Seattle University softball is 20-29 (12-11 in conference) with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament looming. The Redhawks, who sit fifth in the WAC with three games remaining, are once again contenders in the conference.
After winning the tournament in 2019 and 2021, finishing runner-up in 2023 and posting winning records the past four seasons, the RedHawks will finally reach a sub-.500 record in 2024. And while this team has had extreme roster turnover, and while there has been a lot of effort over the past 12 months, including multiple starter changes, nothing came easy this season. .
While this may seem like an omen during a playoff run, head coach Jeff Hirai He suggested it was all part of the plan. Hirai's philosophy is that the team should either win or learn. To that end, Hirai said the team is “learning a lot” from tough nonconference competition this year.
“I want to peak in the WAC tournament and peak at the right time,” Hirai said. “We have so much talent…If we had played this preseason, our team would have been over .500.”
In fact, the RedHawks will face some challenges in the non-conference period as they face teams like No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 6 Oklahoma State at the beginning of the year. Seattle University ended up losing the two games by a combined score of 12-1, as Hirai admitted, “We could have lost more.'' [he] Think “you can chew” when creating your schedule. However, according to the senior infielder, it was the team's several losses to tough non-conference opponents that gave it the ultimate confidence boost. lily garcia.
Garcia cited the Redhawks' 3-0 loss to the University of Washington on April 8 as the moment he felt like the Redhawks could compete with anyone. Against a team ranked No. 9 in the country, Garcia believed Seattle U communicated clearly and played at a high level that night. Although the loss did not affect the team's conference record, Garcia indicated that the WAC was always an issue for the Redhawks.
“We always knew that [non-conference games were] Just to prepare for the conference,” Garcia said. “We've been doing that all season, so just competing consistently makes it easier for us in some ways to do what we need to do instead of making the moment too big. is.”
Hirai recalled that in addition to playing with some of the best teams in the country, he had to coach his players during games on routine plays that he wanted to touch on during practice. Due to persistent rain, much of the team's only 30 days of preseason practice was shortened and replaced with batting practice indoors. As such, some of the early season games doubled as practices for the team to learn how to play together.
The only difference was that their win-loss record was at stake.
But the simple act of getting a chance to play in key moments was a huge factor in developing this 2024 team.senior outfielder sidney frankenberger He leads the team in hits and was transferred from Cal Poly before last season. Frankenberger finished her final season of collegiate softball and claimed that rediscovering her love for softball after transferring was a factor in her win at Seattle University.
In three seasons at Cal Poly, Frankenberger totaled just over 200 at-bats. In his second season with the RedHawks, his number has already reached 320.
“for [the team] Believing in yourself allows you to believe in yourself,” Frankenberger said. “The most important thing is to have confidence…I finally feel confident in myself again.”
As the weather improved throughout the spring and the team became accustomed to their roles, several new players were able to thrive in their new positions.Tennessee transfer and junior pitcher nicola simpson Despite being a rookie pitcher, he leads the team in earned run average (ERA). Avari Morris This season, he has been stable as a reliever, marking a team-high two saves.Loyola Marymount transfer and sophomore infielder taylor fitch She was the most consistent hitter on the team, hitting .377 after batting .291 last season at her previous school.
Despite heavy roster turnover and limited availability, the RedHawks appear confident of progress in a more eventful 2024 season than usual.
“There's no question this team has a championship mentality, and we have to get it done now,” Hirai said. “We're just moving in the right direction.”
Frankenberger believes Seattle U's consistent postseason experience will play a key role in their tournament performance.
“Everything we've learned comes into play when it comes to tournaments,” Frankenberger said. “We believe we have what it takes to get back to the WAC Championship Game and win.”
Seattle U, which lost a series to Tarleton State on April 26-27 and lost 5-3 to No. 7 Stanford on April 29, will end the season with a three-game series against UT Arlington. May 3rd-4th. These three contests will be critical in determining seeding, as they currently trail Utah Valley and Utah Tech by 0.5 games. If Seattle U can move up to third or fourth place in the conference, they won't have to play in the single-elimination opening game. WAC Tournament May 8th-11thwhich this year will be held at Seattle University's Logan Field.