Catching Up With Mikelyn Messina & Kylee Bishop
Jun 24 | Softball
Rutgers softball players Mikelyn Messina (Prospect, Conn.) and Kylee Bishop (Tacoma, Wash.) will forever remember the excitement they felt when they realized the Scarlet Knights had earned their first BIG EAST Championship berth since 1998. The rising juniors took time out of their busy summer schedules to catch up with Athletic Communications assistant Alli Miller.
Alli Miller: What was your most memorable moment from the 2010 season?
Mikelyn Messina: The moment that pops in my head is when we beat Pittsburgh to end the regular season and we found out we were going to the BIG EAST Tournament. We bombarded each other with excitement.
Kylee Bishop: I would have to agree with that. I think that moment was the most exciting of the whole season.
AM: Walk me through when you found out.
MM: I was the only one on the bench that didn’t know because I decided I didn’t want to. I was too nervous. I was the designated hitter and no one in the field knew, so I wanted to be surprised as well. When we were all jumping with excitement that we won, Coach (Jay) Nelson told us that Georgetown won and we were going to the BIG EAST Championship. Half the team knew, but the moment the others found out was priceless.
KB: I was on the bench and I knew. One of the dads on the sideline leaned over the fence on the third base line. He whispered to us to get our attention and then gave us a thumbs-up sign and said, ‘South Florida lost!’ We almost lost it right there.
AM: What has been the biggest thing you have worked on in the offseason?
MM: The biggest things I am trying to work on are hitting and conditioning. For conditioning, we will get up really early, sometimes as early as 6 a.m., and run sprints or do stadiums. A few hours later, we will lift weights and after that we will do speed work or long distance training. For hitting, we hit in the batting cages three-four times a week and incorporate fielding. Basically, we’re trying to get better in every aspect of the game.
KB: I’m trying to work on fielding and getting in shape. I’m the same way, I want to get better in every aspect of the game.
AM: Has the offseason been a team effort?
MM: A lot of us have been working out together this summer. This offseason has been hectic – fun, but hectic. It is a lot different from last summer when I stayed at home. When you’re at home, you are doing things that you are used to doing. Here, it is all softball, classes and hanging out with your teammates. I feel like I’m still in season.
KB: In the summer, it is easier for me to work out here than it has been for me to work out at home. You stay in the mode of being in school. I think it keeps the team closer than if we had separated for the summer. It gives us time to do other things together. We don’t just work out together – we go to the beach, we go to school, we play beach volleyball on Busch Campus. We are doing different things together and getting to relax so that it isn’t all softball, all the time.
AM: What has been something you’ve done as a team?
MM: A couple of us bought season passes to Six Flags. We all went together, and we even met some St. John’s softball players there. I know a girl on the team and she brought some friends. We all met up and it was a good time.
AM: Has anyone improved drastically since the season ended?
KB: I think we are all pushing each other hard to get better. We all have been working out like crazy and doing as much as we can for each other. I think that has been helping us.
AM: What is the goal for next season?
MM: Get to the Hyatt! (At the 2010 BIG EAST Championship, the top four teams in the league standings stayed at the Hyatt hotel).
