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Hernando Today

The Marshall Plan

SOFTBALL

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

MARSHALL INKS – NCT catcher Jen Marshall recently signed a letter-of-intent with Presbyterian College. In attendance was (l to r) NCT Head Coach Mettina Couet, Joe Marshall (dad), Abby Marshall (sister), Laurie Marshall (mom), Donna Matthews (aunt) and Bill Gove (grandfather).

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: November 28, 2009

Most multi-sport athletes believe they're a little better in one sport than another.
Typically, one sports is looked as a "team sport" while the other comes across as an individual sport.
Unfortunately, the paradigm doesn't always hold water.
Especially if you're Nature Coast Technical senior Jennifer "Jen" Lee Marshall.

Marshall 101

You see the 18-year-old Marshall isn't a book. So don't judge her that way.
She recently returned for her fourth season of varsity hoops with the Lady Sharks.
The team's second-leading scorer in 2008-09 decided after missing the Sharks' first two games that was enough watching from the stands.
The middle of three children of Spring Hill's Joe and Laurie Marshall was born in Winchester, Mass., only 20 minutes outside of Boston.
The Marshalls have lived in Florida for 5½ years.
Marshall was asked why the love affair with the hardwood courts?
"I play basketball to stay in shape," admitted the 5-foot-8 Marshall. "I like shooting the ball. I look at basketball as relaxing."
Though Marshall is a two-time All-County hoopster, make no mistake about it her passion is on the diamond.
Oddly enough, she had never played softball until arriving at the Sunshine State.
"I played little league baseball when I was smaller. I was a pitcher," explained Marshall. "But when we got to Florida dad told me I was too old to play baseball and to try softball.
That's when she met Fox Chapel Middle School Head Coach Sally Frank, who sized her up one day, "You look like a catcher."
Boy, was Coach Frank right on.
Marshall not only became one of the county's finest middle school receivers, but she quickly ascended the ranks of one of the county's finest players.
After two years with the Tigers, she'll begin her fourth season with the Lady Sharks' varsity softball team after basketball.
She and fellow senior classmate Lizzie Olmstead have already been chosen as captains.
One look at their respective resumes defines why.

Star gazing

Olmstead and Marshall make up a formidable 1-2 punch.
Both began their prep careers under Kristin Peeples, who returned this year and serves as the Sharks' athletic director.
This will be their third season under Head Coach Mettina Couet, who helped guide the club to a district runner-up finish last spring and the Lady Sharks' first-ever regional appearance.
Olmstead is a slick fielder at second base and an accomplished left-handed slap hitter. She comes into her senior year averaging .402 through 76 career games, compiling 104 base hits.
Oddly enough, the former Hernando County Middle School Athletic Conference all-star as a pitcher has barely toed the rubber since she arrived on the California Street campus. She's a two-time All-County selection.
Interestingly, Marshall's numbers closely mirror Olmstead's stats.
Marshall has collected 101 base hits through 77 games. She too enters her senior campaign hitting a career .402 average. Both players have knocked in an identical 46 runs batted in.
Marshall is a three-time All-County softball selection, who drew consideration for Player of the Year laurels last spring.
Like Olmstead, Marshall's forte isn't in the batter's box per se, it's serving behind the dish directing traffic.
"I'm definitely a defensive player," describes Marshall, who is a right-handed hitter and thrower.
"When I bat, everyone else on the team can help getting a run home," confessed Marshall. "When I'm behind the plate, it's all on me. There is no help."
Why does she like playing catcher so much?
"Behind the plate is where everything goes," Marshall smiled.
Both girls' hard work on and off the diamond has paid off handsomely with recently signed softball scholarships.
Olmstead will attend Division I Charleston Southern University in Charleston, S.C., while Marshall inked with Division I Presbyterian College in Clinton , S.C.

College goals

Marshall indicated the ultimate choice for her services boiled down to three schools: Stetson University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Presbyterian. Each of the campuses were small, private schools, something Marshall was shopping for.
"When I went to Presbyterian, the campus is in a quiet area and the coaches were awesome," she recalled. "I definitely felt I was one of theirs when I visited. They gave a great effort in making me feel at home, at ease."
Marshall, who carries a 3.7 grade point average and scored a 23 in her Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), will be an art major at Presbyterian College, specializing in graphic design.
"I'd like to one day open my own business or work at Disney on computer graphics," predicted Marshall. "Before I was introduced to Photoshop, I couldn't even draw. Now, I do stuff all day long."

Looking ahead

According to Marshall, she, Olmstead, Mikayla Miller, Ashley Antczak and Cera Nelson are known as the Fab Five.
"We all came in together; we've all grown up at NCT," explained Marshall on why her softball team has gotten stronger. "It's a maturity thing. We don't ask Coach Couet 'What do we do with the ball?' anymore. We all know our roles and what we have to do."
Where has Marshall's game improved the most?
"When I was a freshman, I couldn't get the ball to second consistently," she recalled. "Then I started hitting the weights, figuring out my target, changing my feet, turning and throwing.
"I still need to improve with my bat," she added. "You get into certain habits and that can affect your swing."
What about the ultra-competitive Class 4A, District 8?
"There's definitively a lot more competition with River Ridge and Land O'Lakes in the mix," said Marshall. "But a lot of us have played travel ball. We've faced a lot of good teams. When districts rolls around, it'll all come down to who wants it more and who ultimately works the best."
What about leaving the nest?
"When I'm not playing ball, I hang with my younger sister, she's like my best friend," Marshall said. "We share a room together. It's weird, she's only 10, but she acts so much older. We get along so well. In a way, I'm really gonna miss her.
"It'll be different going off to college," Marshall added. "Right now, when I get home, dinner is cook and my room is cleaned. I know things will definitely change. It's a big change going to play college, but it's something I'm really looking forward to."
It's something local fans hope will only occur after one more magical season at NCT.


By the Numbers: NCT's Jen Marshall
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
YEARS GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI .AVG
2007 25 86 13 31 1 0 0 14 .360
2008 25 74 21 26 3 0 0 12 .351
2009 27 91 20 44 3 1 1 20 .484
TOTALS 77 251 54 101 7 1 1 46 .402

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at 352-544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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