When Cassie Burke tried out for the Emmaus softball team, she was like any other freshman. She was basically just hoping to make the team and thinking that one day, she might be grow into playing a key role on a winning team.

As it turns out, she did all of that in just her freshman season, capping off her year by being named the second baseman on the East Penn Conference All-Conference Team, which was announced following the EPC Championship game last week. She was the only Emmaus player to be named to this year's team.

"I never dreamed of having this kind of season this year," said Burke after receiving her award. "I thought eventually I might be able to play as well as I did, but didn't really think it was going to be this season."

Even with the big offensive numbers that Burke put up this season, including driving in the game-winning run against Hamburg, she didn't really give much thought to the possibility of being named to the all-conference team. It all became very real when coach John Eyer gave her the news.

"I couldn't believe it at first," she said. "I knew I had a good season, but I really didn't think about this. We were all just so focused on playing the games and disappointed that we didn't make the EPC playoffs, so this wasn't a thought."

As a freshman, Burke rode the Emmaus softball roller coaster. The team started off 7-0 before suffering its first two losses. A three-game winning streak had the Hornets back on the right course and qualified them for the District 11 Tournament, but they finished the season by losing eight straight games.

The losing skid left them on the outside looking in at the EPC Playoffs, with plenty of time on their hands to prepare for districts.

"We've had some really good practices and we're all pretty loose and holding our heads up," said Burke. "It's tough, because we all thought we'd be playing for the conference championship, but we're putting the time to good use and I think we'll be ready for districts."

Emmaus came into the season as a very young team and surprised a lot of fans and other teams with its 7-0 start.

For much of the season, the Hornets appeared to be a serious contender for the EPC title and figured to be a fairly high seed in districts. When all was said and done, they missed the conference playoffs and come into districts as the ninth seed, putting them on the road for their first-round game at Whitehall Tuesday, which was played after Press deadline.

"It's been a lot of fun, but there's been a lot of disappointments, too," said Burke. "We really want to bounce back and be the team that we were early in the year. I'm not ready for the season to be over."