like they step out on that field and like as a coach, like sometimes you want to like tell them to like reel it in and stuff like that, but I truly can't. I think it is the best that their personalities are out there and they're shining and they're just having the best time, they truly are. And I like watching them do that because it makes the game so much more fun for them, for everyone, for the fans. It's just a ball to watch them, truly.

SPEAKER_04 10:20

Yeah, I'm gonna say that just being with this group, like everybody gets to share their personalities and it's like a judgment-free zone. And I honestly have the best time during practices, and I love that we can all like be who we are and stay on task. So we can be like laughing, goofing off a little bit during practice, but we'll still get our work done and we'll still be productive.

SPEAKER_05 10:48

Um, and just to just to add on to what Cassidy said, like I feel like a main part of like our team's personality is that like we can bring all like our different personalities together. And it's like that sense of togetherness that we bring to like everything. So when we're being like silly, like we're doing it together and we have that like team group of like silliness going on, and we can even like even in serious moments, like we can keep it as like, yeah, we're serious, we're locked in, but like we're also like being lighthearted with it, like still having fun while maintaining the intense, like intensity of the game.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

And Rob, one thing I want to say about this group, and you know you know how I love my stats. Um Seymour this season, you know, 10-0, they have outscored their opponents 147 to 8. That's pretty good. That's not bad. So uh, you know, you figure it's roughly a 14 to 1, you know, game, and then if you look at the scores, it's it's it's it's that much more impressive. And coach, is is it are you that good offensively? Is the pitching that good? Are you that good defensively, or do you feel you have you know all the all the tools filled to to make this second half of the season really successful as you head into the postseason?

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Well, I do think all parts have been working pretty well. I mean, if one part's lacking, then the other two are pretty strong. So, like, there's games where our defense is tired, and there's games where the pitching's tired, but truly the offense has been like a very nice battery, like the whole time. It's pretty much like the little bit of the like the generator that keeps us moving. And we've been aggressive, we've been patient, we've been disciplined, and I think the girls have really like kept that moving and kept it rolling, and they've made their adjustments and they do what they're supposed to be doing. And honestly, like offense is such a fun part of the game, so it definitely makes the game a little more entertaining.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

I I also want to take back a statement I made earlier because I think I said something about you may want to kiss the uh schedule maker on the cheek a little bit because of this. But last week you guys played Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, correct?

SPEAKER_02 12:58

Yes, we did.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

What was that the way it was scheduled? Or did you have an uh uh you know a postponement thrown in?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Oh no, sir, it was not scheduled like that.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Okay, good. Yeah, I would I would hope not, but just tell me how you you know again, 10 and 0. So you went five and oh last week. Just tell me how the girls, you know, went through that stretch of of five straight games with no practices and uh walk away with five wins.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

We had our first practice today, and I think it was like almost 10 days. Um wow, yeah, so that was crazy. But last week they were fired up, they were they were ready to go, they weren't real happy that that schedule ended up like that, and I wasn't really ecstatic about it either, but you can't control everything, and I think it was a really good testament to that. Like you kind of like play the hands you're dealt and you do the best you can, and I really think they were fired up and like prepared and ready to go, and they used it to their advantage, and they just kept it rolling and they were doing a great job. Like, sure, towards the end you get a little tired, but they definitely were tough and gritty and they pushed through, and I couldn't have been more proud. It was a great week.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

And Juliana, just follow up on that, or or Cassidy is the two seniors. I mean, five games in a row. We obviously love to play the games, that's why we play the sports, but you would think maybe one or two rest days in there would be nice. How how tough was it for you guys to go game after game after game after game after game after game?

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Um, I'll go and then Cass, you go. Um, I think the schedule last week actually played out pretty well. The beginning of the week was kind of, you know, slow and kind of just warming up, and then obviously we had a little bit of a tougher game later in the week with Wolkett. I think we all enjoy playing together more than practicing sometimes. The games is where a lot of excitement comes in. And we were also just really like bored, honestly. We had only played four games in I believe it was three weeks into our season. So I think we were really ready to play, and I think that's what kind of motivated us throughout the week um with putting up as many runs as we did. We were just eager to hit, and I'm sure our pitchers were eager to get some strikeouts and push through some of those games and bring home bring some wins home.

