Oberlin’s softball team may have not have won a conference game this season, but they had other kinds of victories to be proud of.
“They really came together as a team and for me, that’s a victory,” Head Coach Jane Wildman said, refusing to be disappointed with the won-lost record. “They were playing well, and were competitive in a lot of games.”
The Yeowomen certainly played it close, as they were in one or two-run games in seven of their 22 contests. But they went just one and six in those games, and had a 3-22 overall record. However, the ladies insist that there were more victories to be won besides those in the standings.
“I look at how we were in South Carolina for spring training, and I look at us now, and I really see how much we’ve improved…we really played together,” senior Dawn Sweeney said. “In softball there’s a deeper level for me, it’s much more than just winning.” Sweeney heads a list of four seniors who will be sorely missed on next year’s squad, as they were key contributors to the overall development of the program.
In regards to Sweeney, Wildman said that “she would pitch her arm off if we asked her to.”
The accolades continued for Sweeney and her fellow seniors Emily Johnson, Ann Frizzell and Becky Kanuch. Johnson is “an extremely talented athlete,” Wildman said. She added that Frizzell had a “great attitude and a positive influence on the team,” and Kanuch was “incredibly good natured.” Perhaps most importantly though, Wildman characterized all of these young women as integral leaders for the team. All were “dedicated and hard-working,” she said. “The senior class is a fantastic group and they will all be missed.”
A problem since the program’s inception three years ago has been the lack of pitching depth and certainly Wildman and her staff will attempt to solve that in the off-season.
However, the future looks bright for the softball team, which received key contributions from five first-years this season, and looks forward to their growth over the next couple of years.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing next year,” first-year Julia Daher said. “The team bonded on and off the field and I can’t wait for more of that next season.”