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Hershman Has Aztecs Softball Flying High
The North County Times Feature Story
Feb. 15, 2002
By Mike Sullivan SAN DIEGO - Sarah Hershman has always dreamed big and battled hard. But never did her vision include what happened last May. That's when San Diego State's softball program reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its 25-year history. One of the primary reasons the Aztecs reached those unprecedented heights was Hershman. The gritty second baseman, who starred at Mt. Carmel High, was an All-Mountain West Conference selection. ``My expectations are really high, but that was awesome,'' Hershman said of the postseason berth. ``And a surprise.'' An equally big surprise might be how the 22-year-old Hershman has changed in recent years. The high school version didn't care about academics and almost missed out on a college softball scholarship. ``The problems were my grades,'' Hershman said. ``I'm glad I came to this school. It's been an awesome experience. I couldn't ask for anything better. I've grown so much since I've been here.'' Grown? ``Not height,'' said Hershman, laughing. ``In maturity. Yeah, I'm still 5-2 1/2.'' Hershman leads the Aztecs (4-5) into this weekend's Campbell/Cartier Classic at SportsPlex USA in Poway. The Aztecs, ranked 23rd nationally, open against UC Santa Barbara (6-4) at 3:30 p.m. today and will play six games ---- three against ranked teams ---- in the three-day tourney. Hershman ranks among the leaders in SDSU history in career batting average (third at .307), runs scored (second with 78), hits (fourth with 162), home runs (tied for second with nine) and stolen bases (fourth at 33). Those type of numbers assure that Hershman will be considered among the Aztecs' best-ever players when her career ends this May. Pretty heady stuff for a player who was initially passed over by colleges. ``She was a great athlete, but I think a lot of programs initially looked at her and the grades weren't there and they let her fall to the wayside,'' Aztecs coach Kathy Van Wyk said. ``I stuck with her. I liked what I saw athletically, but I liked her temperament. The kid is a battler and I thought that if she was going to battle like that on the field, she's going to battle like that in the classroom if we can get help for her and motivate her.'' Hershman was an immediate hit on the diamond in 1999, batting .288 as a freshman and hitting five home runs. She hit .339 with four homers as a sophomore and .297 last season, including an impressive .400 with runners in scoring position. Off the field, changes didn't occur as rapidly for Hershman, but a couple of events shook her foundation. Hershman was affected by the death of the father of former SDSU catcher Brooke Johnson and the death of Ginger Walker, who was the sister of one of Hershman's close friends, former Mt. Carmel teammate and current Long Beach State player Natalie Walker. Ginger Walker died a year ago this month at age 22 in an auto crash caused when one drunk driver was chasing another near Balboa Park. The driver of a van lost control and plowed into Ginger Walker's Volkswagen, killing her instantly and leaving Ginger's son, then 3 years old, without a mother. ``Personal experiences have given me a better perspective on life and how you should live it every day,'' Hershman said. ``Different things I've been through the last four years have opened my eyes that I can't take anything for granted. ``There's been a lot of things to deal with other than softball. Coming to practice is like my getting away from everything. It's like therapy. I get to yell and I get to run around and I get to stare at people without them getting upset.'' Hershman is one of three North County products who contribute for the Aztecs. Janna Kovensky and Kelcy Murphy, both from Rancho Bernardo High, start in center field and at third base, respectively. Kovensky played a big role in SDSU's success last season, hitting .285 with a team-leading four homers. But it wasn't an entirely smooth freshman campaign, as Kovensky nearly quit the team at midseason. ``I was doubting myself and my abilities and I wasn't sure that I could hang out here,'' Kovensky said. ``It took me believing in myself more and becoming closer to some of the girls on the team.'' Murphy has known Kovensky since they attended preschool together. She was Kovensky's roommate last season. ``I made her go see the coaches,'' Murphy said. ``I was like, 'I can't handle you being like this.' It was really tough for both of us. ``Then we had a really good season, so I think it was worth it to her. I think she was really glad she didn't quit.'' The Aztecs compiled a school-best 41-25 record despite having a lackluster facility. Though a new scoreboard will be installed next month, the field will still look more like a recreation diamond than one that's home to an NCAA tourney team. Athletics director Rick Bay said the planned new softball stadium is still two or three years away from opening. The hope is that construction will begin in the middle of 2003.
``There's no doubt that Kathy has done a great job,'' Bay said of his fifth-year head coach. ``Reaching the NCAA Tournament was a wonderful achievement.''
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