'Bus’ted by Albion softball squad

March 19, 2004
by Jake Lloyd
Sports Editor

The Albion College softball team had to deal with more than tough competition when it made its spring break trip to Orange, Calif., last week: a covert-like operation similar to those seen in suspense movies.

On Saturday, Mar. 6, the day before Albion started its season against the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen, the Britons took a break from a four-hour practice. The team was sitting under the shade of a tree and discussing strategies and game signals when coach Julie Liljeberg noticed something strange.

A Rhode Island player was hiding behind Albion’s bus, 50 yards from where the Britons were sitting. The player, who was looking out from under the far side of the bus, appeared to be spying on the Britons with a video camera.

After Albion’s players noticed the spy, Liljeberg sent centerfielder Abby Wilhelmi, Valparaiso, Ind., junior, to check on the situation. As soon as Wilhelmi approached, according to Liljeberg, the player tried to act casual while quickly walk away.

And then, out of nowhere a Rhode Island team van appeared, the door opened, the girl jumped in, and the van was gone.

“It was pretty ridiculous,” Liljeberg said. “I think that’s some kind of violation, but I wasn’t too worried about it. It was more funny than anything. That gave them [Albion’s players] a little bit extra motivation for our first game.”

Instead of reporting the incident, Liljeberg decided to let her players take care of the issue on the diamond.

And indeed they did. Albion shut out Rhode Island 4-0 in both of the teams’ games.

While the Rhode Island player may have completed a hit-and-run videotaping, the Anchorwomen couldn’t hit and didn’t score a single run in the real games.