The Gustavus women’s softball season began on a high note. The women played their first four games in the RCTC Bubble in Rochester, MN. On March 1, the women lost their first game to the University of Dubuque, 5-4, in an eight inning contest. In their second game of the day, the women won against Loras College, 9-6.
On March 2, the women lost their first game to Luther College, 13-4 in a six inning contest. However, the women came back and won their second game of the day against the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, 8-7, in a full-length game. The women finished their first week of action with a 2-2 record against some tough opponents.
“We lost to the number seven team in the nation [Luther], but we competed and played very well. We had 19 players present that weekend, so everybody got to see some playing time,” Junior Infielder Carly Klass said.
The women have noticed some serious changes between this year’s team and last year’s team. Their mental toughness, team chemistry, and depth have improved significantly this year.
“The atmosphere is so much different. There’s a lot more positivity and you could really see that this last weekend. We have people who are capable of playing multiple positions, so that’s awesome,” Junior Captain and Infielder Shelby Nosan said.
Prior to the beginning of the season, the women started training with their fall season workouts. The women did a variety of exercises, including pool workouts and fun activities. In addition to fall preparations, the women had opportunities to train during January-term through open gym sessions. While there weren’t many players on campus during January-term, the ones that were present were busy putting in quality practices.
Following January-term, the women spent their touring break doing two-a-day practices, to kick-off the 2014 season. Since then, the women have been practicing in the Lund Center forum.
The softball team is entering this season with serious goals that they wish to accomplish throughout the season. Making the playoffs and winning the MIAC Conference Championship is always a first priority to the women, however they also have their sights set on making it to the NCAA tournament and the Regional tournament.
“One of our biggest goals is to improve every day. It’s easy to get stuck inside and not get anything out of the indoor practices. We are trying to get better every day in at least one thing every day. Last year was tough, due to the poor weather conditions, but we learned how to handle adversity. This last weekend really tested us, as well,” Senior Captain and Outfielder Brittany Brenke said.
In addition to their post-season aspirations, the women are focused on other regular season goals, such as strengthening different aspects of their game throughout the season.
“One of our goals is always to win the MIAC Conference. We try not to think too far beyond. You keep Regionals and Nationals in the back of your mind, but the focus is on the present. We need to be flexible and handle adversity well,” Klass said.
The women believe staying focused, positive, intense, and their will to improve will lead them to success this year.
“Intensity will be a big factor, whether we’re inside or outside. We need to make the best of our time. We need to make the most out of our opportunities and not worry about where we’re playing or anything we can’t control,” Klass said.
“We need to stay in the mentality we are in right now, which is staying positive and forgetting our mistakes. We need to play with that we-love-the-game feeling throughout the season,” Nosan said.
The Gustie women will resume game play on March 20 when they travel to Arizona to play in the Tucson Invitational. Be sure to follow the Gustavus women’s softball team as they compete throughout the spring semester and aim to win the MIAC Conference Championship.