It almost looked like a Norman Rockwell painting: A pristine April afternoon, with a cloudless sky and plush green grass. The softball field on Skytop overlooked Lake Onondaga and the Syracuse skyline. The Orange was beating up Connecticut in the second game of a doubleheader. It was warm enough that the players were comfortable throwing and it probably didn’t sting when the bat connected with the ball, but cool enough that the coaches were still wearing windbreakers and the fans were sure they were in Syracuse.

It was Syracuse in April, which is perfectly conducive for a high-caliber softball team.

The problem is a Syracuse April is a California November.

Or an Arizona December.

Or an Oklahoma January.

In its sixth season, Syracuse softball has made considerable strides, earning a place on the softball map. That map, though, is almost exclusively on the West Coast. Since 1982, every NCAA softball champion has come from California, Arizona, Oklahoma or Texas. Eleven of those titles belong to UCLA.

While the obvious reason why West Coast softball is better than East Coast is the weather, it’s a bit more complicated than more sun than snow. Rather, it’s the byproduct of the weather that makes the West Coast superior.

Coaches, players and former players alike agree that the softball off-season is what gives the West Coast the advantage. Being able to play in November and December affords West Coast teams a considerable edge.

‘If you take all the kids in Syracuse and let them play 12 months in a year from second grade, they’ll play just like the California kids,’ said UCLA head coach Sue Enquist. ‘The talent isn’t the same for that reason.’

Syracuse assistant coach Jodie Cox played at Cal State Fullerton. Cox said that in high school, the travel teams in the off-season are where the bulk of the player development occurs. Because they can play year-round, they can develop better.

The Orange roster is a testament to that. Eleven of the 16 players reside west of the Mississippi River. Four are from California. While Syracuse head coach Mary Jo Firnbach admits the West Coasters might come more polished, there is purity to East Coast players that can be fun for a coach to develop.

‘There are no guarantees in recruiting,’ Firnbach said. ‘Some West Coast players feel they don’t have anything to work on. The East Coast players are not as fine-tuned, but with a year so, they can get to that level.’

The difference is more than just talent. Freshman Chanel Roehner came to Syracuse from Simi Valley, Calif. She sees a difference in the psychology of a West Coast player.

‘When we watch UCLA and Arizona play, they had this confidence,’ Roehner said. ‘The West Coast teams have that aura about them that they’re really good. They have a certain mindset that we notice.’

Even during the season, the weather starts to play a factor. The West Coast teams play more games. Firnbach said the West Coast teams typically play between 60 and 90 games, whereas Syracuse is limited to between 40 and 50 games. In practice during the early months, Syracuse is forced to play on turf in the corner of the Carrier Dome while the majority of West Coast teams utilize entire playing fields. Roehner admits this is a reason why they have more success.

The gap is beginning to close, though. On Feb. 13, SU beat UCLA in what Firnbach said was the biggest win in the program’s history. Enquist said that game was proof the competition is beginning to balance. She cited programs like Syracuse and Hofstra as examples of athletic department’s pouring money into the softball programs. Thus, matchups like the Orange versus the Bruins are not as lopsided as they might appear.

‘East Coast softball has arrived,’ Enquist said. ‘You can play everywhere all you want and until a team gets it done it’s tough to perpetuate that mindset. (Syracuse) did it. They’ll always have it, and they can build on it. I would love to say we didn’t play well, I would love to say we were flat, but they flat-out outplayed us.’

Firnbach has seen a gradual shift over the past five years. A lot more great players are emerging at rising programs. She said it’s similar to football and basketball, where the traditionally strong programs are still strong, yet more success stories surface from lesser-known schools.

Even the top-ranked team in the country, Michigan, is from a cold climate.

Firnbach used to be an assistant at UM and sees a lot of similarities between Michigan and the Syracuse. Firnbach talked about how Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins developed great tradition in Ann Arbor, Mich., and that carries through on the diamond. Firnbach is in the process of creating a similar situation in Syracuse.

‘I think our team can be one of the top teams in the country,’ Roehner said. ‘We can be rated equal or comparable to a UCLA or an Arizona.’

In the mean time, the Orange is 22-12. It’s winners of 10 of its last 12 games with the Big East tournament looming and possibly the NCAA tournament berth in sight.

After all, it’s April and Syracuse is getting hot.

Published on April 19, 2005 at 12:00 pm