The women's softball season only began on Thursday, and already the Tigers are playing catch-up. Between Thursday and Sunday, the team played a whopping seven games and won just one of those games, starting the season with a 1-6 record.
Head Coach Erica Hanrahan isn't letting the season's start faze her, though. She is proud of how the team played last year and hopes to ride the momentum from last season into this season.
“Last year was an exceptional year for us,” Hanrahan said. “We had to learn and grow through defeat and adversity.”
Hanrahan noted that the girls' hard work and dedication is seen not just on the field during games, but also when training during the offseason. The benefits of all those hard workouts during the offseason should be noticeable in both the team’s physical condition and mental toughness. Hanrahan is a firm believer of offseason as a means of major improvement for teams.
“The girls absolutely worked hard in the weight room throughout the offseason,” she said. “I think that will translate into allowing our girls to stay healthier due to their strong bodies and minds.”
When asked if there were any standout players from last year who would be returning this season, Hanrahan made it clear that it would be difficult to shed light on one or two standout players.
“We had zero all-Americans on our team and we finished 5th in the country last year," she said. “Last year's team really was a group of young women who played cooperatively to win, drawing on each other's strengths, and the heroes continued to shift each game and each weekend." She added that the first-year players should all play a decent role this season, but she also noted that it’s too early to find out who should make the greatest impact.
Although beginning the season with a 1-6 record is not ideal, the Tigers still have a lot of time to regroup and continue with what is sure to be a great year. Their next chance to play will come when the Tigers travel to Franklin on Saturday, March 12. The first pitch is set to be thrown at 12 p.m.