With the spring sports season just about wrapped up, we will be taking a closer look at Muhlenberg’s senior student-athletes.
We continue with softball. Seniors Brittany Blohm and Shelby Smith celebrated Senior Day in style, sweeping Franklin & Marshall, 4-0 and 6-5.
Brittany Blohm
Do you have any hidden or unusual talents? I am pretty good at playing poker. When I was younger my family told me I should work as a card dealer.
How much of an accomplishment is it having 100 career hits and ranking fourth in school history in doubles? I feel very accomplished having 100 career hits and ranking fourth in doubles. I just go up there concentrating on having good at-bats and hitting the ball hard somewhere. That is all that I can control. I really enjoy hitting and helping my team out at the plate. I also know that I am not very fast, so making the career triples list was not going to happen.
Is there one play or at-bat that sticks out in your mind? A play that sticks out in my mind is when we got the last out of the game at the plate in the Centennial Conference playoffs last year. It was very exciting to make the play and know that we won the game. For an at-bat it would have to be when I hit a grand slam. That was the first one I had ever hit.
What do you feel are your strengths as a catcher? My strengths as a catcher are getting along well with umpires (or as my teammates and coaches would say, “flirting” with the umpires), blocking balls in the dirt and being able to call a good game for the pitchers.
What’s the best off-the-field memory from your time here? My best off-the-field memory from here is all the friends that I have made. They are some of my best friends. I also will miss our team pants talk. These pants are not easy to wear!
What are your future plans? I am currently applying to grad schools to get my teaching certification in elementary education. I hope to be a teacher soon!
What kind of person is Shelby Smith? Shelby is a very positive person. She knows how to keep everyone happy, and you rarely see her without a smile on her face. I have enjoyed playing with her the past four years. She is a leader and very versatile player. She is my tanning buddy, and I will miss her “GO Shelby” dance.
Shelby Smith
What’s something most people don’t know about you that they might find interesting? I have been coming to Muhlenberg softball camps since I was 9 years old. That means that I have been coming to this campus or the Muhlenberg field for the past 13 years. I always enjoyed camp as a young player and dreamt that one day I could be one of the Muhlenberg softball players who was teaching the younger girls and helping them refine their skills. I accomplished that dream and made it a reality. Muhlenberg has been part of my life for many years, and I believe that Muhlenberg truly is where I was meant to be.
What’s your most memorable Muhlenberg softball memory? My most memorable Muhlenberg softball memory has to be the conference championship weekend last year. It was not only one of the most memorable weekends because we won the conference championship, but the team also had so much fun being together and singing along to music (especially the Lion King) on the bus. There has never been a moment that I was happier to be part of such an amazing group of girls. I can honestly say that being part of this team the last four years has allowed me to be part of a special softball family here at Muhlenberg. All the girls I have met over the years have truly become my best friends and a very special part of my life. We cried, laughed, teased each other and confided in each other. Each of us is different in many ways, but we bring the best out of each other. We are truly a team that supports each other to the fullest. My most memorable Muhlenberg softball memory will be all the amazing people I have met by playing this sport throughout my years here.
What’s the best off-the-field memory from your time here? My semester in Washington D.C. is my best off-the-field memory and an experience that I will never forget. I have fallen in love with the city, and my internship provided me the opportunity to not only live in our nation’s capital, but to learn about it firsthand. The Washington Semester enhanced my college education greatly. We went to our internships during the day and had class in the evenings. One day a week we had field trips and explored many of our national monuments. I learned to live in an entirely different environment, and I really enjoyed it. I had the chance to do many things in Washington that I would not have done if I did not participate in the semester. I not only made many new friends during the experience, but I was able to grow personally. I gained a new perspective of our nation’s capital, and I look forward to returning there one day in the future. It was a life-changing experience that I will never forget.
What are your future plans? After I graduate from college I hope to find a position which will utilize the knowledge and skills I have gained during my four years at Muhlenberg. I think it is important that a person enjoys his or her career and feels fulfilled doing it, while still being open to any new avenues he or she can explore to further develop important skills.
What’s Brittany Blohm like off the field? There is truly not a better friend you could ask for than Brittany. Off the field, she is someone whom her friends and teammates can confide in, no matter what the circumstance. She has a passion for life and knows how to have a great time. She is a great listener and is able to inspire each one of us to do our very best. Brittany is a true leader and has a very determined spirit. We enjoy getting together listening to music and just talking. She has a great personality and a beautiful, caring heart. I know that she will be successful in whichever path she takes in life after Muhlenberg.