The CT Softball Blog

COVENTRY—Lilah Talaga’s softball career began with a swing that had nothing to do with a softball.

She was in first grade, attending a birthday party, when it came time to take a whack at a piñata.

Talaga grabbed the bat and swung.

One of the mothers at the party happened to be a softball coach.

“She was like, ‘Hey, you should really start playing softball,’” Talaga recalled. “I knew that my mom played softball in her college years, so I had that growing up. And then when I started playing softball, I just fell in love with it.”

More than a decade after that swing, Talaga knows where softball will take her next.

The Coventry High School rising senior has committed to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of New Haven, where she will join a Chargers program in the early stages of its transition to Division I.

For Talaga, the decision brought together nearly everything she was looking for in a college.

“Originally, what I wanted to study was forensic science and criminal justice,” Talaga said. “They have a very strong program for that.”

There was also a sense that her recruitment had come full circle.

New Haven coach Kelly Paterson was the recipient of the first recruiting email Talaga ever sent, back when the Chargers were still a Division II program.

“When I made my commitment, I knew it was meant to be from the start,” Talaga said. “I really just loved the campus, and every time I revisit it, it’s just amazing every time. I fall in love with it again.”

The school’s Peterson Performance Center also caught her attention, as did conversations with members of New Haven’s athletic training staff.

“It just seems like it’s a perfect fit,” she said.

By the time Talaga arrives in West Haven in the fall of 2027, New Haven will be another year deeper into its Division I transition. The opportunity to be part of building the program appealed to her.

“Coach Paterson has been very big on navigating through the transition and being there and building the culture,” Talaga said. “I know this year she’s already made amazing changes with the dynamic of the team. So I think just me and Carly and my recruiting class coming up are getting welcomed into a great organization and program.”

Carly is Mercy’s Carly Weisenberg, another Connecticut Class of 2027 player who has committed to New Haven. The two play travel ball together on the CT Lightning.

Talaga also wanted her family to remain part of her softball journey.

“I tried picking a school that my family could come and watch,” she said.

Long before college recruiting entered the picture, Talaga went from that first-grade piñata swing to Coventry recreational softball before joining the CT Bombers in third grade.

She eventually moved to the CT Lightning heading into her sophomore year.

“The Bombers started my development, and then CT Lightning just helped me so much with the recruiting process,” Talaga said. “Coach Dennis and Coach Hoag really helped develop my skills to get recognized by Coach Paterson.”

CT Lightning coach Kas Hoag has watched Talaga turn herself into the kind of player who refuses to coast on talent.

“Lilah Talaga is a talented middle infielder from Coventry who has consistently impressed our CT Lightning coaching staff with her work ethic and commitment to becoming a better player,” Hoag said. “She is a very tough player. The kind of kid that will play hurt but never tell you about it because we might be short on players for the weekend. She’s a class act all the way.”

Talaga has primarily played shortstop for Coventry, but New Haven projects her as a middle infielder with a possible future at second base.

That has given Talaga another item for her offseason to-do list.

“This year I’ve been trying to really brush up my skills at second and work on just the different transition from the left side of the field to the right side,” she said.

That willingness to work at the details is one of the things Hoag believes separates Talaga.

“She continually works to improve her baserunning and speed, commits to strength training, and puts in the extra work on her defensive footwork and overall technique,” Hoag said. “She doesn’t simply rely on her natural abilities. She actively looks for ways to improve.”

Talaga has already shown she can deliver when the stage gets considerably bigger.

As a freshman in 2024, she was named MVP of the Class S state championship game after helping Coventry defeat Holy Cross 16-3 for its second consecutive state title.

Talaga went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot with two triples, a double, four runs scored and two RBIs.

“Lilah is also a clutch hitter who has a knack for coming through in big moments,” Hoag said. “But what stands out the most is how much she invests in every facet of her game.”

Coventry coach Jeff LaHouse saw Talaga’s potential almost immediately.

“Lilah has been a difference maker for our program from her first day as a freshman,” LaHouse said. “As a freshman, she was awarded game MVP at the state championship. She’s also a very good student, being in the National Honor Society. I’m looking forward to her leadership as a senior this year.”

That senior season comes with another challenge.

Coventry will have holes to fill following graduation, including the loss of standout Brooke Blouin. Talaga would love nothing more than another trip to the state championship, but she also wants her final season to be about what she leaves behind.

“For my last year, I’m hoping, of course, to get to the state championship,” Talaga said. “But in the long run, rebuild the team. We’re losing a big key player, Brooke, very hard shoes to fill. But I think just building up the younger kids and leaving our program for the future stronger in my senior year is ideal.”

It is that team-first approach that Hoag believes New Haven will appreciate just as much as Talaga’s glove or bat.

“She is incredibly fun to watch, especially when she celebrates her teammates’ accomplishments as enthusiastically as she celebrates her own,” Hoag said. “Whether it’s a big defensive play, a clutch hit or a teammate’s success, Lilah genuinely loves competing and being part of a team.”

Talaga credits plenty of people for helping her reach the point where playing Division I softball has become her future.

“The people around me have helped me so much, and I’m so grateful for everyone who supported me through this decision and making me better at practices, holding me at a higher standard at games and always being by my side,” she said.

Now there is one more season at Coventry before Talaga heads to New Haven.

Hoag believes the Chargers are getting a player ready for the challenge.

“She has the work ethic, character and talent to be a very special player at the next level,” Hoag said, “and I’m excited to see what she accomplishes.”

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