Indiana Softball has achieved historic feats this season. They went on a 23-game win streak and started conference play 9-0. One of the reasons they have played so well this season is because of sophomore utility player Brianna Copeland.
Brianna leads the pitching staff in wins (16) and can hit the ball well, her .324 batting average is 5th on the team. She is currently ranked in the top ten in four statistical categories for pitchers in the Big Ten: innings pitched (118), wins (16), strikeouts (111), and batters struck out looking (26).
These numbers are all career highs for Brianna. The reason why she has had sustained success this season is in part because the constant support from her mother, Carol Copeland. Carol has been at every game this season so far, and has only missed three games of Brianna’s entire college career.
The only reason Carol missed those three games is because they were in the middle of the week and she had work back in her home state of Alabama. For every other game, Carol made the seven hour trip from Pelham, AL to Bloomington.
“It is awesome,” Brianna said. “It’s nice having someone who can support me no matter the distance.”
Brianna Copeland talks about what her mom’s constant support means to her.
Missing games was something that Carol never did. Brianna said in high school and travel ball her mom never missed a game but was late once because of her work.
One of the midweek games Carol missed during Brianna’s freshman season was against Kent State. It was in this game that Brianna had a walk-off three-run home run. She said she was going crazy at home while working.
“Brianna came and did the walk off, and I was just screaming in the house,” Carol said.
Carol Copeland talks about why she is willing to support her daughter, Brianna, no matter the distance.
It was moments like these that ultimately made Carol want to retire. After talking with her husband and making sure it was a feasible decision, she was happy to retire so she could be there for Brianna.
For her seven hour drives to Bloomington for home games, she said it does not even feel that long.
“I have done it so many times, I don’t even use GPS anymore,” Carol said.
These long drives are worth it to Carol because she loves cheering and supporting everyone on the team. She started her cheers last year during the team’s trip down to Boca Raton, Florida in one of the games the softball team was loosing.
Carol was the only parent cheering during these games, ones where Brianna was not even playing. With her being the only one supporting the team in these moments, one of the senior player’s mom called a parent’s meeting.
After this conversation, the parents started to help Carol cheer along with some of the players. This teamwork motivated Carol to do something more than just cheer.
“The next game, I said I got to do something, ” Carol said.
Carol did more than just something the next game. She went to Hobby Lobby and got wooden I and U letters. She painted them to a shade similar to IU’s crimson red. With these letters, Carol started doing a IU cheer after the fourth inning in each of Hoosier’s games. The cheer is simple, fans repeat an I-U chant back to Carol after she says it first.
Toward the end of last season, a parent told Carol she needed even larger letters. This made her go out again and get even larger foam I and U letters. The excitement did not stop here, she got feet long white IU letters because of how successful the team has been this season.
The reason Carol does all of this is not complicated.
“I love cheering. I love to motivate the team. I want them to win,” Carol said. “I want them to believe in themselves and I want them to never give up.”
