Softball prepares to swing through this year
With winter sports coming to a close and spring season approaching, the softball team has started to prepare for their upcoming season. In offseason practices, drilling and conditioning have been the main focus for improvement.
Joie Steinkamp, senior and pitcher for the team, explained the different drills the team does and how it helps to improve their game play. “We have fielding days and then hitting days. On fielding days, we go through basic drills and just get loose and you’re trying to build that stamina up for the season,” Steinkamp said. “Then we’ve been doing a lot of hitting especially with the rainy weather we’ve had, we’ve been in the [hitting] cages.”
While the improvement of technique through drilling has been exponential, team compatibility has also been steadily improving. Karissa Gralnick, senior, says that this compatibility is her favorite part about being on the team. “We practice five days a week, but our team chemistry is really getting a lot stronger and leading up into season. I feel like it’s going really well,” Gralnick said.
The team aspect has been a huge motivator for team members, especially because many players are seniors who have been playing since they were freshmen. Emily Kulhanek, senior and first baseman said, “As a senior, I’m looking at it as more of a leadership role than the past years. And we’ve got a really cool combination of seniors and juniors who have been in the program and been working really hard.”
The community that has been built around softball is one of the best things about playing. “My favorite part about softball is the sisterhood…and having a ton of built-in friends that are always there for you,” Gralnick said. This sisterhood is what drives everyone to persevere. Gralnick continued, “Our goal is to always get better and have the best season possible…We’re just trying to make it the best experience for all of us for sure.”
