Posted: Mar 09, 2021
We’ve spent time honoring our seniors over the course of the last semester – now it’s time to start getting to know the newcomers, the Class of 2024! We’ll take a team-by-team look at our first-year students throughout the coming weeks, from the Fall athletes who will be making the varsity debuts later in 2021 to the Spring players that we will keep our fingers crossed about seeing in action later this semester.
We continue our New To The Judges’ Bench feature with softball, our first spring program!
ALEX COHEN - P/OF - 5-6 - WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - THE BENJAMIN SCHOOL
- Turned in a remarkable career as a pitcher at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Pitched in every inning of every game for the Buccaneers since sixth grade, earning seven varsity letters, serving as team captain the last four years
- Once struck out 19 batters in a game
- Named First-team All-County all four years of high school
- Also batted .525 during senior season
- Served as president of Habitat for Humanity and of Red Cross Club
- Planned major: Business
- Favorite high school memory: Breaking the school record by striking out 19 batters in a game
- Favorite high school class: Introduction to Law. It was different from any class I have taken and I loved my teacher
- The thing that attracted me most to Brandeis: the academic reputation and the proximity to Boston
- Favorite place on campus outside of Gosman: The C store
- The thing that has most helped me through COVID-19: My family
- Favorite place to travel: California
- My most recent summer job: Working at a paddle board rental place
- Favorite movie: The Goonies
- Favorite TV show: Breaking Bad
- Favorite song: Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi
- Favorite book: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- If I could time travel to any era, I would go to: the 1980s, because I like the music
- Favorite college team: Florida State University, because my parents went there
- COACH BISHOP: Alex is a dynamic right-handed pitcher and outfielder. She has an incredible work ethic in the weight room and on the field. Her passion for softball shines through her on a daily basis. I expect her to be an impactful addition to our team.
HALEY NASH - C/INF - 5-4 - DELMAR, NEW YORK - BETHLEHEM CENTRAL
- Caught and played infield at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, New York
- Helped Eagles finish as the New York State District 2 Runners-up in 2019
- All-Section second team selection as a junior
- Also landed Albany Times Union All-Star second team that year
- Also ran indoor track for two years – earning outstanding senior honors in 2020 - and played one year of basketball
- Earned High Honors and was a member of National Math Honor Society
- Planned major: Business
- Favorite high school class: AP Statistics, because my teacher made it fun
- The things that have most helped me get through COVID-19: Exercising and my dog
- Favorite place to travel: Cape Cod
- Favorite song: Runaway by Kanye West
- Favorite book: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
- Favorite pro team: New York Yankees
- COACH BISHOP: Haley has a very powerful bat and has the ability to put the ball out. Haley’s athleticism will provide depth in the infield and behind the plate. Haley will provide more offensive power to the team and we look forward to watching her growth as a player.
REBECCA GUERCI – P - 5-6 - ROSLYN, NEW YORK - HERRICKS
- Four-year letter-winner and senior captain at Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, New York
- Member of back-to-back Nassau Conference AA-III champions in 2017 and 2018
- Earned All-County Honorable Mention honors in 2019, when she was her team’s Most Improved Player
- Led Herrick to the first round of the playoffs in their first season in the Nassau ABC-3 Conference
- Volunteer for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and serves as a Peer-leadership and C.H.A.N.G.E mentor
- Planned major: Political science
- Favorite high school moments: Winning our conference championships
- Favorite high school class: Peer Leadership, because we got to work with the special needs kids, do a lot of community service, and I had an amazing relationship with my teacher.
- The thing that attracted me most to Brandeis: The location
- The activities that have helped me get through COVID-19: Working out and spending time with my sister and family.
- Favorite place to travel: Anywhere with a white sand beach
- I want to study abroad in: Italy or London, because they are both beautiful places with so much to offer
- Outside of my sport, something I am looking forward to trying at Brandeis: Exploring cool restaurants
- Last summer job: Working as a swim instructor
- Favorite movies: The Goonies, Mean Girls, Clueless
- Favorite TV shows: The Vampire Diaries or Game of Thrones
- Favorite musical artists: Harry Styles or One Direction
- Favorite book: The Giver
- Performer who would play me in the movie of my life: Kylie Jenner
- If I could time travel, the era I would go to would be: 1920s because life was so classy and fun. It was overall a fun time to be alive
- Most memorable pro sports moment: Me and my dad went to playoff Islanders game and the energy was unmatched
- Dream Final Jeopardy! Categories: Reality TV or Music
- COACH BISHOP: Becca is a lefty pitcher who will provide much needed depth on the mound. She has great control and command of all her pitches. Becca will play an important role on our pitching staff this year and in the seasons to come.
CHICKIE ELBAZ – OF - 5-4 - OCEANSIDE, NEW YORK - OCEANSIDE
- Four-year outfielder at Oceanside High School in Oceanside, New York
- Helped Sailors reach the County Finals in 2019
- Served as a Best Buddies mentor
- Planned major: Biology (Pre-med track)
- Favorite High School class: Anatomy, because we got to do a multiple dissections with comparisons to the human body
- Think that attracted me to Brandeis: Great location and academics
- Favorite place to travel: Disney World
- I want to study abroad in: Greece and Panama, because I will get to experience two completely different cultures
- Outside of my sport, something I am looking forward to doing at Brandeis is: baking and dancing (zumba)
- My last summer job: Summer day camp counselor
- Dream job: Plastic surgeon
- Favorite movie: Malificent
- Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
- Favorite song: Kill the Lights (with Nile Rodgers) {Audien Remix} by Alex Newell, Jess Glynne, and DJ Cassidy
- Favorite book: The Fault in our Stars by John Green
- Performer who would play me in the movie of my life: Zendaya
- Most memorable pro sports moment: getting a signed ball from Edwin Encarnacion at a Yankees vs. Red Sox game at Fenway
- Dream Final Jeopardy! Category: Disney
- Favorite emoji:
- Favorite person to follow on social media: David Dobrik
- COACH BISHOP: Chickie is a lefty slapper and outfielder. She is a versatile slapper that can soft slap, power slap, and hit away. She will provide depth in our outfield. She is a coachable athlete and I enjoy her positivity on and off the field.