“’Attitudes are contagious.’ One person with a bad attitude can ruin a lot. It’s a strong reminder to always stay positive and always be a good teammate and player.”

Senior starting pitcher Amy Bright was asked about the best advice she has ever been given. Bright has this mindset before going into every game and it helps her succeed on the mound.

“Amy is awesome,” assistant coach Bridget Hurlman said. “She definitely always wants the ball. She’s our number one. She definitely owns that mound and we are lucky to have her.”

Two MAAC All Academic Team selections and three MAAC Pitcher of the Week awards are just some of Bright’s accomplishments at Manhattan and in softball altogether. She has been posting great numbers over the years and this season as well, including a 2.68 ERA and 14-7 record. Now preparing for the playoffs for the last time, she looked back at her four years on the team.

“MAACs last year were definitely the best,” Bright said about her favorite memory. “We came in and we were 6^th place. We won three games in a row. It was so awesome. It was definitely the coolest thing.”

Back to back shutouts and a streak of 15 scoreless innings. This is just one highlight from Bright’s career at Manhattan. This happened on a trip to California earlier this season in March where the team played opponents including Brown and UC Santa Barbara. Despite their 2-4 record out there, Manhattan had some important competition to get prepared for MAAC play and Bright led the team to an overall successful trip, earning her second Pitcher of the Week title.

“The pitchers of the week awards are really awesome,” Bright said. “It’s great to be recognized and having two of them this season was really cool.” I don’t really think about it while I’m playing. It was really fun to be out there. When I finished that second game and still hadn’t given up a run, I realized what I had done and it was really cool.”

“Amy has done an amazing job of really putting this team on her shoulders,” catcher Elena Bowman said. “She comes out every start with the same fire and the same intensity. It’s going to be a big loss for us. We are really going to miss not only her physical presence but especially her emotional presence and the way she leads us.”

Bright began playing softball at the age of 8. While she played other sports as well growing up, her focus became softball. She said that one person who has influenced her as a player over the years is her pitching coach growing up. He was her pitching coach from when she first started playing through the years until she went off to college. Seeing him two or three times a week for practice or games, he became a big influence on Bright as a person and a player.

“He taught me a lot about the game, the physical and mental stuff,” Bright said.

Every team and every player improve and develop each time they step on to the field or court. By the time someone gets to their senior season, they are able to look back on their time as a player, noticing their strengths and weaknesses and how they have improved over the years. One of Bright’s improvements has become noticeable as she took her position as starting pitcher and one of the leaders of the team.

“I used to get rattled very easily,” Bright said. “I did not keep my composure when I was a freshman and even younger. As I’ve grown and worked with Bridget and Elena and my team, I have so much more confidence in the team. I am able to stay focused on the mound and stay positive. That has been a huge change. From freshman to senior year, that has definitely been the biggest change.”

Something that is crucial to a successful softball team is the relationship between the pitcher and catcher. They need to have strong communication and to be able to understand each other in order to win the game. Despite being completely different positions with different responsibilities, these two players need to be on the same page and have the same game plan. This has been a key to Bright’s success and the team’s success so far this season.

“We work really well together,” Bowman said. “One thing we really pride ourselves on is always being on the same page. We work a lot in bullpens and spend a lot of time together to make sure that we are always going with the same approach at batters. I would say as far as that relationship goes, we are close because we work together so often and so well together.”

“Each game is different,” Bright said, “the teams are different. Elena and I talk before the games. We always have a game plan and talk about specific people. We’ve seen these people multiple times, so we know what we are going to do. Mentally, when you go in, it is nice to know when you are starting and you can get that game plan.”

With the regular season coming to a close, the Jaspers are preparing for the upcoming MAAC tournament and now is the time to shine. After making it last season for the first time since 2011, Manhattan has goals set for this season and so does Bright. Along with the three other seniors on the team, Bright is making the most of her final games as a Jasper.

“Her senior season is important to her,” Coach Hurlman said. “She’s trying to put her best foot out there for her team and do her job in the circle.”

The team stands at 25-16 overall and 13-5 in the MAACs. They are tied for first place in the conference and the team is prepared to achieve their goals going into the tournament because, for some, it is their final opportunity.

“As a senior, it’s the last chance,” Bright said. “I came into this season knowing I had nothing to lose and that this was it. The four of us have put everything into this season. If we are going to win, this is going to be the year. You go into every game knowing that.”

 Kate Bowen has started in all 45 games so far this season. She leads the team with 54 hits, 13 doubles and a .331 batting average. In pitching, she sets the tempo with 10 wins and 3 shutouts. These are just a few of Bowen’s many accomplishments, on and off the field.

“When it’s game time, nothing else matters,” sophomore Zee Pierce said. “She’s a gamer and very competitive.”

She was named to the Capital One Academic All-District I softball team for a second straight time. The selection requires at least two semesters of competition and a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher. Bowen now can be nominated for the College Sports Information Directors of America(CoSIDA) Academic All-American ballot.

Bowen also earned a nomination for a Senior CLASS Award. This recognizes the top 30 Division I athletes in the nation. It focuses on character, community, athletics and academics for the distinguished athletes.

“That was one of the biggest awards I’ve received,” Bowen said. “It wasn’t just based on academics or athletics. It was truly everything. I was really honored to receive it.”

One important contribution she has made to her community was her organization of a dedication game for Sandy Hook, Connecticut after tragedy hit her hometown. Proceeds from the game and t-shirt sales benefitted the 26 Angels Foundation, which assists the Newtown community. Sandy Hook students and Newtown residents were in attendance. The students joined the Jaspers on the field.

“It was so awesome because the whole team wanted to do it too,” Bowen said. “It was such a nice day for them. The feedback from everyone who came was great. Softball wise, win or lose, go out and play your hardest.”

“To be able to come out and do something for the kids was really nice,” Pierce said. “You could tell she was happy doing it.”

After the Newtown tragedy, she had a new perspective on softball and life altogether. She was given motivation to honor her hometown. “You just want to go out and play your hardest everyday. You want to remember that it is just a game and that there is a bigger thing to life than just softball. If you’re having fun and playing hard, that’s kind of what it’s all about, not the wins and losses.”

She was also able to bring a Sandy Hook teacher here to Manhattan. At the Kappa Delta Pi honor society induction last year, the night was dedicated to Newtown. Teacher and survivor Natalie Hammond was there to represent Sandy Hook and Newtown. “It was a great night for her,” Bowen said, who also stated that everyone would stand up and clap whenever Hammond’s name was called.

One of Bowen’s goals for the rest of her final season as a Jasper is to make it to MAACs. The team hasn’t made it since 2011, her freshman year. After a hard loss in a tiebreaker last season to end their chances, Bowen hopes her senior year will be the year to return to MAACs. The team currently stands in 5^th and the top six teams advance.

Another accomplishment of Bowen is being named valedictorian for her graduating class. “I’m really honored to represent the class of 2014,” Bowen said. “I hope everyone will enjoy my speech.”

As Bowen finishes her senior year at Manhattan and looks forward to her future, she will keep Newtown close to her. “When you play, you want to hold yourself in a way that Newtown would be proud of,” Bowen said.