Burrell grad Lea Coffman leads the way while playing through pain for Gannon softball

Midway through her sophomore season, Gannon softball player Lea Coffman knew something was off. She was having trouble controlling her throws from third base to first, and there was a gnawing pain in her right (throwing) shoulder.

The Burrell grad persisted through the discomfort and put together a solid first full season of college softball. (She appeared in only four of Gannon’s 17 games during her pandemic-shortened freshman season.) She hit .273 with a homer and 13 RBIs while playing 28 games at third base and one at catcher.

But by the end of the season, the pain was no longer bearable. A visit to the doctor in June revealed she had a torn labrum, and surgery followed in July.

Eight months later — just before the Golden Knights’ spring 2022 trip to Florida — Coffman was cleared for full softball activity. Now, after spending the better part of the past year and a half getting back to full throttle, she is hoping for a strong senior season.

“Even my sophomore year I was always kind of nervous and playing a little bit more timid,” Coffman said. “But now, with my age, being a senior, and also knowing what it’s like to sit out way more than I would like to, I leave it all out on the field.

“One of our philosophies this year is, ‘Play with no fear.’ I think that’s a great description of what I am trying to do.”

That mantra should serve her well as she again will have to play through pain. She has developed rotator cuff issues in the same shoulder where she had the surgery.

Coffman suspects the recurring shoulder issues stem from a combination of softball and competing in gymnastics as a youth.

“I’m just playing through it since it’s my last season,” she said. “I planned on (using the extra covid year), and I thought about it. But after re-injuring my shoulder this past fall, I decided it was probably best for me to hang it up after that.”

The injury will prevent her from catching this season, so she will see most of her time at third base with an occasional move across the diamond to first.

Having Coffman and shortstop Jules Ryan on the left side of the infield is key for the Golden Knights, said coach Michelle Wiley. Ryan, a junior, has started every game at short since she arrived on campus. Wiley likes her synergy with Coffman.

“They work really well together,” said Wiley, in her fifth year as Gannon’s coach and 13th overall on the staff. “(Coffman) has a solid arm, and I have confidence in her fielding whether it’s a hard shot to third base or a soft bunt coming and her charging in.”

Offensively, Coffman is coming off a rough year, hitting just .188 with a homer and four RBIs. Working her way back from the labrum surgery, she didn’t play in as many games as the prior year, starting only 11 of the 18 in which she appeared. Often she was called on to be a late-inning substitute or pinch-hitter.

To some degree, coming in for those situations was a blessing in disguise and prepared Coffman for the role she will fill more often than not this season: cleanup hitter. Through the Golden Knights’ first 11 games, Coffman was hitting .231 with a homer and a team-high five RBIs.

“I was always a cleanup hitter in high school and travel ball,” she said. “I don’t mind that pressure. It kind of motivates me a little bit more to pick what I can drive. I just feel a lot more comfortable in the box than I have in a long time, and being in that fourth spot, it’s nice to see that the coaches have that faith in me that I can get those runs in.”

What Wiley needs as much as anything from Coffman is leadership. The team was hit hard by graduation, including a number of fifth-year starters, so the current lineup lacks some seasoning.

Where Wiley can see Coffman becoming more vocal, Coffman said she still prefers to lead by example.

“I think showing people how hard to work in practice, in the weight room and even in the classroom just speaks a lot more than verbal,” she said. “But on the field, I’m definitely always encouraging others to take more reps.

“I just think sometimes, as a leader, that can come off differently to other people, but I just want to be the person that’s supporting everybody. As a teammate, you’re each other’s cheerleaders. I’m here to support you, not harp on you about the things you need to improve on.”

Coffman’s leadership style seems to make her ideal coaching material. She said on breaks, she often goes to help the Burrell girls softball team, and coach Rick Nealer asked her to join the coaching staff once she graduates if her career keeps her in the Pittsburgh area.

Coffman said she definitely can see coaching in her future, if not next season then some time down the road. For now, she is intent on making the most of her final season at Gannon.

The Golden Knights were picked to finish fourth in the nine-team PSAC West in the preseason coaches’ poll. That would put them back in the conference tournament, where they have been every year during Wiley’s tenure with the program.

Coffman said it will take some doing with so many new pieces to fit together. Wiley and her staff are using the nonconference season to gauge their best lineup. Once that happens, Coffman said, the Knights should be a match for anyone.

For her part, Coffman simply wants to end on the best note possible.

“Individually, I just want to be able to enjoy my last year no matter what position I’m at,” she said. “I just want to have a stress-free season, take a little pressure off myself because it’s my senior year, and whatever happens, happens.”