The Spartans softball team is excelling this season. Currently they are number one in the Sunshine State Conference and are ranked number four nationally. Their hard work and determination to surpass last season is paying off. Junior outfielders Jenna Halper and Taylor Collins both feel that this season has been more successful for multiple reasons, even though the team’s hitting could still be improved upon.
“I think as a team we are doing very good coming together,” Halper said. “We don’t score a lot of runs during games but get that one clutch hit when we need it. We have a lot of confidence in everyone else in our team, so if one person isn’t having the best game, we know that other people are there to help out.”
Coach Leslie Kanter agreed that the team is excelling this year and a lot of that has to do with the performance of the pitchers.
“Our two pitchers are number one in the country with their earned run average, so out of all D-II schools we have best ERA combined in the country,” Kanter said. “Our pitching is definitely keeping up in every game and all we have to do is score one or two runs and we should win the game.”
For the team to be successful in every game, players have to have the confidence and support in one another.
“We all support each other a lot more than I feel like past years,” Collins said. “I feel like we mesh as a team really well. We have a better bond. The team chemistry is definitely there this year.”
Another change that has aided in the team’s progress is how teammates approach each game. They make sure they go into each game and compete like it is the most important game of the season.
“I think what is different this year is that before every inning, we say we’re going to try to win the inning,” Halper said. “I think that has been a big step to getting the runs when we need to and just taking it inning for inning and playing every game like it is the last inning with a 0-0 score.”
With the current standings and a recent win against Eckerd on March 28, the team is looking for a possible spot in the postseason, which will lead to a lot of excitement for the Spartans.
“Well we have nine games left and right now I think if we win eight of them, we win the conference, and we’re looking to do that,” Kanter said. “We have only won it twice before in the school’s history so we are trying to win a third one and hopefully move on and host regionals.”
The team is willing to work hard to achieve those goals because they were not able to get where they wanted last season.
“I feel like where we ended last year is definitely where we want to precede farther from because we were so close,” Collins said. “We fell shorter than we wanted to, but the team is staying focused and the end goal is very important to us.”
Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.