Friday, May 9 saw the baseball and softball teams make simultaneous appearances in the Midwest Conference tournament for the first time in the history of the programs. Both programs saw a change in the head coaching staff last fall as softball’s Tracy Cromer stepped into the role of Assistant Athletic Director at McKendree University, and baseball’s Chris Krepline took a coaching role at the University of Cincinnati. This year, softball was led by Lawrence grad Korey Krueger ‘95, and baseball sought leadership in their assistant coach, Trent Whitcomb.
The softball team clinched third in the conference when sophomore pitcher Avery Chilson tossed a three-hitter against Beloit College. This was the team’s first appearance in the tournament in ten years, and they would face heavy competition in the weekend tournament.
Despite well-fought offense and phenomenal pitching performances from Chilson, first-year Georgia Sedlack and sophomore Kylan Arndt, the Vikings fell first to Illinois College 12-6 and lost in eight innings to Grinnell College 9-5. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Vikings, but a phenomenal start for the turning of the program.
Lawrence softball’s record saw drastic improvement, ending with 19 wins and 21 losses. Every member contributed to the team’s success, and several members were honored for their accomplishments. Academically, pitcher Kylan Arndt won the Elite 20 reward for having the highest GPA in the entire tournament at a 4.0. Lawrence also saw four athletes make the All-Midwest Conference team: senior Mattigan Haller, junior Zoe Doherty and junior Janessa Gonzalez were all first team and sophomore pitcher Avery Chilson was a second team selection.
While many were unsure what the baseball program would look like under new leadership, Whitcomb proved his aptitude, as the baseball team would claim the top seed and host the tournament at Don Hawkins Field.
Photo provided by Lawrence athletic department.
Baseball started off the tournament with a 10-9 victory against Grinnell College after a long back and forth battle of offense. Senior Taylor Freeman, who has 36 stolen bases on the season, scored three times throughout the game. Lawrence overall outhit the Pioneers 15-11 to clinch their first win in the tournament.
The following game against Monmouth also saw stellar offense across the lineup, with Freeman going 4-4 with two homeruns and senior Zach Leslie going 4-5 for the Vikings. Senior Edan Perez went 2-4 in the game with two crucial RBIs as well. Unfortunately, errors would cost the Vikings the game despite Lawrence and Monmouth both having 13 hits across nine innings.
Saturday morning of the tournament, the offense had a difficult time getting going as the Vikings fell to the Beloit Buccaneers 7-0. The Vikings only had three hits on the day, Perez, sophomore CJ Filipek and junior William Zatkowski respectively.
While the team was disappointed not to sweep opponents in the tournament, the team did place number one in conference, hosting for the second year in a row. Trent Whitcomb, who served as the interim head coach this year, was officially hired as the head coach following the 2024-25 season and his success in the position. The team ended 21-19 and hopes to see their success continue in seasons to come.
It was a great year on the field for both teams, as they proved adversity in the face of new challenges. Both teams look forward to a second appearance side-by-side in the 2026 tournament.