"Man in blue / It's up to you / The seed is sown / What I want, I stash / What I don't, I smash."
Perhaps the only thing that fits Ohio outfielder Erin Chapman better than her batting song, AC/DC's 1981 metal anthem, "Problem Child," is her pair of Neuman batting gloves. A thorn in Mid-American Conference pitchers' sides for the past three seasons, Chapman has gone from a raw, undiscovered talent to one of the most vocal leaders in recent Ohio softball history.
"I've never been afraid to say what I feel," Chapman said. "I work really hard to keep it positive. The leaders on other sports teams like soccer and basketball sometimes spend a little too much time making everyone happy. At this level I think everyone needs to hear the truth."
The truth this season is that Chapman is red-hot while the team has gone from preseason favorite in the Mid-American Conference East to a long shot to make the tournament.
Chapman's .475 batting average and .780 slugging percentage are tops on the team and two of the best averages in the conference - statistics foreshadowed by her first collegiate at-bat. Chapman broke into the Bobcats' lineup, hitting a home run against Minnesota Feb. 16, 2001.
That Chapman even buttoned up an Ohio uniform is more amazing than her initial appearance.
Originally headed to Eastern Kentucky on a softball scholarship, Chapman's future turned cloudy when her scholarship was given to another player. The snafu left Chapman with three days to decide between Ohio and nearby Dayton. She decided on Ohio and two months later made her first appearance at the Ohio Softball Field for a camp.
"To us she was off the radar," Ohio coach Roanna Brazier said. " We didn't know who she was until the camp summer before her freshman year. She was just such an aggressive player. She had all the talent in the world."
A season later Chapman traded her walk-on status for a scholarship and a reputation as one of the conference's most potent hitters.
"Players and coaches alike were afraid to pitch to her," Brazier said. "Everybody has the respect for Erin. They know about her, and they still can't pitch to her."
Last season, Chapman's five home runs tied the single-season record and moved her into first place in career home runs at Ohio. Last season also solidified Chapman as one of the Bobcats' notorious pranksters. She and catcher Georgia Villard masterminded the plastic wrapping of Brazier's and assistant coach Andrea Costa's car.
"She's just as dynamic off the field as she is on the field," Brazier said.
Case in point: Chapman's reaction after being caught stealing third base in Sunday's game against Akron. The out prompted an angry outburst aimed at no one in particular and some calming words from Brazier.
"I'm not the best at keeping calm," Chapman said. "I'll never admit to that. I'm not like (first baseman Kiersten Scrima) and keep in control all the time."
That fire is what distinguishes Chapman from any player in recent Ohio history, senior outfielder Lyndsay Eirich said.
"She's much more vocal than any other players we've had,'" Eirich said. "She's a very strong personality. When she talks, she usually gets noticed."
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