From the start of the 2011 season, the ASU softball team possessed an electric fan base that regularly packed Farrington Stadium.
Whether it was screaming ‘Go Devils’, flashing the pitchforks, or donning maroon and gold, the faithful support of the team never wavered.
When ASU advanced to the 2011 Women’s College World Series, there were a plethora of supporters who made the cross-country trip. A large sea of gold emerged in the stands near the Sun Devil dugout during each WCWS game.
In this World Series, there’s a special group of ASU fans that occupy the first row in each and every game. They bring supportive signs, wear plenty of maroon and gold, and lead the crowd in ASU cheers.
This portion of the fan base consists of six young ladies that are no strangers to the Sun Devil softball program.
Senior outfielder Dani Rae Lougheed, junior catcher Nikole Afusia, freshman infielder Lindsey Edgerton, freshman infielder Breanna Kaye, sophomore utility player Jessica Donovan, and junior pitcher Megan Ellsworth.
Due to ASU’s large roster, not every player is permitted to travel during postseason. There are 26 players on the Sun Devil squad, but the NCAA allows 20 to travel, dress, and be in the dugout.
Therefore, six Sun Devils are forced to take on a new role in postseason play. They transition from players to super fans.
While not being in uniform is far from easy, it’s a role these girls have learned to embrace.
“The number one thing we can do right now to help out the team is to be the number one cheerers and to keep everyone riled up,” Lougheed said. “We want to do everything we can so we really just try to focus on keeping the crowd going and staying focused so that the team can feed off of our energy.”
Lougheed and the other five non-dressing players knew in advance that not all 26 players would be able to travel. The coaching staff reminded the team of this a few weeks before postseason play kicked off. The staff evaluated and critiqued the players, and embarked on the difficult task of finalizing the postseason roster.
The six players were then called in and talked with their coaches on an individual basis. This is when they were informed that they would not be traveling.
Heading into the meeting, Lougheed was well aware of her role on the team based on her past medical history and challenges the past four seasons.
Although she had an inkling that she would not be one of the 20 travelers, it didn’t make hearing the news any easier.
“I knew what was coming to me when we had that conversation,” Lougheed said “But it’s still hard to hear it especially hard right now to be here and to not get to experience it like the other 20 do.”
The WCWS experience for the six non-dressing Sun Devils is far different from that of their teammates. They suddenly take on a very limited role when it comes to game and practice preparation.
“We ride the bus with them, but we don’t help them warm up or anything,” Afusia said.
It’s a new perspective for six players who are accustomed to being on the diamond. These Sun Devils were last in uniform during ASU’s regular season finale against Stanford on May 14.
“It’s definitely hard not being able to be down there especially because we have so many rituals, pregame rituals with people,” Lougheed said. “We do a lot of different cheers, and when things happen like Dallas strikes somebody out or someone hits a home run you definitely want to be down there to celebrate with everyone, and that’s really hard.”
Not being able to celebrate an exciting ASU accomplishment is perhaps the hardest part for the group. When junior right fielder Annie Lockwood smacked a walk-off single last week against Florida, her teammates mobbed her near first base in a postgame celebration.
Well, most of her teammates celebrated with her on the field. But six of them were watching from the stands.
“We lean on each other a lot to help us through the hard times when they win like after the Florida game they all dog piled on top of Annie,” Lougheed said. “We didn’t get to be a part of that which is really hard not to be able to be down there. We try to just keep our heads up, and we’ll give them their pats on the butt later when we get on the bus.”
Being in the stands isn’t all bad for these Sun Devils. They’ve established themselves as the team’s cheerleaders and strongest supporters.
Each game, they can be seen holding handmade signs to support their team. The group gets together beforehand and crafts each one, many of which contain team quotes.
“There’s quotes about Florida and Baylor,” Afusia said. “But we all get together and we make them. We just have a party and make them all.”
The support doesn’t stop at just signs. From their time of arrival through the last out of the game, they are cheering on ASU. These cheers range from flashing the pitchfork and screaming ‘Let’s go Devils’ and ‘A-S-U’. Over the course of the WCWS, the group has even developed some new cheers.
“The best cheers are the ones that happen out of nowhere like the fear the fork one,” Lougheed said. “That had never been a cheer until Mandy’s mom started doing it, and then all of a sudden the whole entire stands started doing it. That’s been great, the parents are so awesome.”
While the parents are a huge part of the fan base, it’s the six Sun Devils that lead the way in the stands.
They may not be on the field or in uniform, but they’re still considered an integral part of the team.
“The other 20 girls are so great about including us in everything,” Lougheed said. “Constantly looking up at us in the stands, and blowing us kisses, and waving at us, just reassuring us that we haven’t been forgotten.”
This special group of Sun Devil fans could never be forgotten. They’re softball players at heart, but for now they’re ASU’s biggest fans.
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu
