This whacky springtime snow has made things rather difficult for the Gustavus softball team.

Currently with a record of 6-14, the Gusties are hoping the snow melts soon so they are able to get out on their actual home field for competition.

Out of the 20 games the Gusties have played thus far this season, 10 took place in Tucson, Arizona, 4 in a dome, 2 on the turf of the Gustavus football field, and a whopping 0 on their home softball field. This is not the norm.

Games have been cancelled and rescheduled multiple times, all thanks to mother nature.

“I think we took our trip to Arizona for granted a little considering that might have been the only chance to play on a real field under the sun. Even when we had scheduled games this past weekend in the dome, those got cancelled due to the blizzard. I guess mother nature does not want us to have a season,” Senior Jessica Neuman said.

Neuman is one of only two seniors on a team full of youngsters this season.

This small senior class has experienced a lot during their four years on the team.

“This season thus far has centered around learning. Speaking as a senior, my freshman year team won the MIAC tournament, but you have to remember that the old team was an old team, it consisted of mostly senior and junior starters, and now the underclassmen outweigh the upperclassmen by a ton,” Neuman said. ”We have many more games left, but as long as our team tries our best and has fun, I will be satisfied with whatever record we end up with.”

The underclassmen on the team are doing all they can to get acclimated to the higher level of competition at the collegiate level.

“The freshmen and sophomores contribute more passion for softball than I’ve seen on any other team in my career. I know they watch D1 softball on the SEC network and Big 10 during class secretly on their laptops, so if that doesn’t say something, I don’t know what will. By the time they’re seniors and juniors, the team will be one to watch for,” Neuman said.

One standout First-year player on the team is Ashley Neuenfeldt.

“For me, the idea of playing college softball seemed somewhat intimidating, but now that I am playing, I have realized that all the practice and training we did in the fall and in preseason has prepared me to compete,” Neuenfeldt said.

The Gusties have managed to fit in six conference games despite the crazy weather this spring.

In the conference, the Gusties hold a record of 2-4.

The team dropped their first four conference games against St. Thomas and Saint Benedict before sweeping Concordia Moorhead earlier this week.

“Starting out 0-4 is not how we wanted to start the conference season, but we made improvements and learned from each game, and we know we can continue to grow and have a successful season,” Neuenfeldt said. “We have played two of the toughest teams and learned from those series, so I am excited to compete and have a fun rest of the season, even if we never get to play on dirt.”

Neuenfeldt picked up both wins on the mound against Concordia.

As for the remainder of the season, the team will continue to try and fit in competition whenever possible with the goal of enjoying any time outside that they are gifted with.

“The team’s goal is to enjoy any miraculous time we get outside and to do our best and continue to build Gustavus softball to its full potential,” Neuman said.

The Golden Gusties are scheduled to take the field next on Thursday, April 19 against Macalester, with over five double-headers scheduled for the following week.