CSM Softball Facilities Upgraded
CSM softball soach Jim Cleary, left, and assistant coach Bill Hitte gather the team together before the start of a double-header against Cecil Community College on April 20.
New dugouts, reconditioned turf, an upgraded sound system, and a higher outfield fence are making the College of Southern Maryland Lady Hawks softball team feel like they’ve hit the big leagues. The team, coaches, and fans got together April 20 for the Dugouts and Diamonds celebration on the La Plata campus, thanking supporters for their efforts to upgrade the facilities.
“The team would like to say thank you to everybody who is out here to support us today and especially to those who built this field,” softball co-captain Diana Cruz of Lexington Park said at the event. “If you have a good field, you know you are going to have a great team to play on it. This is my last year here [at CSM] and it’s great to have a nice field, it’s definitely a lasting impression for my last year here.”
CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried said the college values its athletes, and he knows the students represent the college.
“I am aware of the immense amount of time that they put onto the field or courts to represent us and I can never thank them enough,” Dr. Gottfried said. “What they get from [participating on a collegiate team], the teamwork, the lifelong friendships, is just amazing.”
CSM’s softball team was first formed in 1979, coached by Danny Williams for the first four years. Since that time, teams have earned six National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament appearances, eight Maryland Junior College championships and seven Region XX championships. The program ranked nationally among the top-15 in 1986, 1990 and 1991 under coach John Creaturo, then in 2004 placed seventh in the national tournament under coach Tom Morrison. CSM’s coaches have earned eight Coach of the Year awards, while softball student-athletes have earned state, regional, and national recognition, with eight All-American Awards. Mike Garner took over as head coach in 2009 and brought the team to five straight winning seasons. Jim Cleary was named head coach in 2014.
Dugout sponsors included American Door Co., Chaney Enterprises, Jim Cleary, Clinton Fence, Complete Landscaping, G&B Insulation, Griffith Masonry, La Plata Campus Student Association, Lowe’s of La Plata, Perspective Craftsmen LLC, R&D Cross, R&F Metals, and Ron Toward.
CSM supports 12 athletic teams with more than 150 student-athletes.
For photos from the Dugouts and Diamonds ceremony, visit here. For information on CSM’s athletics programs, visit here.
For video of the Dugouts and Diamonds ceremony, visit here.
For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.
