Last Hurrah for DePaul's Braget, Ciezki, Mathews
5/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
May 1, 2012
CHICAGO - Crossing those white lines at Cacciatore Stadium one last time on Senior Day will be like a rite of passage for Katelyn Braget, Lynsey Ciezki and Marla Mathews.
The trio arrived at DePaul four years ago as freshmen uncertain of their role on the team and their place in this world.
When they are introduced at Sunday's post-game ceremony after facing Providence, they will be saluted by their teammates, coaches, family members and Blue Demon fans as role model student-athletes confidently taking the next step in life's journey.
"As a freshman, I just sat there and listened to everybody else," Braget said. "I'd be thrown into situations where I pinch-hit with two strikes in the at-bat. I was really nervous and didn't know how to handle it.
"I'd strike out with one swing and thought it was my fault. It felt like the world was going to fall on my head. I was afraid---please don't call my name."
Braget has evolved into a dangerous power hitter who helped put an end to Louisville's 28-game winning streak with a pair of home runs in the 7-1 victory on March 31.
The outfielder from Lockport High School is having the best season of her career after coming to grips with the ever-challenging mental and physical dilemma of whether to swing at a moving pitch.
"This year I learned how to clear my mind," said Braget, who will take her cuts against Northwestern on Wednesday at Cacciatore Stadium. "See the ball---hit the ball. In other years, I worried about what the coaches thought or why the team didn't seem happy. What was I doing wrong?
"I went into that Louisville game with a clear mind just wanting to hit the ball."
Ciezki has also undergone quite a transformation since arriving on campus from Lake Park High School.
"When I came here, I was shy, timid and barely stood up for myself," said Ciezki who was All-BIG EAST Third Team in 2010 and an all-tournament selection at last year's BIG EAST Championship. "The first outburst from Eug (DePaul coach Eugene Lenti) was eye-opening to me. But everything he did always had a purpose.
"You always take on the qualities of your coaches, and I'm thankful for it. Eug is a guy who never backs down, and that has made me stronger. I stand up for myself now and will speak my mind a little more.
"These last four years have been a lesson in adapting to everything---college life, academics, softball. I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I'll be making adjustments every day.
"Adapting to life when things are being thrown at you is a lot like hitting."
Mathews only wishes she could have swung the bat more often and realized her potential as a power hitter long before DePaul finishes up the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Providence.
She blasted a three-run home run, and her career-high five RBIs led the Blue Demons past Memphis 6-5 in February of 2011.
Two months later Mathews smashed a dramatic, game-tying home run in DePaul's 15-10, 10-inning victory over Rutgers.
If only this thumper from Thousand Oaks, Calif. had not been hampered by a series of injuries all four years culminating in a career-ending back injury.
"It really hurts having to sit out so much," Mathews said. "It's the most miserable feeling in the world to sit on the sideline while your teammates are doing extra running and you can't be there for them. I would've done anything to be able to come back.
"This year was about getting ready for the rest of my life. I want to be able to walk around, hold an infant. The injuries have forced me to look at the bigger picture."
All three seniors have maintained an admirable perspective when it comes to caring for the less fortunate and giving of themselves.
Braget has worked on a number of service projects while Ciezki helped raise money for a cancer patient and worked at the Sunshine Academy assisting people with disabilities. Mathews helped organize the softball team's yearly participation in a breast cancer walk.
"DePaul and softball have made me a better person," Mathews said. "When I was younger, it was all about me. I was the star. My senior year in high school, I was given the title `Miss Diva 2008.'
"Now, I try to think about other people instead of myself.
"I have seen tragedies and I have seen happiness these last four years. I know the pain of losing someone to something you can't control. My dad died of cancer in 2010. If there's anything I can do to prevent a tragedy and bring about happiness, I will do it."
Lenti appreciates the tone his seniors have set.
"This class has always been exemplary when it comes to service, whether it's in the community, for the athletic department or within our team," Lenti said. "They would lead by example, helping to pick up, set up and clean up.
"They are three of the most genuinely good people we've ever had in our program with a work ethic matched by no one. Those three were among the hardest-working players I have ever coached.
"I'm going to miss all three of them and just how genuine they are as people. They showed great leadership by how hard they worked, and no task was ever beneath them."
