Athlete of The Week - Badger softball's melanie cross

WE'RE BACK WITH ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AND CAN NOW DIP INTO SPRING SPORTS WITH A BADGER SOFTBALL PLAYER WHO HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY ON FIRE TO SAY IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD WEEK FOR BADGER CATCHER MELANIE CROSS WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT...THREE GAMES AGAINST OHIO STATE AND THREE HOMERS INCLUDING ONE OF THE WALK OFF VARIETY "I MEAN THAT WAS A BIG PRESSURE SITUATION, BUT I'VE BEEN IT BEFORE THIS SEASON AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE PLAYING AT HOME, SO I THINK THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT. I WAS JUST SO EXCITED BECAUSE THAT WAS OUR BIG TEN OPENER HERE AT HOME. " "SHE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB, MEL CROSS BEEN PHENOMENAL. SO, WHEN SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN, IT'S A FAMILIAR SIGHT RIGHT NOW. IT JUST MAKES YOU THINK WHAT A BRIGHT FUTURE SHE HAS. " FOR A TEAM THAT HAS ALREADY DOUBLED LAST YEARS HOME RUN TOTAL...IT'S THE FRESHMAN FROM ARIZONA CROSS WHO LEADS THE BADGERS WITH 6 BOMBS "DEFINTELY COACH SCHNEIDER'S THEORIES ON HITTING HAVE HELPED ME BECOME MORE OF A POWER HITTER SINCE I'VE GOTTEN HERE. AND DEFINTELY OUR LIFT PROGRAM HAS LET ME BECOME STRONGER AND ABLE TO GET THE BALL OUT OF THE PARK " "HITTING HOME RUNS AGAINST QUALITY OPPONENETS. I THINK SHE ACTUALLY HTIS BETTER AGAINST THE BEST PITCHERS, SO IT MAKES YOU EXCITED TO SEE" SO NOT ONLY IS MELANIE CROSS BASHING BALLS OVER THE FENCE, SIX HOME RUNS ON THE YEAR, THREE AGAINST OHIO STATE, INCLUDING THAT GAM,E ONE WINNER, SHE ALSO HAD A WALKOFF AGAINST CAL EARLIER THIS SEASON....CROSS IS A FRESHMAN THAT'S BEING RELIED UPON BEHIND THE DISH "CATCHER IS A BIG POSOTION ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT;S ONE OF THE MORE LEADERSHIP POSITIOSN, BUT YM TEAMMATES AND COACHES HAVE REALLY HELPED ME WITH BEING A BETTER COMMUNICATOR AND THEY PUT ME IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND" "I THINK SHE HAS A LOT OF GAMESIN FRONT OF HER AND SHE LOVES REPRESENTING THE BADGERS. IT;S GREAT TO SEE OUT OF STATE KIDS COME FROM WARM WEATHER AND EMBRACE THE COLD AND GET IT DONE ON OUR FIELD IN FRONT OF OUR FANS. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHIGN BETTER." AT THIS RATE IT WON;T BE LONG BEFORE THE REST OF THE BIG TEN LEARSN TO FEAR THE BADGERS BUDDING STAR CATCHER...LUCAS MAYER NBC 15 SPORTS THE MASTERS GOT STARTED TODAY IN BEAUTIFUL AUGUSTA