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Frost Leads Tech Softball Past Pre-Season Goals

April 12, 2002

By Simit Shah – Like most teams, the Georgia Tech softball squad sat down before the season to set some goals for the upcoming year. When it came time to set a target winning percentage, there was some division among the ranks. The freshmen were lobbying for .700 or .800, somewhat lofty for a program that hasn’t owned a winning record since 1996.

“We ended up settling on .550,” recalled third baseman Jamie Frost. “We just wanted to make it over .500.”

Consider that goal achieved and then some, as the Yellow Jackets have broken the school record for victories (39) with 12 regular season games still remaining. Their overall record of 39-11, including a perfect 6-0 mark in ACC play, has exceeded all expectations.

Frost, the team’s lone senior, deserves much of the credit. The Eugene, Oregon, native is enjoying the best year of her career, hitting .269 with 16 RBI and 20 runs scored.

“It’s nice to finally be winning,” said Frost, referring the team’s 71-100 record over the last three years. “No one expected us to do this well, so we’ve been surprising everybody. The coaching staff is doing a great job, and everyone has been working hard.

“The previous years have been frustrating. We’ve always had loads of talent, but we’ve never been able to tap into that. It’s been very, very frustrating to end up the way we did, but I always had faith in our team and talent. It was just a matter of putting it all together.”

Frost has experienced plenty during her four years on the Flats. Shortly before arriving on campus her freshman year, Frost was informed that there had been a coaching change, causing her some understandable anxiety.

“I felt like an orphan,” she said. “I didn’t know if the new coach would like me. It was scary, but Coach [Kate] Madden has been great. She’s really young, so she knows what we’re going through. She knows a lot about the game.”

“I can understand that situation and why she was nervous,” said Madden. “She did a great job of sticking with it. She’s a great player, and she just needed to see that I was confident in her abilities.”

Confident enough to start Frost in all 219 of Tech’s games over the last four years. Through her first three seasons, Frost assembled some solid numbers, but the team finished below .500 each year.

“She’s one of the girls that has been through the tough times, so it has been a great success for her to bring this team where it is,” said Madden. “She’s been a great leader.”

Now the program stands on the brink of capturing its first ACC regular season title, as well as its first NCAA Tournament bid in its 17-year history.

A split in this weekend’s doubleheader against Florida State would clinch a share of the conference title, and a sweep would award Tech the crown outright. Capturing the ACC Tournament championship does not earn an automatic bid, but it would give the Jackets a solid case for an at-large bid, according to Madden.

“It feels very gratifying to know that I’ve helped get the program to where it is,” said Frost, who is on track to earn a degree in management next month. “I’ve been here four years, and all the hard work is paying off.

“It’s so exciting to go out like this. When I look back on this years from now, the whole experience is going to be that much better because of this season.”

And what about that long-shattered goal of finishing above .550? Probably discarded in a trash can somewhere. Last week, the team reconvened and set a new goal: .775.

“We gave those freshmen a hard time before the year, but it turns out they were right,” laughed Frost.

“We have so much more confidence. Now that we believe in ourselves, nothing can stop us. We’re playing big-time teams, and we’re beating them. Nothing tops that feeling. It’s been great. Every game we win is better than the last.”

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