The sun set over Van Steenderen Softball Complex while a cotton candy September sky graced the background. Excitement filled the brisk Thursday evening air while players wrapped up their final warm-ups before taking the field – this time under a new circumstance.
The Warhawks played under the lights for the first time at home.
UW-Whitewater softball unveiled their new lighting system in the team’s Sept. 26 purple and black scrimmage. The lighting system allows Warhawk softball to host night games, eliminating previous issues where games were called due to player safety.
“It opens up so many more opportunities for our program,” head coach Brenda Volk said. “Our goal is always to provide the best experience possible for our student-athletes and I think this is just one more thing that can do just that.”
The lighting system provides an added flexibility when softball hosts WIAC or NCAA tourna
ment games, as previous games needed proper scheduling times to avoid calling games short.
“We have had a handful of games over the years that have been called due to darkness,” Volk said. “It’s just a relief to know that won’t ever have to happen again.”
The lighting system also provides a better opportunity for Warhawk softball fans to attend games later in the day following work. However, being that softball primarily begins play in the spring, the likelihood of night games starting the season off might not come right away.
“Obviously, being a spring sport, sometimes we still have some pretty chilly games and we will want to use the sun to help play in warmer temperatures so we may have to keep that in mind when scheduling games,” Volk said.
For some players, the scrimmage marked the first night game at home they played in years.
“I haven’t played under the lights in like five years, so it’s just exciting,” senior third base Grace Wickman said. “As a senior, it kind of feels like you’re young again. It might sound silly, but it does. I remember playing under the lights growing up in club softball tournaments, so it’s cool we get to do that again.”
Following the conclusion of the scrimmage, the team huddled around in left field enjoying a light show while Prince’s “Purple Rain” played in the background to end the historic night for Warhawk softball.
“All of us were looking around, and it’s just like, pretty cool. You kind of just feel like a kid again,” senior left fielder Claire Kohnle said. “It’s like you’re at a big league game when they hit a big home run. But it’s like, ‘No, we’re just playing softball, having fun with our girls.’”
