"Though she be but little, she is fierce." Helena's description of Hermia in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is meant as an insult, but with regards to softball's Lauren Poniatowski, it would be nothing but the highest of praise.
At five feet, two inches, the starting third baseman for the Tigers is the shortest player on the team. However, Poniatow-ski's slight stature is reflected in neither her stats nor her leadership of the team.
"She is always willing to put herself out for the sake of the team," junior catcher Devon Keefe says.
One characteristic of Poniatowski's that her teammates inevitably mention is her toughness and her ability to play through pain.
"When she hurt her hand, it was so swollen that you would not think anyone would be able to play," freshman utility player Erin Valocsik says. "She came out and played one of the best games I've ever seen. She hit the ball phenomenally all spring break."
On this year's trip to Florida during spring break, many Tigers were injured during the rigorous and hectic game schedule. Poniatowski's injury — a broken bone in her hand — was particularly severe. She continued playing anyway, however.
Her freshman year, she played in pain as well, having sustained a broken finger. Despite this history, she denies that she is remarkable.
"I've been pretty injury free — pretty healthy compared to everyone else on the team," she says.
Although Poniatowski has been getting her hand wrapped before each game, she has started all but one contest this year. Poniatowski is also an acknowledged team leader, not just through her mental and physical toughness, but also through her actions on the field.
The junior leads the team this year with 12 RBI, has the second-highest batting average at .244 and the highest slugging percentage — .385.
"She has great athletic ability," head coach Cindy Cohen says. "She can hit with power you don't expect from someone her size."
But the talented third baseman also keeps the team's spirits up with her vocal guidance.
"She gets the team psyched up, or makes us laugh," freshman second baseman Mackenzie Forsythe says.
Although Poniatowski is a leader for the softball team now, she has only been playing softball since she was 13.
She's been playing on the diamond, however, since she was five.
"The softball league in my area was pretty poorly developed, and my dad was the baseball coach, so I just played on his team," Poniatowski says. "It was just more fun."
Although she had many coaches in a variety of sports as a kid, Poniatowski credits her first coach — her father — as having had the most influence on her.
"My dad was always there in the stands with some help for me after the game," she says. "I don't always take criticism well, but he's pretty good about it, so I knew I had to listen."
Like many other Tiger athletes, she played many sports growing up, but by high school, she had narrowed her focus to the softball field.
"It was my best sport, and I liked it the most," she says. "The other sports have a lot of running and softball is more mental than other sports, I'm kind of lazy."
Few of her teammates, however, would agree with that self-evaluation.
"She's a good example for the team because she's such a hard worker — she works through everything," Keefe says.
"She makes you want to play better" Valocsik says. "And then she goes out and shows you how to improve."
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