After a regular season filled with adversity and the team being ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) standings, UW-Whitewater softball is entering the postseason with a renewed sense of focus and belief that more good is to come.
The Warhawks, long a powerhouse in one of Division III’s toughest conferences, faced a lot of ups and downs this spring but remain firmly in the race as tournament play begins. Despite finishing the regular season with more losses than recent years, Whitewater’s roster believes those challenges to be positive.
“As we enter the postseason, our main goal is to continue to fight and take it one game at a time,” senior first baseman Taylor Koehler said. “We have never had a season like this before, but what defines us most is our ability to fight.”
The challenge this season has seemed to be consistency. The team has struggled to string together hits with runners in scoring positions, leaving opportunities on the field. That has become a focal point heading into the postseason, where situation execution often determines the outcome.
“Our biggest challenge this year has been stringing hits together,” Koehler said.
For a senior class accustomed to deep postseason runs and high win totals, this year presented new and difficult challenges. Surpassing last season’s loss total served as a moment to hit the reset button.
“It really hit me that this was going to be my senior year and the best thing to do was just have fun and be helpful to my teammates, whatever my role was,” Koehler said.
After four years in the program, senior outfielder Maggie Ward said the team has learned a lot and some of the most important memories and lessons have been through tough losses.
“Our toughest losses have really shaped our identity,” Ward said. “You learn so much about communication, leadership and character when the team faces adversity.”
Offensively, the Warhawks will look to stay aggressive while improving their situational awareness. Defensively, they have shown reliability. Continued steady play in the field will be crucial in upcoming games.
“In postseason play we just need to trust ourselves and our teammates,” freshman Rachel Radish said.
The Warhawks now prepare for the WIAC tournament in Oshkosh May 8-9.
