Graduates, teammates reflect on end of career

Three leaders, three positions and three people will be greatly missed by the IU softball team as they walk across the plank into the real world Saturday and out of their college sports careers. Senior Heather Suca, a 4-foot 9-inch shortstop who never crouched to make her strike zone smaller, senior Katie Joy, who improved her game immensely and brightened the morale of the team and senior Stormy Hanson, who aimed, typically with success, at the fences from the batter's box will graduate after this season.\nThroughout the season, Suca displayed a game that was much larger than her short stature. She finished just 11 points shy of a .200 batting average, stole seven bases in nine attempts and amassed seven RBIs. \nSuca's teammates said she also had a team-first attitude. \n"Because of the team's need for Suca to sacrifice herself this year, she has been tested on and off the field," coach Sara Hayes said. "It is her tenacity and heart that allowed us to ask her to fill this void. When it comes to Suca, size does matter -- she has a huge heart."\nThis attitude was displayed by a team-leading total of 10 sacrifice bunts throughout the season.\nStarting in each of IU's 50 games, Joy finished the season with a .189 batting average, eight RBIs and sent two balls over the fence. She also was the team leader in outfield assists throughout the 2003 campaign. \nThis season was also a great improvement for Joy, as her batting average rose 41 points and her on-base percentage rose 76 points since last season. \n"Katie has had a career year," Hayes said. "She has found the self-confidence which has given her the ability to show those around her that she can play this game at a high level."\nOff the field, Joy has also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors on top of sweeping improvements in her game skills.\nSenior Stormy Hanson has reached an unprecedented level of play in her final season in an IU uniform. Coming off of a banner-season in 2002, finishing with a .355 batting average and notching seven home runs, Hanson was hard-pressed to improve upon such a showing. But she pulled it off with a .382 batting average, amassed 12 home runs, and sported a .750 slugging percentage -- 134 points better than her previous total. Such production has put Hanson's name into the IU record books, as she ranks among the top 10 on IU's single-season lists in batting average, home runs, slugging percentage and RBIs. \n"(Hanson) is my idol," junior Heather Stillians said. "She works hard for herself and for everyone that is affected by her actions. Stormy doesn't settle for anything less than No. 1, and in my opinion she has succeeded."\nJunior Dawn Ramynke said that the trio class of 2003 brought more to them than their cumulative numbers could ever show.\n"They brought a higher level to the team; they expected more out of everyone," Ramynke said. "It was also an understanding. They understood where the underclassmen were coming from, but they expected us to perform."\nLosing such assets can be hard for any team, but the Hoosiers said they remain confident they will be able to withstand such a loss.\n"It's going to be difficult to go on without them because they were all key players in the game," Ramynke said. "I think we can fill their roles, but it's going to be hard to work without their charisma."\nWhile Hanson, Joy and Suca will be missed on the field, all three will help with incoming freshmen and training during the summer. Despite such contributions after their tenure in the cream and crimson, team members will still remember them as players.\n"I will really cherish the memories I had with them," junior Valerie White said. "I couldn't have chosen better people to be in the class ahead of me"