Spring Break
Tolles Re-Tools
Senior Thrives In The Bullpen After Three Years As An Outfielder
Jake Goldberg
Issue date: 5/11/08 Section: Sports
After redshirting because of an ACL tear early during her freshman year, Kristina Tolles has done anything she can to make the softball team successful both on and off the field.
"She is coachable, she takes any suggestions you give her, she works hard - we can't ask much more from her, really we can't," said assistant coach Peter Looney. "You can't ask much more from any athlete in general."
Similar thoughts are echoed from other coaches and players.
"She has impacted us in a lot of ways both on the field and off," said head coach Karen Mullins. "She is a great role model for players; she is someone who has given a lot to the program. Tolles has done whatever we have asked her to do, and is always ready to make us better."
Coming out of Southington High School, Tolles was a pitcher/outfielder, but early in her UConn career primarily played as a utility player, seeing time in 77 games her junior and sophomore seasons. But at the end of the 2006 season with the Huskies pitching staff struggling, Tolles came back willingly to give pitching another shot.
"It wasn't as hard I thought it was going to be," Tolles said. "It just took a lot of practice and hard work."
Tolles transformed into a reliever, but also assumed the responsibilities of a pinch-hitter - something that produced a fond memory earlier in the season. Tolles blasted her first home run of the season against arch-rival Syracuse in a convincing 9-1 victory earlier this year.
She has had to assume many jobs on the team this year and has been a big part of their 27-21 record.
"She has the most difficult job that we have on our team; she has to be ready to hit, she has to be ready to pitch at the last instant and she has been doing it all season long," Looney said. "I keep reminding her that she has the toughest job on the team."
Tolles' job is one that the team relies on dearly, for she generally only appears in close games.
"You always have to be ready but you never know when your opportunity is going to come," Mullins said. "She has to be ready to perform when stuff is hanging in the balance based on what she does."
A reliever has to perform under the pressure all season long - although you couldn't really tell with Tolles, since she is 4-0 in the regular season. The job of reliever doesn't get the spotlight like other positions but it is just as important and something is needed on a winning team.
Starting pitchers can't always go deep into a ball game and they can't always have their best stuff every day. She is called on in tough situations and this season responded greatly.
There are only three pitchers on the UConn roster, so Tolles is called upon a good deal more than some other relievers in the Big East.
She has collected 35.2 innings in the Huskies' 48 games this season. For five seasons, Tolles given all she can to the UConn softball team; from fielding, to hitting, to pitching and most of all to helping. Like Looney said, you can't ask much more from an athlete, and the same can be said for a person.
Contact Jake Goldberg at Jacob.Goldberg@UConn.edu.
"She is coachable, she takes any suggestions you give her, she works hard - we can't ask much more from her, really we can't," said assistant coach Peter Looney. "You can't ask much more from any athlete in general."
Similar thoughts are echoed from other coaches and players.
"She has impacted us in a lot of ways both on the field and off," said head coach Karen Mullins. "She is a great role model for players; she is someone who has given a lot to the program. Tolles has done whatever we have asked her to do, and is always ready to make us better."
Coming out of Southington High School, Tolles was a pitcher/outfielder, but early in her UConn career primarily played as a utility player, seeing time in 77 games her junior and sophomore seasons. But at the end of the 2006 season with the Huskies pitching staff struggling, Tolles came back willingly to give pitching another shot.
"It wasn't as hard I thought it was going to be," Tolles said. "It just took a lot of practice and hard work."
Tolles transformed into a reliever, but also assumed the responsibilities of a pinch-hitter - something that produced a fond memory earlier in the season. Tolles blasted her first home run of the season against arch-rival Syracuse in a convincing 9-1 victory earlier this year.
She has had to assume many jobs on the team this year and has been a big part of their 27-21 record.
"She has the most difficult job that we have on our team; she has to be ready to hit, she has to be ready to pitch at the last instant and she has been doing it all season long," Looney said. "I keep reminding her that she has the toughest job on the team."
Tolles' job is one that the team relies on dearly, for she generally only appears in close games.
"You always have to be ready but you never know when your opportunity is going to come," Mullins said. "She has to be ready to perform when stuff is hanging in the balance based on what she does."
A reliever has to perform under the pressure all season long - although you couldn't really tell with Tolles, since she is 4-0 in the regular season. The job of reliever doesn't get the spotlight like other positions but it is just as important and something is needed on a winning team.
Starting pitchers can't always go deep into a ball game and they can't always have their best stuff every day. She is called on in tough situations and this season responded greatly.
There are only three pitchers on the UConn roster, so Tolles is called upon a good deal more than some other relievers in the Big East.
She has collected 35.2 innings in the Huskies' 48 games this season. For five seasons, Tolles given all she can to the UConn softball team; from fielding, to hitting, to pitching and most of all to helping. Like Looney said, you can't ask much more from an athlete, and the same can be said for a person.
Contact Jake Goldberg at Jacob.Goldberg@UConn.edu.
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