The Colonels softball team (22-26, 12-13 in Southland Conference play) was voted seventh by coaches and eighth by the sports information directors during preseason teams and polls. This ranking did not surprise the player or coaches, considering the team’s history.
“Based on the past couple of years, I can’t say I am surprised, but I really think that these teams and these coaches that we are going to play are going to be taken aback by how hard we are going to come at them,” said Katie Holmes, a native of Omaha, Neb., and senior catcher transfer from University of Iowa.
“I was not happy about it, but that leaves us room to improve. I know we are going to be better than seventh this year. I can’t wait to actually do better than that.”
The Nicholls State University softball team spent much of the fall semester fine-tuning their playing skills in order to come back better than before. Players have strengthened each of their skills, adding a level of depth to the team, which they hope will lead to a successful season.
“My main goal was to train as hard as I could in the fall. I feel like we have exceeded our expectations. We have done really well in the fall with the new strength coaches; I feel really confident about it,” Katie Moulder, senior catcher from League City, Texas, said. Moulder had an earned run average of 3.68
Meanwhile, Danielle Philips, a sophomore outfielder from Resaca, Ga., was named to the 2014 Preseason All-Southland Team. Philips hit .301, drove in 20 runs and stole nine bases.
“We were really proud of her because it’s always a good thing to be nominated at the beginning of the season. Hopefully she can just do really well this season and get nominated again next year,” Moulder said
Unlike previous years, this particular group of girls has also learned to function more as a unit. This ability to work together has added structure and depth to their game. Another highlight is that each player is versatile and has various skills that make it an option for them to play different positions. “We have a lot of depth in each position, and we don’t have one player that can play just one position. We have multiple players in each position. I think that is our best strength because that is something we have not had in the past. We get along really well in the field, which is also something he have not had in the past,” Moulder said with a laugh.
Brittany Marcet, a senior from Pearland, Texas, who is a catcher, followed up this sentiment with her own observations. “I feel like everybody is in it now. We all want to be there and play. I feel like everybody wants to be there, and I feel like before it wasn’t like that. People weren’t willing to learn, and now they are soaking it up like a sponge. Everybody is not against each other or against the coaching staff. We are all accepting each other and learning from one another.”
Marcet was first on the team in batting average hitting .331, a slugging percentage of .478 and an on base percentage of .427.
The camaraderie shared by the team is only deepened by the fact that they are all striving for the same goal, to attend the conference tournament. By using their newly tuned skills and versatility, the team sees the new season as an opportunity to prove themselves.
“I think we have a big chance to prove ourselves. I think people aren’t expecting us to do well, and I know that as a team we are expecting to exceed our goals and do better than we did last year,” Marcet said.
Moulder continued, “Obviously I would like to be a lot higher than that but we were seventh place last year, so I think that once we start playing, we are going to show people that we are a lot better than seventh place.”