Robyn Seidman’s softball journey has led her from third base to outfield to first base to catcher to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she will play softball for Division III Franklin & Marshall College next year thanks to a lot of hard work in travel ball and at Lawrence High.
“Robyn has been the heart and soul of our team for the last four years,” coach John Patterson said. “She has been willing to play any position to help the team and really solidified our outfield last year. On top of that, she’s put in a ton of work on her swing and I’m counting on her being a force at the plate this year.”
She is not only willing to play any position, she has been asked to play most of them over the years.
“I’ve been everywhere,” Seidman said. “I started out as a third baseman in travel but I was moved to the outfield because they really needed outfielders. I stayed there for a year, I got moved to first base, now I am catching this year because our catcher is injured.”
It has been more settled in high school, as Seidman has mostly played outfield and dabbled a little at first base last year. Patterson is planning on splitting returning catcher Juliette Harle with her this season.
“She may not be able to catch every game, so it’s nice to have some experience back there,” the coach said. “Especially at that position, which requires some specialized training.”
“I actually really enjoy catching,” Seidman said. “I wish I had started doing it earlier.”
She can’t say the same about her softball career in general, which started about as early as it could have. Seidman started playing T-ball before moving to recreation ball and then travel ball, which she calls “a great experience.”
She is currently on the 18U Witches Elite after playing for the 16U Ninjas last year (the programs are associated with each other).
Growing up, Seidman also played soccer and basketball, but they soon fell by the wayside.
“I definitely enjoyed softball more and also felt like I had a better future in it,” Seidman said. “I think I picked up the sport a lot faster than the others, too. I really just liked it.”
As a freshman at Lawrence, Seidman only got a few varsity at-bats. She became a utility player her sophomore year and batted over .300, but her average slumped into the .220s as the starting left fielder last year. The drop in average was mostly a result of being a situational hitter and sacrificing herself for the team.
“Last year, I was able to move the runners over, but they got me out,” she said.
Patterson had no issues with what Seidman did at the plate.
“She’s one of our most consistent hitters,” he said. “She’s strong, she works hard on her hitting. She knows how to craft an at-bat, knows if she has to go opposite field. She definitely knows situations. For her it’s not necessarily about pure power although she can hit for power. Having a hitter like that, you could put her in a power spot, put her in a three spot, put her in the five hole. I’ve got options. You can move a player like that around a little bit.”
The coach figures she will probably be in the three or four spot this year, as she and sophomore Haley Lestician will form the heart of the lineup. Lestician, whose dad, Pete, is the new Hightstown High coach, was the team’s top hitter as a freshman last year.
“I’ve got some girls that can really hit hard, that have some size and some strength,” said Patterson, who feels the Cardinals should increase their four-win total from 2017. “Robyn can do a lot of different things, so I’ve got that flexibility, I don’t need her in that pure power spot.”
One place you won’t find her is at leadoff. Seidman noted that “slapping is the one thing I cannot do,” but she is looking to drive in runs. It is one of several goals she has after being named team captain with Natalie McGann.
“My personal goals would probably be to keep a good batting average and making sure I’m keeping up the team’s positivity,” Seidman said. “Part of being captain is being able to keep the team together and focused. I want us to play clean ball and work toward winning more games than we have in the past. I also want to become an All-County player this year.”
Patterson feels Seidman and McGann have been excellent captains as far as working with the Cardinals younger players who don’t play travel softball.
“They are showing them how to improve their hitting,” the coach said. “They lay it all out—‘Here’s the fielding stuff, here’s the coverage.’ Robyn knows the game well. She’s a good teacher for the younger players. She’s just a great kid, I’m happy she’s got a spot lined up for herself in college.”
Seidman began reaching out to college coaches last year, but her search ended when first-year Franklin & Marshall head coach Brooke Kalman found her while playing in a travel tournament this past fall.
“The next day she e-mailed me and said she really liked what she saw, and she’s interested,” Seidman said. “They run a camp in December where they run through things, show what practices are like if you’re on the team. She got to really see me there and after the camp she said she’d really like to have me on the team.”
Seidman immediately said yes, as she had toured the campus before meeting the coach and fell in love with the school.
“It’s my fit, definitely,” she said.
Seidman would likely have had her pick of schools based solely on her academics. She has a 4.0 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, belongs to LHS study groups and does volunteer work at HomeFront and with senior citizens.
She will major in biology with hopes of becoming a pediatrician.
“I’ve always like helping people,” she said. “From a young age I always said I want to be a doctor, and I really like working with little kids, so thought putting that together would be a good job.”
Her work with kids actually helps her in softball, too. Last summer she served as a mentor in the Hamilton Girls Softball Association for 6- and 7-year-olds.
“It was my first year, but I really had a lot of fun doing it,” Seidman said. “Being able to work with them and see them grow throughout the season was really great to see. And when I showed them something, it makes me notice when I’m doing something wrong. It really helps that I can correct myself a little more now.”
Robyn Seidman makes a play in left field during a game at Robbinsville last season. (File photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.),
