Wildcats get out of the box early in quest for State competition

Batter up! Girls softball has swung into action as spring weather has finally hit the fields, and the girls hope to repeat what they did last year by making it to state. Head Coach Timothy Kohl can’t wait to see what his squad is made of.

“As of today we have five wins and one loss,” he said. “We have beaten some very good teams who started us off last year with six losses. I hope that means that we have improved.”

A returning contingent of varsity talent has spurred the fast start, according to Kohl.

“It is nice having so many people back that I don't have to reteach my expectations,” he said. “I'm sure the freshmen may be a little surprised at the amount of softball and pace of the high school. The biggest challenge has been trying to find enough underclassmen to make a complete junior varsity team.”

For senior Kadence Saladin, the toughest obstacle lies inside the brain and home plate.

“A few things we would like to do better as a team is approaching the batter's box,” she said. “As well as eliminating the few mental and physical errors we have on the field.”

The girls lost to Kaukauna on April 4, with the final score being 7-1. After losing early in state last year to the Ghosts, the girls still feel a bit haunted. 

“Our last game versus Kaukauna may not have ended how we were hoping, but we had held them by one run up until the sixth inning where our errors started to set in,” Saladin said. “However, we are not letting one loss stop our momentum, and we are excited for our upcoming games.”

Sophomore Emmy Reichenberger believes a win over Kaukauna is long overdue.

 “We fought hard during our loss to Kaukauna,” she said. “They are a strong but beatable team. I think we have a great chance of beating them the next time we play them.”

Kohl has strategies to keep team morale high and the girls’ mindset positive.

“I certainly try to keep practice fresh every day,” he said. “I try not to allow the girls to get into a rut because we are doing the same things over and over again. We have certainly learned a lot from the teams that have beaten us in the past.”

Losses, obviously, have not been a frequent occurrence. Junior Braelee Jodarski appreciates the ability to soak in the victories.

“We have wins under our belt which feels awesome,” she said. “Our defense is strong as well as our offense.”

Jodarski gives credit to the people on the team who offer advice and support.

“I would also say leadership is a huge strength of ours,” she said. “We have multiple great leaders and we all get along and play very well together.”

After spending hours roasting in the sun, the girls do team bonding activities. One activity included spending a whole night at the school. Reichenberger enjoys spending any spare time she can find with the squad.

“Our team always has a fun atmosphere,” she said. “There's never any drama and we’re all good friends. I think we all individually have strengths and when we play together, those strengths shine in a new light.”

Kohl is grateful for the high standards the girls hold themselves to.

“They do a nice job managing the camaraderie of the team as well as organizing team-building activities,” he said. “I am lucky to have a large and very capable coaching staff who all have a variety of skills to share at every practice and game.”

Saladin thought the team’s bonds paid off in the recent match up against Stevens Point.

 “In our SPASH game, we were behind 1-5 up until the sixth inning, where we knew what we had to do,” she said. “And with that, we pulled ahead, scoring five runs to make the game 6-5 and winning in extra innings 7-6. Overall, the biggest strengths this team has shown this year are determination and perseverance.”

The season plan is to go beyond regular season wins for a return trip to last year’s destination.

“Number one goal is obviously to return to state again this year,” Kohl said. “Another goal that might be even more difficult would be to win the conference. It has been a long time since a date has been added to the softball banner in the gym. It's about time we did something about that.”

As the weather warms up, a nice softball game is just what Saladin thinks everyone needs.

“Make sure to try and catch a game this season,” she said. “We love all the support we can get.” 

by Sophie Carlin

Published April 24, 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue VII