Hofsta softball tradition on display during 2010 CAA championship

Moments after capturing the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title Friday afternoon on the strength of a no-hitter from freshman pitching phenom Olivia Galati the Hofstra softball team transported from its gold uniforms sported during the 3-0 win over Georgia State into old school white jerseys worn underneath. Accepting the CAA championship trophy in the same uniforms worn by past great Hofstra teams was a way of paying homage to past great players who have laid the groundwork for what has become one of the top college softball programs in the northeast.

Hofstra’s 2010 CAA championship was the program’s 12th conference crown in 13 seasons and for every one of those the old school white jerseys have been worn for the title game. “We keep them and break them out once a year,” said Hofstra head softball coach Bill Edwards of the tradition of sporting the white jerseys in conference title games. “The significance is that we’re sending a message to our alumni that everybody is apart of the program.”

“Every time we have worn them in a championship game we have never lost and that tradition continues,” said Galati, whose no-hitter was the first in CAA Tournament history.
 
Galati, who was voted most outstanding player of the CAA Tournament and captured conference rookie and pitcher of the year honors, is now 24-6 with a 1.30 earned run average (ERA). “I can’t even describe the feeling,” said Galati of winning a CAA title in her first season of college softball. “I’m so excited right now and so excited for my team.”

Thanks in large part to Galati along with sophomore starting pitcher Erin Wade (18-4 and 2.31 ERA) Hofstra entered the CAA Tournament ranked 34th in the NCAA’s RPI rankings. The Pride will likely be a two or three seed in one of the regions when the tournament field is announced Sunday night but Coach Edwards is just happy his team, especially the seniors, will get a chance to continue their college softball career past graduation.

“I’m happy for the players more so than anything else because our seniors get to play a little bit more but more, so we get to stay together as a team,” said Edwards. “It is pretty neat just to say we’re one of the 64 best and we’re going to go off now and maybe have a shot at doing something a little bit more than a conference championship.”