You have probably seen them on campus; female students dressed in baseball fatigues — in one arm a textbook, in the other a catcher’s mitt.

You may wonder if the athletically fit women sporting these ensembles have picked up a new fad. Although stirrups and baseball pants might pass for fashionably chic in some circles, the 11 women wearing the baseball clothes on campus do so out of necessity, as they are members of GCC’s female softball team.

Shortly after winning and remaining undefeated in the Feb. 4 to 5 “Glendale Lead-Off Classic,” the only female softball tournament that GCC has ever hosted, the team set their sights on the San Jacinto Tournament, an upcoming regional championship, and heavily favored rivals, College of the Canyons. The Lead-Off Classic was the first tournament of the season for the GCC team which consists of 11 players with only one veteran, captain and catcher Cristina Kula; the other ten rookies.

The GCC team went undefeated against all eight teams, “We even beat USC,” said second-base sports medicine/ business major, Ashley Messenger. The defeat of the mighty Trojans and the claiming of the tournament championship has brought a healthy sense of camaraderie and morale to this young team consisting of many players who have not previously played together.

The boosted morale will prove helpful when facing the rival COC team. COC’s roster includes many players who have either played for, or will go on to play for Division 1 schools with the intensive female softball programs.

“They practically breed softball players,” said Kula.
With a much deeper roster of players who have played as a team for a longer period of time, beating the COC would consecrate GCC’s spot at the top of the food chain going into the regional playoffs in March.

Messenger claims that COC “[has] a huge program.”

However large and experienced the program of COC might be, the heart and determination of the GCC team is thriving. COC might want to take notes from opponents so dedicated to their sport and school that they have turned their uniforms into a fashion statement.