SPEAKER_04 15:18

Yeah, the follow-up on that, I I agree because the two weeks prior to our five-week game was really slow. I think we only had one game each of those weeks. So we were definitely like eager to get on the field and like play um throughout. Like I know it got a little tiring like at the end of the week, but we were still pushing through. We had our energy on the field, and it ended up working out for us because that's another thing about our team. Like, we can stay together and keep that energy up when we need it.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

And Daphne, as the team's catcher, how are your knees feeling after five straight games of kneeling down and catching these guys?

SPEAKER_05 16:02

Uh man. I mean, I can't say I felt great, but like I mean, Saturday was nice. But um I don't know. Like, you get used to it eventually. And I mean, my pictures make it pretty easy for me. So it wasn't too bad. It's not like I had any long innings, so not much to complain about.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

That's a very good point right there. So um, coach, the the NVL, and and you played in the league, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:30

No, I'm from Shelton.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Oh, you're from Shelton. Okay, so you're SCC.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

I'm in the valley, there's a different conference, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Right, yeah. But you know, I again I'm I I don't want to put down the NVL because again, you know, Woodland Regionals had such a great run. Uh, you guys have always been so strong. But it kind of does seem to me a little bit that maybe the NBL has dropped off from what it was five, six, seven years ago, but still it's a really, really tough league. And what you know, what's it like to play in that league? And uh, you know, against you against some of your rivals, and you know, starting tomorrow, Woodland Regional, just you know, a quick trip up uh uh what is it, Route 8 there, uh to to face them. Just what are your thoughts on the NVL in 2026? And am I wrong?

SPEAKER_02 17:20

I mean, I feel like softball in general at the moment is like the it's like in like a little bit of a lull, but I think the NVL is really well coached. The coaches are they're smart, they're well, they're well what is it, experienced. They've been around for a while, they do a really good job in their communities. People know who they are around here. It's very community-based in the NVL and like the girls know everybody on every team. So it's like nice to see that. And like the NVL has definitely I wouldn't say it's taking like a step back, but it's definitely in like a growing phase right now. Like there's a lot of young teams, there's a lot of young talent, but the coaching staff is like doing the coaching staffs in general are doing a really good job, I think, of like developing the talent and developing the communities. It's just in like a little bit of a a slower loop, probably.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

And that's one thing, Rob and I, as as we've started the podcast, and you know, it's one of the things that always comes up is how softball numbers were plummeting there for a little bit, and then all of a sudden things got hot on you know, ESPN with the College World Series, you know, the the sports coming back to the Olympics uh for you know for another year after all the the headaches of uh not in in, not in in and that type of thing. So hopefully these numbers will be growing a lot further, but um uh because it is such a great sport, and you know that's that's why we're doing the podcast, that's why we're doing the blog, that's why you guys are playing the game. So uh so hopefully that will continue. You know, we talked a little bit about Leah, we talked a little bit about Cassidy in the circle for you. We know we got Daphne behind the plate, but there's still other players around there. And and coach, if you could just let's start with the infield. Take us around the infield. Who are some of the key players for Seymour uh this season?

