Ashley Dimon has waited three years to fully claim her spot behind the plate.

In her freshman season, she appeared in 22 games, starting 11. As a sophomore, she played in 37 and started 24, and as a junior, she saw the field 32 times, starting 18.

At the tail end of last season, the spot seemed to be falling into her hands. Dimon started in three of Syracuse’s six postseason games, and was a key piece in the team’s deep run to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Now a senior, Dimon is a staple at catcher in the Orange’s (13-20, 1-5 Big East) lineup. She has started in all but one game for SU this season. While Syracuse’s pitching staff is troubled by injuries, experience and inconsistency, Dimon’s leadership abilities are being put to the test. Through it all, she has validated head coach Leigh Ross’ decision to give her a full-time starting job.

“I had the pleasure of pitching to her when I was here, and she’s a good leader back there,” said pitching coach Jenna Caira, who graduated from the team last year. “She knows how to call a game, but most importantly, she knows what to say when we are struggling.”

Dimon has never been known for her bat. In her first three years with the Orange, she only collected 16 hits, and has just four so far this season. Usually placed ninth in the batting order, she has hit four home runs and 12 RBIs in her career.

Yet in the field, Dimon becomes a different player. She is a veteran presence behind the plate and has an innate fielding ability that has been valuable for the Orange this season.

Despite erratic pitching at times, Dimon rarely lets the ball pass her. SU often capitalizes on opposing catchers’ mistakes, picking up bases and the occasional run on passed balls. But its opponents don’t enjoy the same luxury – not with Dimon behind the plate.

Leadership, competitiveness and fortitude are just a few of Dimon’s intangible qualities that don’t show up in the box score. And while her influence may be hard to measure at times, it’s simply unparalleled.

“Ashley has done great with our pitchers,” Ross said. “It’s nice to have a senior to calm the pitchers down when they’re struggling, and she does a great job with that.”

Syracuse’s pitching staff struggled mightily against DePaul this past weekend. In the first game against the Blue Demons, a combination of senior Stacy Kuwik and freshmen Danielle Chitkowski and Lindsey Larkin yielded 15 runs on 18 hits.

Dimon, who sat behind the plate for nearly all of the two-hour game — SU had 15 less at-bats — stayed vocal throughout and encouraged each pitcher to weather the storm.

“They’re a good group, and it’s really just a matter of communicating with them,” Dimon said. “After four years of working with Stacy, I feel like I know what is going on in her head, and the other girls I have also been with all along.”

After Kuwik yielded a two-run home run to DePaul’s Paige Peterson in the second inning, Dimon calmly nodded at her from behind the plate. It was a subtle reminder to alleviate Kuwik’s evident frustration.

Upon replacing Chitkowski, Larkin quickly found herself in trouble. She gave up a two-run home run to the second batter she faced, so Dimon asked for time and jogged out to the mound. After a brief conversation, Larkin grinned as Dimon returned home and proceeded to settle into the action.

As the staff searches for success this season, Dimon’s calming presence is modified to fit each of the pitchers’ personalities. She is constantly looking for ways to make the pitchers better, and even when Ross gave Dimon her first rest of the season Saturday, she didn’t take the game off.

“It was nice to finally rest my legs, but I worked with the pitchers throughout the game,” Dimon said. “It gave me a new perspective on the game and their own tendencies, and I saw it as a way to help them even though I was on the bench.”

Published on April 8, 2013 at 10:28 pm

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse