Blumfield Uses Powerful Swing to Blossom in Boston

Shoot a glance at Cara Blumfield and the last thing that comes to mind is a power hitter.

Blumfield, a sophomore shortstop at Boston College and former City Section softball co-player of the year at El Camino Real High, is 5 feet 6 and about 135 pounds.

But she packs quite a punch, leading the Big East Conference with a school season-record 13 home runs.

“It’s like a shocker to me,” Blumfield said. “I’ve never been a home-run hitter. It’s just one of those seasons.”

Blumfield’s name is all over the Eagle record book. Her 48 runs batted in, 111 total bases, .725 slugging percentage and .413 on-base percentage are school season bests. And her .386 batting average is the fourth-highest season mark in school history.

The ability to hit is nothing new to Blumfield, who batted .524 with six home runs in 1999, her senior season at El Camino Real. It was 11 points higher than her junior year. The long-ball surge is another story.

“Last year we stopped lifting [weights] during the season, but this year we continued,” Blumfield said. “I’m benching more, doing more for my upper-body strength.”

Blumfield also tinkered with her hitting mechanics, making adjustments that helped generate more power. A former baseball player at Westhills PONY League, she had developed a hybrid swing.

“I’ve closed my [batting] stance and moved my hands, so that it forces my hands to go straight to the ball,” Blumfield said. “I used to combine the baseball and softball swings a lot and I got rid of the baseball swing.”

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Blumfield would have--and might end up with--the Boston College record for most hits in a season if not for Jacqui Goodchild, her former teammate at El Camino Real.

Goodchild, a freshman, has 60 hits. Blumfield has 59.

“I was pretty much a bunter and a slapper when I came here,” Goodchild said. “They’ve taught me different techniques about hitting away. It’s just extended my game.”

Goodchild is batting .337, the second-highest season average for a freshman in school history. She started the season playing second base but was moved to right field about 10 games ago.

“It’s kind of fun out there,” Goodchild said. “I’m getting two or three balls out there. I just have to be aware of the fence. Sometimes when you run against it, it hurts. But it’s a great feeling when I catch one against the fence.”

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Another athlete from the region, soccer player Casey Schmidt, also is making an impact at Boston College.

Schmidt, a forward from Newbury Park, received the team’s leadership award and was named the school’s outstanding sophomore male student-athlete. He has a double major in political science and Russian studies.

Last season, Schmidt was the Big East offensive player of the year and a regional All-American after scoring eight goals and collecting three assists.

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Brendan Naeve, a junior driver from La Canada, played with the Northeast Zone team that placed seventh at the U.S. water polo premier league championships April 28-29 at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Naeve had 49 goals and 23 assists for Navy last season.