SPEAKER_02 19:12

Well, we have Juliana at third, and then we have Mia Cunningham playing short, which she had to step up a little bit because uh Taylor Garino, who played there for the past three years, actually came into the season with a broken foot. So we had a lot of like shakeups so far. So Mia Cunningham's playing short. Um Alexa Kalisis is playing second base, she's a sophomore, so she hasn't really played too much last year, and then Rachel DeAngelis, who is also a senior, is playing first base. She uh is a middle infielder by trade, and we have transitioned her into a first baseman because Mia Cunningham had to move and she's 5'9, so it worked out to our advantage, and she's been excellent over there. I couldn't have asked for a better fit right now. She's been doing a wonderful job.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Now now why why move Mia? Because Mia played first base for you for her first two years, right? Or at least she was first base as a freshman, first base last year for a year, if I remember right.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Yeah, she had some experience at shortstop and travel ball too, and she's very athletic. She's uh a little more vocal and she's doing a really great job.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

And especially as a junior. I know I did a story on her and her mom and the history, you know, back in the first year of the blog, but now that she's a junior, she must be really be emerging as a leader for you guys.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah, she is really stepping into her own. It's really nice to see.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Nice. And and take me across the outfield.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

All right, we have uh right now left field is uh Danny Nangle. She's also a sophomore and she's doing a really great job. And then in center field, we have uh uh Megan O'Hare. She's just a great defensive player anywhere you put her in the field. She knows what she's doing, she tries her best, she's super athletic. And then in right field, we have the other pitcher who's not on the mound because they're our next best athlete, and they've been doing a wonderful job playing both sides. They're hitting well. The pitcher's really stepped up and they're learning a position in the outfield. They're both great outfielders, they're both doing a great job at the plate. So it's been fun to watch them show how athletic they really are.

SPEAKER_00 21:27

And and what's the uh the the skinny on Taylor, if you will, you know, with the broken foot. Is she gonna make it back or has she lost her whole senior year?

SPEAKER_02 21:35

I think it's gone. She mentioned to me the other day that she won't even be able to run until July, which is like heartbreaking because no one wants their senior year to end like that. So she's around, she comes to our games, she hangs out with the dugout in the dugout with them. She's been super supportive of them. So we just want her to be able to play in her college fall season for soccer.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Right. Yeah, totally. So but yeah. That just sucks, you know. Yeah, truly senior and you get hurt totally. Uh how about coming off the bench? You know, courtesy runners, pinch runners, you know, uh kids that may find you know late defensive replacements. Are there other kids on the roster that that you want to mention that uh could play key roles for you here over the second half of the season?

SPEAKER_02 22:20

We have three other kids on the team. Um they get in spare I wanna I don't want to say sparingly, but they get in every once in a while, like during games where we're like we need to put in some other players, but I wouldn't they've been doing a great job. I wouldn't say that they're gonna get like quality time all the time, but they're definitely in and out of the games.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

And Juliana, now that we're in year two of Coach Rossetti, uh you know, anytime you lose a legendary coach like uh like Coach Ken, and again, I I I I can write the name, but I can't pronounce it. How does how did he pronounce his last name? Pereas? I believe it's Pereiras. Pereiras, yeah. Uh you know, last year had to be a little bit of an adjustment period for you guys because you did have the new coach coming in. Year two of the the the Sam Rossetti uh years, if you will. Do you feel more comfortable as players, you know, getting used to her way of doing things? And and has that helped getting get off to this good start this season?

SPEAKER_03 23:25

Yeah, I thank Coach Ken for everything that he did in his time. I was really close with him. Uh, it was just time, you know, people get to the point where you know, retirement comes around and it's just time to go. And, you know, if I'm being honest, last year coming into my junior year, I was a bit nervous. I didn't know who was gonna coach. And I had had pretty successful seasons my freshman and sophomore years. So, you know, there was always that fear like maybe a coach comes in and doesn't see my talent or really anything with any of the girls, not just me. And when Coach Sam was named coach, I personally didn't really know anything about her. Um, but then I found out she was a coach at UB, and I think that kind of was like, okay, well, like that's a positive thing, you know. And I don't really remember the beginning of last season too much, but we have never had a problem. I've loved Coach Sam coaching for us. She's young, she's had the college experience, she knows how to work with all of us, and she's also a girl just like the rest of us, so she kind of understands the off-field and also Coach Kayla, both of them together, you know, we have a a great time that you can't really relate that with Coach Ken. There was different positive sides of him coaching, and there's also positives with Coach Sam. So I think either coach, it really worked out for my high school career, definitely, and I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

