Softball opens MAC season
The softball team looks to start the MAC season with games at Miami and Ohio this weekend with a record of 7-7.
Last season, the Chippewas lost the MAC season opener 5-4 to Ball State, before winning 23 consecutive games en route to winning their second consecutive regular season championship.
“We need to have the upperclassmen lead the way,” said Head Coach Margo Yonker. “They need to show the younger players how to play in the conference, and they need to model Chippewas softball in conference play. If they do that, then everyone will be able to relax and play the game.”
Yonker said her players are aware of how the team played in the MAC last season.
“Our goal is to start off the season stronger than last year,” she said. “We need to focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself.”
The Chippewas will start the trip with a game at Ohio. In a pre-season coaches poll, the Bobcats were picked to finish first in the east division.
“The athletes are very excited to be starting conference play,” Yonker said. “Northern schedule is the meat of our schedule, so we want to continue the winning tradition of CMU, and hopefully we can continue that in the spring.”
CMU will play Sunday at Miami. The Chippewas have not played the RedHawks in four years because the team is in the east division. Miami is led by freshman pitcher Courtney Salmon, who was named the MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week for March 17. Salmon was 2-1 in wins over Syracuse and North Florida, with an ERA of 3.20.
“I think we have faced as good as pitching in our spring trip,” Yonker said. “We have not seen Miami in a lot of years, so all we can go on is scouting reports. Other than that, we don’t really know about their pitching because we have not faced them.”
The Chippewas want to play a team-oriented game.
“We need to play team defense, by that I mean a lot of communication, and we need to play hustle defense,” Yonker said. “We need to be offensively and defensively feisty. To win, we are going to need to string hits together and execute the short game.”
Yonker said she wants her team to be ready to play this weekend.
“Ready to play means having a high positive energy level,” she said. “Everyone knows there are times when a team just seems to be flat and we cannot allow that to happen. Last year was last year, and what’s important is how we do this year.”
