Lawrence University’s Softball team has had a great season so far with a record of 7-6-1, and is continuously looking forward towards future games. Recently, the women’s team split a double-header against Monmouth. This game was the team’s first conference game of the season.
“The games against Monmouth were awesome,” senior Anna Wawiorka stated. “It felt like everything clicked for us as a team the first game. I think the energy was high and we honestly just had a lot of fun all around when we played them.” The women defeated Monmouth 7-3 in the opener, with the assistance of freshman Maddie MacLean, sophomore Kori Looker, freshman Rachel Urich and senior Taylor Dodson.
With the thrill of the single win from Monmouth on their shoulder, the women’s team is “so, so, so ready to play St. Norbert [on April 13],” said senior Katie Schumacher. “St. Norbert is one of our biggest rivals, so any time we can play them and show them who’s better is always exciting,” added Wawiorka.
In conference games, the women are focused mainly on getting to the conference finals at the end of the regular season. “With our bats and our defense when we play at our best, I definitely think that’s a possibility for us again this year,” Wawiorka stated.
While the women undergo extensive training from January until they are able to play their first game, their love of the game and unique personalities highlight the close-knit community. “I personally feel that we are a very unique team,” Schumacher commented. “We span a lot of different interests, majors, ages, personality types and more, which I think adds very well to our relationships on and off the field. Our love of the game is contagious and is something that ties us together.”
The women on the team have similar goals for each other, which consist of helping the team as a whole and attempt to succeed each and every moment that they are able to. The next few games that the team is excited to play for conference are against their rivals: Lake Forest and Cornell.
In total, the team only has nine games remaining before they have an opportunity to play in the conference tournament. The team consists of six seniors, one junior, two sophomores and four freshmen. “With our seniors, there is a lot of leadership. Some are more performance-based, while others lead in the dugout or outside of softball,” Wawiorka commented. With the six seniors graduating this June, the team will be young next year.
With the Lawrence University Softball team just a little over halfway through the season, the girls are focused on the big picture of conference and aim to achieve that goal. They will be hosting a double-header against Cornell on April 16 and another double-header against Grinnell on April 17. Make sure to wish them luck and watch them compete against some of their rivals.
