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22 CAVALIER CORNER ment for a new stadium, they began exploring ways to help facilitate and support the project. "I always wanted to have a major role in it," said Lisa Palmer, a former UVA pitcher who was the first player in program history to have her jersey number, 22, retired. "My participation in softball and my attendance at the university certainly helped form me as an individual, and I think it's a really large part of who I am and has played a large role in my success. "Learning so much from playing a team sport at such an outstanding university has really helped develop my values and my work ethic and determination. "I wanted to give back, and I also wanted a way to honor my mom. It's important to her to see a Lisa Palmer legacy at the university." Palmer, who grew up north of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pa., earned a bachelor's degree in economics from UVA in 1989. She received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1994. "Lisa is a celebrity in our program," Hardin said. "When we talk about Lisa Palmer, our young ladies know who she is, they know where she lives and they know what she does." Hardin laughed and added, "They'll say, 'I want to be like Lisa Palmer when I grow up.' I think there's this sense of awe and respect for what she did as an athlete, but also what she's done post-college and what she's given back. "And I think that was just a big step for us as a women's sport to have one of our own come back and make that commitment, and our student-athletes understand that. I'm really grateful to her, and I'm really, really excited for her mom, too, that she gets to see this." Palmer lettered for the Wahoos in 1986, '87, '88 and '89. Along with Melanie Mitchell, Palmer holds UVA's single-season record for pitching wins in a season (27). Her 14 shutouts in a season are a school record, and Palmer ranks second at UVA in career pitching wins (74), career earned-run average (0.94), career complete games (102), career shutouts (33), career pitching starts (112) and career innings pitched (861 2 ⁄3). In 2002, Palmer was named to the ACC's 50th anniversary softball team. "She's like the Ralph Sampson of the softball program," Hardin said. "Our players appreciate her and they look up to her, they respect her." Her mother, who now divides her time between Pennsylvania and Florida, provided extraordinary support during Palmer's four years at UVA. "Literally, in four years, I think she only missed the midweek games, and that was it," Palmer said. "She made every weekend game, and I mean every weekend. Not just home games. "Because we didn't fly then, we either drove ourselves in vans or took a minibus. She would drive from home in Pennsylva- nia and then follow the vans or bus, some- times alone or with another parent. She even drove to Florida with us. "Obviously, it meant the world to me then, but I was probably a little bit too young to really appreciate it. Looking back now, it's just amazing. And the commitment she made to me and the support she gave to me, it's just so meaningful. "When I graduated, I remember her say- ing she thought she was going to miss it more than I would. And when we went back to Charlottesville for the first time together to watch a game two years ago, I could see tears in her eyes." When Palmer played at UVA, the softball field sat where Klöckner Stadium is now. "It was an awful facility," Palmer recalled. "We had wooden benches. We had no locker room. We had no seating for our parents and friends. We had no parking — literally, zero parking — so we left our cars on the side of the road. All of our parents did, too." The Cavaliers moved to The Park in 1995. The stadium has a good playing surface, but otherwise can't compare to the softball fa- cilities of UVA's peers. Moreover, its remote location limits the program's exposure. The new stadium, by contrast, will be featured prominently in the North Grounds athletics precinct, next to Lannigan Field and Klöckner Stadium and near Disharoon Park and John Paul Jones Arena. UVA considered placing the new stadium at Lambeth Field before determining that wasn't a viable option. "As exciting and as historic as Lambeth would have been," Palmer said, "this will give the program even more exposure. I think it will even more positively impact the players' experience. It makes it easier for fans and the rest of the community to engage with softball. "Softball is the third most-watched col- Palmer (far right) excelled for the Wahoos from 1986-89, and ranks second at UVA in career pitching wins (74), career earned-run average (0.94), career complete games (102), career shutouts (33), career pitching starts (112) and career innings pitched (861 2 ⁄3). PHOTO COURTESY UVA The groundbreaking ceremony that took place reunion weekend. Pictured left to right: director of athletics Carla Williams, Lisa Palmer, Fran Palmer and head coach Joanna Hardin. PHOTO COURTESY UVA