A very difficult offseason for CPC Softball will soon end

Last July, Covenant Sharon softball fell one win short of winning a championship in its second trip to the tournament finals.

Early on in the offseason, I was hinting at not returning to podcast games in 2017 because I had not been a part of a championship-winning team since 1997.  But a member of a rival team (who shall remain nameless) coaxed me to return to the CPC softball broadcast booth for 2017 because of how they enjoyed my work calling the games.

Little did I realize that it was part one of a difficult offseason for CPC Softball that will soon be ending as spring training begins.

In August, I found out from Dan Vanderslice that Bob Mariotti and Pat Degeralamo would not be returning in 2017.  (I'm trying to get Pat Degeralamo to be my number two podcaster.)  In March I found out that Randel Veccia might not be returning.

In February, I posted that Tim Brando of Fox Sports was reporting that Sean Zippie was contemplating stepping away from the game after the 2017 season.  He was approached walking out of Giant Eagle and was quoted as saying that the 2017 season would define the legacy of the CPC softball coaching staff.  To put it another way, it means that Sean Zippie was saying that head coach Jim Bombeck would be on the hot seat in the 2017 season because of the lack of championships in the first five years of the squad's existence (which puts it at a combined record of 71 wins and 55 losses over those five seasons).

This past Easter weekend saw two things happen to members of the squad.  First, I was T-boned by another driver near the mall while I was about to make a turn into the mall.  I was unhurt, but I am still shaken up over it.  I may need a new vehicle to stow my necessary equipment that I need for my podcasts, preferably one that I can go off road with.

The offseason will end on a sour note as Ryan and Sean Zippie have endured the death of their grandfather.

To say that the team has had to endure so much adversity in the offseason is an understatement.  I believe that the right tonic for the tumultuous offseason is the start of spring training for the 2017 Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League campaign.  As the voice of Covenant Softball, I am predicting that the team will use the offseason adversity as motivation to win their first league championship on July 15 at the COG Softball Complex in West Middlesex.  When it happens, they'll not only have to give coach Bombeck a Gatorade shower, they'll also have to give me a Gatorade shower!

Now you're thinking to yourselves as you read this post, "Wow.  The team must have had a difficult offseason.  But who are you to post this?"

GOOD QUESTION!

My name is Michael T. Mondak.  I have been the voice of Covenant Softball since the early portion of the 2015 campaign.  My play-by-play of the games has been constantly praised by players and coaches throughout the entire Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League.  I podcast the games via SoundCloud.  My podcasting has improved over the last two seasons thanks to advice I received from former Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Lanny Frattare.  I still seek his advice every year.

Starting this season, I will no longer use paper and pencil to keep score of the games.  I will now be using the Gamechanger Softball app on my iPad.  Although I will still keep a media guide, I will now get up to date statistics and game recap stories that only the Gamechanger Softball app can provide.

This season's podcast sponsors will include the following:

priceline.com (Countdown to First Pitch)
Lock Stock and Barrel (Know the Enemy)
Giant Eagle (Starting Lineups)
Reyers Shoe Store (Monthly Trivia Question)
Shop 'n Save (Top of First Inning)
Sheetz (Bottom of First Inning)
Vector Security (Top of Second Inning)
Med-Fast Pharmacy (Bottom of Second Inning)
Kraynak's (Top of Third Inning)
Thelma's Sports Nook (Bottom of Third Inning)
Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Hermitage (Top of Fourth Inning)
O'Neill Coffee (Bottom of Fourth Inning)
JCPenney (Top of Fifth Inning)
First National Bank of Pennsylvania (Bottom of Fifth Inning)
Stone Church Pizza and Brew Pub (Top of Sixth Inning)
Penn State Shenango (Bottom of Sixth Inning)
Sharon Regional Sports Medicine (Top of Seventh Inning)
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley (Bottom of Seventh Inning)
Turner Dairy Farms & Turner's Premium Iced Tea (Extra Innings)
Harold W. Stevenson Funeral Home (Eighth Inning Post Game Wrap Up)
Tim Horton's (Final statistics)
Allstate agent Gary Ceremuga powered by Involta Data Centers (Player of the Game)

I shall return to blogging throughout the season.