And and and J Juliana, um obviously the podcast is Seymour-based, but I know you're heading off to college next year, you plan on playing in college. Just tell us a little bit about you know where you're going, who you're playing for, and and why you picked that school.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

So I think growing up everyone's always so D1 focused. And you know, during my recruitment process, obviously there was that option of some sort, but I really wanted to have the opportunity to play as a freshman, and Coach Dawn at UB has always been around since my freshman year, very interested in me as a player, and she kind of just grew up around our travel program, the Lady Nightmares based in Seymour. And uh one of my best friends ended up committing there, Sienna Lucas from Oxford. And I think that was like the first thing I loved playing with Sienna growing up. And then when September 1st came, Coach Dawn offered me, I would say a couple weeks later, and that was the beginning of my junior year, and I kind of held off. I was a little nervous, she was gonna pull that offer. Um, but then in the summer, I just really fell not in love, but I really fell for the culture at UB and all of that. And then my dad got offered the coaching spot, obviously, and I kind of grew up with his technique, and he of course he's not the head coach, which I am a-okay. Um but I love Coach Dawn, I love Coach Ray, um, I love all of them over there. I've been to the school a hundred times, I've been to all their games when they're home recently, kind of supporting them. And I just love the environment that they have there. They're a very close team, and Coach Dawn's very experienced, which I appreciate in a coach. Um, and I know she's gonna be there while I'm there. It's not kind of a flighty situation where she's gonna leave. She's been there for so many years, and I have a lot of trust in her and the whole coaching stuff.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

And my God, how you know, and you get to play your games in Seaside Park. I mean, how great is that with the Long Island sound off in the distance and and all that. Uh, Cassidy, what about you? Are you are you gonna be taking your game to the collegiate level or what's up for your future?

SPEAKER_04 27:10

Yeah, so I'm going to be playing at West Con. Um, I basically so for my recruitment process, I was very on and off with softball until I committed last December. Um, my recruitment process was kind of just something like I was doing on the side, like just in case I wanted to play, like I get the offers um so I can decide later. When I was looking at schools, um, I was always I was looking at academics first. So, and for my schooling, I want to be an optometrist, so that's gonna be like eight years of schooling, but I need to go for like my biology degree. So West Con really pointed out to me for like their academics, and I knew it was good. When um Coach Stone like started recruiting me, um, she was very interested, and I started to really like her as a person. She would constantly reach out to me, ask me how I am, and everything like that. She would like come to my games, she would tell me like how good I was doing, and it was it was really amazing to hear. I eventually ended up going to some camps for her, and I did an overnight stay at Westcon. And when I did that overnight, that's when I really like started to fall in love with like the school and the people around it because I stayed with some players and they were truly amazing. And I'm really excited for next year because I know it's going to be good, and I I'm really excited for Coach Stone to coach me.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

I'm not sure if you noticed Rob gave the little fist bump there, but he's a he's a West Con graduate. So I am. That is true. Yep, so so he's very happy about that. Uh, Daff, we'll get to you in a minute. Juliana, being a coach's kid, now that you're a senior, looking back on it, are you are you glad that that you're a coach's kid, or or do you kind of wish that you know dad worked in an office somewhere and just stayed, you know, out in center field uh and minded his own business? What what's your take on that? I'm always curious about that.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

