Softball Varsity
Carolyn Conforti-Browse, Head Coach
John Padden, Assistant Coach
Junior Varsity
Stacey Spring, Head Coach
Alexis Machabanski, Assistant Coach
The softball season runs from the end of March through mid-May.
Blair Softball boasts a tradition of
success, and our program is dedicated to developing all aspects
of an athlete’s future. Our excellence derives from a
commitment to hard work, physical and mental, and a commitment
to creating strong team chemistry. We work hard to make our
season fun, knowing full well that performing at our maximum
every day maximizes our ability to win games. And, winning
is much more fun. Our team concept stresses unselfish play,
positive self-image, healthy self-assessment (celebrating individual
strengths and attacking weaknesses) and skill building. Our
season includes a nine-day spring break trip to Orlando, Florida,
where we face our prep competition and challenge ourselves
by playing teams from all over—last year, Ohio, NJ! and
Texas. Our recipe for success does produce many winning seasons,
but, more importantly, we understand the concepts of respect
for self and others, teamwork, and the true joy of meeting
physical and mental challenges.
The 2010 team returns many key
players and hopes to successfully defend its 2009 State title.
The competition in the MAPL league is excellent. A prospective
player can count on facing top notch pitching in nearly every
contest in her years of playing at Blair. As a former college
counselor, I work to find the best sports and academic match
possible. Many former Blair athletes are playing softball
in college. A partial list from the past decade includes: Christina
Giambrone (Lafayette ’10
and Patriot League Player of the Year), Alesha
Sisco ’07, Jen
Welsh ’05, Dickinson College, Deb
Kozy ’03,
Emory University, Sasha Fisher ’06,
Pacific University, Carolyn Davis, Tory
Glowacky ’02, Middlebury, Amanda
Glowacky ’03, Pomona, Cortney Romyns ’04,
Western Connecticut, Margaret DeOliveira ’09,
and Amanda Zranchev ’08,
Colgate University.
Having
had the honor of coaching at Blair for many years, and
the honor of coaching against some truly excellent opponents,
I can say with confidence that being a member of the Blair
team is truly a special opportunity and a positive experience.
Many of our softball alums (and their fathers!) return for
games and support our program. Five former players have become
coaches themselves. I am quite proud of my teams, past and
present. We have lots of fun and work very hard.
Carolyn Conforti-Browse
Blair softball
908-362-6121 x 5667
Kelsey Stevens ’11 Named Prep Softball Player of the Year by Star-Ledger
 Player of the year: Raised in an active, athletic family, Kelsey Stevens was always good in sports. She started playing softball at age 10 and became good enough to play varsity shortstop at Blair Academy as a freshman. But it was not until her sophomore year that she decided to get serious.
The Blairstown native took action to improve her skills and joined a traveling team. Her strategy worked as five Division 1 teams came calling with offers. But she turned down Minnesota, Sacred Heart, Delaware, Lafayette and Mount St. Mary's and chose Division 3 Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa.
“I wanted to stay close to my home and to my family,” Stevens said. “I didn’t think I was ready for the level of competition at a Division 1 school. Maybe in the future I will be.”
She will also play soccer at Moravian. As a midfielder, she was captain of the Blair soccer team, and at 5-9, she played guard/forward on the Blair basketball team that won the Prep A championship in March, playing alongside McDonald's All-American, Temi Fagbenle.
She credits her father, Gary Stevens, with giving her a love of sports and teaching her how to play. He also taught her how to hit.
“The best advice he gave me was mental. He told me to stay focused, and that's what I try to do. I stay focused on the moment and wait for the pitch,” Stevens said.
In 17 games, she batted .539 with eight doubles, four triples and two home runs. She had nine RBI and 19 runs scored. Her on-base percentage was .610.
“She was often intentionally walked,” Blair coach Carolyn Conforti-Browse said. “She is an amazingly unselfish kid, who works the hardest every day. She is a great teammate. She made amazing plays at short and had one error all season.”
“She’s a great on-field leader,” Peddie coach Tim O’Reilly said. In the Prep A Final with Blair, which Peddie won, 6-5, “We couldn't get her out. I wish she had been on my team. I’m glad she’s leaving.”
Stevens went 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, an RBI and two runs scored in the Prep A Final. O'Reilly noted that earlier in the season, he thought he knew her weakness.
“She is a very good inside hitter. She will hit those down the left field line, but she was weaker on outside pitches,” O'Reilly said. “A few games later, we saw her again and she made some adjustments. She hit outside pitches into right field.”
“Going up against a hitter like her, I realize how other teams felt when facing Jamie Boccanfuso.”
Congratulations Bucs, 2010
MAPL Champs!
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