The softball team had only a fleeting moment of success as it closed out last season before bowing out of the Mid-American Conference Tournament after two losses. With a new season about to begin, the Bulls look to field what is arguably their best team ever in hopes of finally capturing a MAC title.
Buffalo is extremely young but very talented. The future seems very bright for the Bulls in spite of low expectations by critics.
"This is the best team that I have been able to be a part of since I've been at Buffalo," said head coach Jennifer Teague. "I don't really put a lot of stock into our pre-season rankings. Being second-to-last in the East doesn't bother me at all; in fact I kind of enjoy it. Our girls are encouraged by it, and if we didn't make a top three finish in the MAC, I would be extremely surprised."
The team ended the regular season a year ago with two wins against Toledo. Those victories helped the Bulls clinch the seventh seed in the MAC Tournament, which marked only the second time in school history that the team qualified for postseason play.
After a 7-0 loss to Ball State in their first game of the tournament, the Bulls simply could not compete offensively. In their second game of competition, they got hammered by Miami (Ohio), 17-1.
The Bulls lost star pitcher Sharon Barr to graduation, but Teague feels her team should compete and surprise people.
"Our expectation this year is that we're going after a MAC title," Teague said. "It's not just good enough to get to the tournament. Last year raised the bar and raised the expectations with the team and the players themselves. This year we're going after titles."
Teague is confident in her team because of the core of players at her disposal. The Bulls are made up of 10 underclassmen, which may not be the typical definition of veterans, but Teague thinks this particular group goes against the norm.
"I think one thing that will help us this season is how much experience our sophomores got last season," Teague said. "Freshmen in Division I softball don't usually start. They may start later into their freshman year or later into their sophomore or junior year, but our freshmen came in and got Division I playing experience from the get-go. I consider them veterans in the sense that, they may just be sophomores, but they've played a lot of college games."
The experience the Bulls gained last season provides a great learning opportunity for the incoming freshman class. According to Teague, the team has bought into the philosophy and has really adapted to what is expected of them.
When a coach has a team that buys in, the players become an extension of the coach and are able to bring others along.
The past three years have been part of a rebuilding effort by Teague and her staff. They have worked to make the team competitive in the MAC, and it has helped to have a few players start to perform like superstars.
Last season junior catcher Kristin Waldron led the Bulls in virtually every statistical category. She assaulted the MAC with her offensive exploits and looks to step up even bigger this season while becoming more vocal.
"Going into this year, I feel like a lot of people look up to me and expect me to lead the team," Waldron said. "I have a lot of high standards that were set last year that I expect to reach and even beat this year. Every day, I am pushing myself and my team to become the best we can possibly be on defense and on offense."
Sophomore infielder Ashley Bertot is another rising star. Last year, she claimed the record for stolen bases in a single season. As a freshman, she started in 36 games, missing 18 because of injury. At the end of the season, her hard work earned her a spot on the MAC All-Freshman team.
The biggest question facing the Bulls right now is how the pitching rotation will come together. At the moment, junior pitchers Holly Johnson and Haylee Land will get the starting nod, but the coaching staff will evaluate every player as the season gets underway.
"We're going to look at who really develops in the first couple weekends as to who will be our main go-to [pitchers]," Teague said. "We like to develop two starting pitchers, and right now Johnson and Land are doing a great job for us."
The season kicks off this Friday in Jacksonville, Fla. at the Jacksonville Tournament. First pitch against Kansas is on Friday at 11:45 a.m.
E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
