Since she was a freshman, Cal Poly outfielder Nora Sobczak has had a knack for making big plays.
She proved it in a huge matchup against Long Beach State her first year as a Mustang. She was the only freshman on the roster and played right field for the Mustangs.
Yet, with the Mustangs trying to hold on to a 2-1 lead against the 49ers, she showed she had the poise of a senior.
In the seventh inning, Long Beach State’s Kristen Pocock nailed one down the right field line. Sobczak made a diving catch, preserving the lead and saving the game. In the end, Sobczak helped Cal Poly come out victorious with a 2-1 win.
Now in 2011, nothing’s changed.
“She’s been a star for us since she was a freshman, and she’s played almost every game,” softball head coach Jenny Condon said. “She was the only freshman in the lineup that year. She’s been consistent and year after year, she’s been there for us.”
As a graphic communication junior from Thousand Oaks, Calif., she has started in all 53 games during her freshman year at Cal Poly, as well as played in every inning of every game in right field. Sobczak also totaled only three errors out of 52 chances that year, which was among the fewest of any of Cal Poly’s outfielders.
Condon said Sobczak stands out as the “quiet leader” who leads by example. And jumping from her freshman batting average of .293 to her current .310 batting average shows that she sets the bar high for the rest of the team.
“(She) shows up, and she expects her teammates to work just as hard,” Condon said. “She’ll listen to them, she’ll try to help them and she’s really selfless. She definitely puts the team before herself.”
Sobczak, who was influenced by her brothers to play softball, has been playing since she was five, said her mother Trudi Sobczak.
“It started very early because she had two older brothers who played baseball,” Trudi said. “She spent all her younger and toddler years following them and watching them play baseball. It was her turn when she was five; it was already part of her and her lifestyle.”
Softball has always been Sobczak’s number one priority. During her teenage years, Sobczak spent 70 to 80 percent of her weekends playing — losing the free time and missing out on activities that “kids her age did.”
“She’s given up a lot and anybody who plays at a D-I level has given up a lot of their life,” Trudi said.
And nothing’s stopped Sobczak from playing on the field — not even when she dislocated her shoulder earlier this season after attempting a dive into second base on a steal.
“She has never, ever once since the time she was five said she wanted to quit,” Trudi said. “I thought she should a number of times and never once has she. It’s her identity, it’s her life (and) it’s her passion. She wouldn’t quit no matter what.”
Condon said no one would have known how Sobczak suffered as a result of this season’s injury with the way she continued on the field. She continues to “be incredibly driven” and has the team’s best interest at heart.
And with this season, team chemistry is needed now more than ever as they try to take positives from their 10-34 record. But Sobczak keeps the team in control and handles it by not allowing her feelings to get out of hand.
“She’s pretty steady and even with her emotions,” Condon said. “She never gets super high or super low. She doesn’t express her frustration, and it’s a testament to her. We’ve had frustrations this year, and she’s managed it well. She works on things that she can do better on, and she supports her teammates.”
Junior outfielder Nicole Lund said Sobczak has shown great leadership to the team.
“She always has wisdom with the team,” Lund said. “(During) huddles, she always has something to say and gives good advice to the younger people on the team. She’s definitely a voice on the team this year.”
Lund said Sobczak has a lot of drive compared to a lot of the other girls on the team and is always providing words of encouragement.
“It’s her personality — she’s a calm person (and) it helps,” Lund said. “It’s been hard for us to deal with (the losses) but we just keep coming out and working hard.”
Sobczak and her teammates have learned to put the season’s losses behind them. Instead they focus on things that need improvement in order to get better and do better.
“It’s (about) being able to put things in the past and being able to start over again each day,” Sobczak said.
Even with softball, Sobczak still manages to handle schoolwork and graduate within four years. In the future, she said she hopes to become involved in printing and packaging design when she leaves Cal Poly.
“It’s definitely difficult, but I think I’ve learned how to manage my time and prioritize what is more important to me,” Sobczak said. “School definitely comes before (everything else). With softball, it’s (about) managing time right and planning out what’s in store for the week.”
Because procrastination is not an option for Sobczak, this led her to do her work on time and gain a sense of pride from her achievements.
“This year, I think one of the biggest changes I had mentally was confidence,” Sobczak said. “It’s definitely been a big part of my success this year. It’s important to have that individual confidence.”
And with that kind of assertive attitude, Sobczak said she’ll continue to put in 100 percent, so she and her teammates can remain competitive down the stretch.
“Our team is strong, and we have such good chemistry,” Sobczak said. “Even though it’s been a really tough season, we’ve never given up or tried any less. We try to win every single game — inning by inning, pitch by pitch.”