All-metro Softball

COACH OF THE YEAR

PAUL O'BRIEN

ARCHBISHOP SPALDING

The Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference appeared wide open going into the season, largely because the top four teams from last year had lost their pitchers to graduation. The No. 2 Cavaliers took hold early and never let go, finishing with a 17-1 mark that included a 14-0 league record.

The team's 6-0 win over Institute of Notre Dame in the championship game typified its season-long excellence. The Cavaliers got a one-hit pitching performance from junior Elaine Nescio, played flawless and proved opportunistic on offense.

O'Brien, who took over as coach last year after spending seven seasons at St. Vincent Pallotti, had his team ready to play at a high level every time out with a good understanding of his players' strengths and an emphasis on the fundamentals. He was quick to credit the emergence of Nescio, strong leadership from his seniors and a coaching staff (comprised of Kristin Scharek, Michael Gleason and Neal Herrick) that meshed well. O'Brien has a career mark of 165-63 in his nine seasons at Pallotti and Spalding.