Spectators who aren’t familiar with Emily Allard could never tell this is her first year at shortstop.
The freshman pitched and patrolled the outfield at Deer Valley High School in Antioch, Calif., earning a spot on the Under Armour All-American team in 2008. Her success in the outfield, however, didn’t deter coach Kate Drohan from deciding to move Allard to shortstop at Northwestern. Drohan first told Allard about the idea after she had committed to play for the Wildcats, Allard said.
“I thought she would make the transition very well to infield,” Drohan said. “We were recruiting her to be a member of our team and we were going to ask her to fill whatever hole necessary.”
The hole Drohan asked Allard to fill was a big one. Tammy Williams, one of the best players in school history, graduated after last season. Allard replaced Williams at the top of the order and at shortstop. The 6-footer has experienced some of the growing pains of learning a new position, committing 15 errors this season.
“You’re a lot closer to the ball,” Allard said. “You’re getting more grounders than pop flies.
And being 6-foot, I’m pretty sure I heard at least 20 times a day that I needed to get lower, and I still hear that today.”
Senior Nicole Pauly, a four-year starter at second base, helped Allard make the transition. Drohan said Pauly was essential in influencing Allard’s growth as a defender.
“We paired them up a lot in the weight room together in the offseason,” Drohan said. “We kept them together all the time. Pauly has been there.”
Allard’s double-play partner said while playing with an inexperienced shortstop was difficult at first, Allard’s athleticism has eased the transition.
“(Allard) worked very hard in the offseason,” Pauly said. “She knows a lot about the game and her fielding abilities are only going to go up from here. As long as she stays strong and attacks the ball, she’s going to be a great shortstop.”
Despite the learning curve in the infield, Allard has impressed her coaches at the plate. The freshman leads the Cats with a .379 batting average, setting the table and scoring runs from the top of the lineup. She has also excelled on the base paths with 25 steals in 28 tries.
And she has been even better in conference play. Allard earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors in late March after dominating in NU’s sweep of Purdue and is currently hitting .538 in conference play.
“(Allard) is a competitor,” Drohan said. “The transition has gone well for her. We’ve had a couple bumps in the road, but she’s starting to feel confident with her game.”
Allard isn’t the first NU freshman to have immediate success in the college game. Four of the last six Big Ten Freshman of the Year winners have come from Drohan’s squads, including current infielders Pauly and Adrienne Monka.
“It’s our team culture, our team atmosphere,” Drohan said. “As soon as our indoor training starts in January, you’re not a freshman anymore. The other team members really expect you to be at game speed at practice on day one.”
Allard has met those expectations and then some. But she said she still has room to improve as a player, and the key to doing that is simple.
“Letting go of all fear,” Allard said. “Going out there and playing the game that you have been playing since you were 5 yaers old.” [email protected]
