Co-captains share team, friendship

Softball players Stormy Hanson and Brooke Monroe think they have a bond that will last a lifetime.\nHow do they know they've forged a lifelong friendship?\nPerhaps it's because Hanson can wake Monroe at 3 a.m., for fear Bigfoot is outside her window.\nMaybe it's because Hanson and Monroe once carried on a five-minute conversation without saying a word, but rather by simply staring at each other in the rearview mirror of a car during a lengthy drive.\nIt probably doesn't hurt that the two are roommates and softball team co-captains.\n"Stormy ... I've never really met anybody like her. She can make you laugh, or she can sit down and have a serious talk with you. She's a great friend," Monroe said. "Of course, she's wild, but she can also be serious and have a heart-to-heart with you."\nStephenson said she sees Monroe, who isn't quite as talkative as Hanson, as the type of leader who leads by example.\n"I definitely think Brooke is more the do-as-I-do type, but Brooke has come out and been more vocal," Stephenson said.\nCoach Diane Stephenson said she thinks Hanson's vocal nature is a significant contribution to the Hoosiers.\n"She's always been a pretty vocal person, and she brings that to the field," Stephenson Hanson. "I think people need to bring their personalities to the game, because that's what makes them a complete player. That's what Stormy does."\nHanson lets her softball skills do some talking as well. The sophomore third baseman is fourth on the team in fielding percentage, fifth in batting average and second in RBIs.\nMonroe's on-field performance makes for a hard act to follow. The junior catcher is leading the team in batting average (.344), home runs (seven) and RBIs (21), all while handling the pitching staff daily. These accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by her teammates.\n"I'd say she's holding up our team," Hanson said. "She comes out every day, works hard, displays it in the game and always has words of encouragement."\nNow the two friends are concentrating their efforts on leading the softball team, which starts Big Ten play at 2 p.m. today against Wisconsin at the IU Softball Field.\nAs co-captains, they are taking on the responsibility of preparing the young Hoosiers for conference play.\n"I think the biggest thing is that (Hanson and I) need to really remind everybody how important the Big Ten is and how exciting it is," Monroe said. "You can totally tell the difference between a conference game and a non-conference game. It's really exciting being out there."\nStephenson said she believes the co-captains' leadership skills are vital to the Hoosiers' success.\n"I think Brooke and Stormy bring a lot of leadership to our team -- not only by being vocal, but they also lead by example," Stephenson said. "They're hard workers in the weight room, and they're hard workers in practice. I think that their hard work and dedication will pay off."\nMonroe hopes the diligence starts to pay off quickly with four wins this weekend. \n"We need to remind people that this is our new season, and our goal is to get to the Big Ten tournament, and (today) is when it starts," Monroe said.