Solid defense paving the way for Chippewa's offensive outbursts
If a batter is lucky enough to make contact with a pitch against Central Michigan, they won't be so lucky when it enters fair territory. Coupled with a strong lineup in the circle, softball has a tough defense backing up its pitching corps.
“We pride ourselves on our defensive performance and we have some outstanding defensive players who have made great plays, especially in the infield,” said head coach Margo Jonker. "All of our infielders have made great plays and our outfielders have done better than anticipated, so it’s been a good year for us defensively so far."
Defense, when properly executed, is not flashy by nature but Jonker’s team isn’t trying to impress with style.
“We talk all the time about how our defense wins games and our pitching wouldn’t be as good as it is without our defense,” she said. "The two totally rely on each other.”
Statistically, the Chippewas have remained near the top of the Mid-American Conference in defensive rankings.
CMU ranks second behind Akron in the MAC with a .966 fielding percentage and its defense has been able to accompany its stellar pitching performances this season, setting the team up for big offensive innings.
The Chippewas have committed 42 errors through 44 games, the third lowest in the conference. In addition to playing close to mistake-free softball, CMU has also turned 12 double plays this season, tying Akron and Toldeo for fourth best in the MAC.
“It’s our defense that wins games for us,” said second basemen Raechel Zahrn. “With the pitching and defense on point, it allows our hitters to relax, which helps us score runs and win games.”
Defense is the backbone of Jonker’s team, maintaining its ability from the onset of the season to this pivotal point in time across the MAC as the conference tournament approaches.
“I think we’re always confident in our defense, it’s definitely high right now but we’ve been confident all year long,” Zahrn said. “It’s something we pride ourselves in and as long as we keep it up, we should be fine.”
