Over her four years on the softball team, second baseman Laura Leonetti '04 has earned many accolades and honors, but none is bigger than being the 39th player drafted in the college senior draft by the Texas franchise of the Professional Fastpitch League.
"I was drafted in December and was extremely excited. I am from Houston, so I am thrilled to be playing in my hometown," said Leonetti.
Before the Professional Fastpitch League begins on June 1, Leonetti is thrilled about the opportunity to be playing for a share of the Ivy League title this Saturday in a doubleheader against Yale. If the team sweeps Yale, it will share the Ivy League title with Cornell. Thus far, Leonetti, the infield captain, has proved instrumental in leading the team both on and off the field. She leads the team with a .406 batting average and .604 slugging percentage and has 24 RBIs.
"Laura plays the game with an unmatched level of intensity," said first baseman Courtney Jenkins '07. "She loves the sport more than anything else. She is such a threat at the plate, that other teams tend to be intimidated by her presence."
Leonetti is very intense and competitive on the field, and her intensity and desire to improve have helped her in two main areas this year.
"First, my biggest improvement has been being able to hit the ball to all fields. Second, I have become much better at hitting inside pitches," Leonetti said.
Whenever the team is in a tough situation and is looking for someone to come to the rescue, Leonetti has always been there.
"We have been in some difficult situations this season," said pitcher and outfielder Marissa Berkes '05. "For example, in a must-win game last Sunday against Harvard, Laura was huge for us. She hit a home run early in the game and consistently kept rallies going."
There is no doubt that Leonetti is a leader on the team.
"Laura leads by example and makes everyone else on the team better. When she speaks, everyone listens and respects her," Jenkins said. "She occasionally comes to practice two hours before practice begins and then stays after for batting practice."
Leonetti's leadership has been very important in helping the team gel this year.
"Everyone gets along really well on and off the field, which has made this year lots of fun. I (attribute) this a lot to Laura, because she has been instrumental in creating good team chemistry," Berkes said.
Leonetti feels that there is something special about this year's team that previous teams did not have.
"This year's team, in my opinion, is one of the most talented groups Brown has had. We are more consistent and competitive than in previous years, and everyone contributes, so there is not a lot of pressure on just one person," Leonetti said.
After this season ends, Leonetti will immediately focus her attention on the Professional Fastpitch League. The season starts on June 1 - the day after Commencement.
"When our (Brown softball) season is over, I will continue to be working out to make sure I am in game shape by opening day," Leonetti said.
Leonetti feels honored to be the only player selected from the Ivy League. She realizes, however, that the softball played in the professional league will be quite different than that played in the Ivy League.
"The Professional Fastpitch League will be really competitive," Leonetti said. "There will be many players who were All-Americans and ex-Olympians playing in this league. Right now, I am just really looking forward to this great opportunity, because I know it will be an amazing experience."
