But the Raiders made it work thanks to their enthusiasm and determination, and camaraderie that reshaped the atmosphere in the locker room. Bonds were formed. Game in and game out, student-athletes were having fun.
Plus, there was wall-to-wall talent, and as the season progressed, student-athletes developed on the fly. They also thrived.
“We had a lot of great moments — a lot of teachable moments,” Lamison-Myers said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the group.”
The team clubbed 88 home runs, a single-season record. Other milestones include hitting 88 doubles, driving in 295 RBIs, scoring 306 runs, and hitting seven long balls in one game, which they did on March 21 against Lehigh.
One reason for the offensive barrage was the work of assistant coaches Matt Nandin and Adrienne Nardone, Lamison-Myers said.
“They did a fantastic job with our offense, making adjustments during the fall and coming up with our offensive plan in the spring,” she said. “Our players sticking to it and buying into our offensive plan was huge.”
The team also saw contributions throughout the lineup, with several players having breakout seasons.
Megenity was a force at the plate. She set program records for hits (75), runs scored (54), home runs (22), total bases (153), and at-bats (188).
Taveras cracked a home run in her first at-bat as a Raider and didn’t slow down from there. She set five records of her own while on her way toward becoming Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
In addition, if there was an award for the second best rookie of the conference, Kayla Martin, who was the only first-year selected to the All-Patriot League First Team, would have received serious consideration. The infielder was a three-time conference rookie of the week, and was named player of the week once.
Sophomore catcher Lily Haluska led the team with a single-season record 54 RBIs, and was one of four hitters on the team to bat at least .300 (Megenity, Taveras, and Martin being the others).
The team’s offensive prowess and record-breaking season were beyond what Colgate coaches had expected going into the spring.
But two records that stood out to Lamison-Myers were those in the home run and doubles categories.
“Both of those are a testament to the work of our players and their talent,” she said. “A lot of those doubles were manufactured because of good, aggressive baserunning.”
There were a few crucial moments throughout the season that spoke volumes about the resilience and tenacity of the team.
For example, Colgate began conference play with a three-game sweep at Lehigh. But what really caught the attention of the coaches was how the Raiders did it.
For example, Colgate began conference play with a three-game sweep at Lehigh. But what really caught the attention of the coaches was how the Raiders did it.
All three games were close. The Mountain Hawks had opportunities to jump ahead, but the Raiders refused to relinquish the lead in each game.
“In years past, when we had close games, we seemed to panic and crumble,” Lamison-Myers said. “We would never come out on top. But in those three games, when they got close, the team didn’t flinch. They buckled down and we were able to win.
“When Matt Nandin and I saw that, when we saw the results of those three games, that’s when we knew we had something going. We weren’t sure what, but there was something there that was different from all the other teams we coached here.”
