#ChicsDigTheLongBall ready for semifinals

Chris Chamberlain

The men’s and women’s intramural softball championships will be decided this week.

The semifinals begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Preston Complex.

Elizabethtown junior Levi Hardin said he likes the chances of his team, #ChicsDigTheLongBall, in their semifinal game against Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji), the fraternity that won the M. Reed Morgan Fraternal Excellence Award on Sunday

“I heard they won frat of the year, and I want to congratulate them on that,” Hardin said. “I am not in a fraternity, but I’m sure it is a great honor. But our team mindset is to spoil the party come game night.”

Hardin’s team began their season by picking out his team’s unique name, #ChicsDigTheLongBall.

“The team name came from a mixture of Twitter and an old commercial that used to air on ESPN probably ten years ago with Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine and Mark McGwire,” Hardin said.

The team’s players also came from a mixture of places, including previous baseball teams.

“I formulated a team with a nucleus of players that have been my friends since attending Western and some, longer,” Hardin said. “Three players of the team played high school ball with me, and two others played against me in college baseball before I transferred from Union (College).

“All of us transferred to Western and have been playing intramurals ever since.”

The team’s previous experience has proved to be helpful throughout the season, especially when it comes to putting runs on the board.

Hardin believes his team has a strong offense, a force that will help them get to the championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“I feel like we can produce from all areas of the lineup,” Hardin said. “Every inning, we have someone that can lead the inning off with a base hit alongside someone that is ready to drive them in. The bottom of our lineup can produce just like our top can.”

Hardin said he’s never had a team that could produce offensively throughout the lineup, but he thinks the defense will be just as important.

“If we stop people, I know we can bash with any team out there,” he said.

Along with #ChicsDigTheLongBall and Fiji are teams Pitches and Swingers, who will meet in the other men’s semifinal Tuesday night.   

The women’s final four will include matchups between Emanon and Omega Phi Alpha and Volleyball Team and I’d Hit That.

Emanon has already won the 2012 women’s intramural soccer tournament.