It is that time of year again. That time of year where you can’t tell if it is the beginning of spring or if it is still winter. You know what that means? It is softball season. It is time for the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans to gear up for another successful season. Nothing beats the sound of the ball snapping against the leather gloves and the special sound the aluminum bats make when solid contact is made.
The Vulcans softball team is ready to have an even better year than last year. With a fourth place finish in the country and a loss in the semi-finals of the national championship, the Vulcans are looking to build off of a tremendous season and find a way to get to the championship. A team that named all of their seniors the captains of the squad are looking for the perfect amount of leadership that will be able to make this the best Vulcans softball team ever.
With that being said, the Vulcans are onto an unbelievable start to the season, taking trips down to Myrtle Beach and Florida for two tournaments. From February 18 to the 21, the Vulcans geared up for a four game tournament in which the came out with a 3-1 record, scoring 35 runs combined for the whole tournament.
On March 3, the Vulcans opened up their game in the “Sunshine State” where they posted a 10-0 record and scored a total of 59 runs. The Vulcans totaled a 13-1 record with 94 runs scored to open up the season. The Vulcans will open up conference play Friday and Saturday against Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst for PSAC matches.
Alex Sagl said that the team can build on their semi-final loss in the national championship and their fourth place finish in the nation. “I believe that this team can go further than last year,” she said. “With the majority of our team coming back, we know how nationals work and now we can go further.”
“The ranking is just a ranking, honestly. All we care about is winning,” she said. The senior pitcher said her favorite thing about the team is their chemistry. “I love our chemistry and everyone’s love for the game,” she said. “We all have so much fun together. I live by the quote of ’Play every game as if it’s your last’ and I would just tell my team that.”
Hailey Wilson, who leads the team in batting average with a .444, said she believes that the team feeds off losses. “I think that our teams feed off of our loss we had in the final four every single day,” she said.
“It motivates us to be better and prove that we can make it even further, I have no doubt that this team can win a National Championship this year. My favorite part of this team is how we are all truly best friends on and off the field. We have been through so many highs and lows together and I think that’s one of the things that makes us work so well together”. She added, “Let’s finish what we have been working for and lets bring home the ship”.
The enthusiasm from the Vulcans is evident and they are very hungry for a National Championship. There is plenty of pressure mounted on them with a final four loss last year. It is hard to stand with the weight of the world on your shoulders, but the Vulcans are standing strong.