So obviously my dad was there from day one. Uh and as a kid it was definitely a little bit rough because I'm the oldest and he doesn't have he didn't have much experience with how to handle things with even my failure. There was times that, you know, at tenu it was getting a little blown out of proportion, but it's okay. Um I kind of think that my dad being there for everything formed me into the player that I am today. You look at a lot of coaches, kids, and it's always she's only playing because her dad's the coach. And I strongly feel that that is not me. I feel that my dad, if anything, in practice, I am the one player that he picks on the most. I am the one player that if I don't do it right, it's I'm the one that gets yelled at. And you know, Daphne has been there for a hundred practices, and he will never yell at any of the other girls the same way that he yells at me. So I think that that kind of pushed me. And, you know, a lot of girls they go home and their parents tell them, You did so good today, or you have a couple parents that don't understand the swing, they don't understand the fielding technique or pitching or really anything, like anything within the game. And I get in the car and I have a bad game, and it's you know, you're dropping your hands, you're swinging up at the ball, you need to stay through. And my dad's sending me hitting videos all day while I'm at school, asking me, Have you watched them? No, dad, I haven't watched them. I'm sitting in pre-calc right now. Um, but that's something that I will never take for granted. You know, my dad definitely formed the player that I am. I feel that I'm a very strong player on the fields. He's always taught me you never get too high, you never get too low, you always have to kind of stay calm. And obviously, within the game, you're gonna have your highs and lows, but over the years, we've definitely gotten better with each other, and that was another big thing. I didn't commit to UB for him, obviously. I love everybody else there. Um, but him going there, I would love to play my last four years for him and him be at every game. That was another thing with college. I'm sure Cassidy agrees with this. You know, you want your parents there for every game. If I was going to school in Florida, no one's gonna be there. My grandparents, my friends, family. Um, but yeah, I definitely appreciate my dad for everything that he's done.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

No, that's awesome. And and Daphne, you know, Coach Sal never yelled at you.

SPEAKER_05 31:44

Oh, Coach Sal has yelled at me. Never undeserved, never undeserved. But he, yeah, he he's definitely one of those. Like, he if Juliana's doing something wrong, as small as it is, he's gonna tell her. Like, and obviously, like playing and like all throughout softball, all of us know we've seen it, and any sport even there's like daddy ball, it happens now, not Juliana. It's like it's he's he gets on Juliana, and it's like always good to appreciate that, and it kind of like heals that part of you of seeing like in like past years, seeing like coaches just oh yeah, let me throw my kid in there, and their kid just is terrible. Not Juliana though.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

No, that that's for sure. Juliana's top of the top of the uh the the heap here. She's a darn good player, that's for sure. Uh coach, we got a couple of minutes left. Again, we're halfway through the season. Rob, you can wrap up right after this question. But uh, you know, with 10 games left, have you shifted your hopes and goals for what's left for the CMO Wildcats uh for the rest of the year?

SPEAKER_02 32:45

Oh, I don't think there's been any goal shift. We're definitely on track for what we've planned on for the beginning of the season. Um, we did, I like I mentioned before, we had a little tweak here and there today. We had a nice conversation about the rest of the season, about how we can improve and grow off of all the things we've seen and learned so far. But I definitely think um our train's on the right track, and if anything, we're just gonna keep picking up speed, and I'm really happy to be here and having a great time with them. And I think we're moving right along.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

John, I have loved watching the reactions of Juliana and Daphne and Cassidy as you know, they each kind of talk and the laughter, and there's a genuine uh regard between all three of those players, and that this seems like a special group, no doubt.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Yeah, very much so. And that's one of the funnest parts about doing these uh podcasts, you know, through Zoom, because you get to see the players, you get to see them interact with each other, and this is something that keeps coming up. But again, when you're 10-0, I think you're gonna be close as a team, you're gonna love each other, you're gonna care about each other, and uh, you know, that's what's happening in Seymour right now. So uh, you know, 10 games to go, 10 really tough games to go. It starts tomorrow against Woodland Regional, and it's gonna be fun to see what happens from here on out.

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Well, we wish Seymour all the best of luck, and uh it's been a joy to be a part of this and kind of watch them, and we'll be keeping an eye on them throughout the balance of the season as we move along. All right, that'll do it for this edition of the Inside Corner Connecticut Softball Podcast. We thank Daphne, Juliana, Cassidy, coach for John Nash. I'm Rob Adams. We'll talk to you next week.