USI’s women’s softball has been having a strong season. They have won their last ten games and this past week two players were recognized for their outstanding performances.
Senior, MacKenzi Dorsam was named to the inaugural Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Division II National Player of the Year list announced by the NFCA and freshmen, Olivia Clark-Kittleson was named to the inaugural NFCA Division II National Freshmen of the Year roster.
Both players were honored to be recognized for their performance over the season. Kittleson was shocked to hear that she was on the national list and felt that it was truly a great honor.
“Coach told me that in practice one day and at first I thought she said it was just in the conference, but then she said it was nationally and that was kind of shell shock,” she said. “I didn’t know how to react, I was speechless and just kept smiling, and it really is an honor.”
As for Dorsam her recognition hasn’t fully sank in yet, but she does think it is a lot better to be recognized when the team as a whole is performing as well as they are this season.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk it that your top twenty-five in the nation,” she said. “I think it’s kind of humbling to know that in the whole Division II that you’re named on this list, but last year I had individual success and we didn’t have a very good season. So this is just so much better when your team is winning and you can have this kind of success.”
The team has a record of 33-5 and a conference record 20-4 and is ranked at number 15.
In order to maintain their winning streak they are just trying to stay consistent as a team and really focus on the end goal.
Head coach Sue Kunckle talked about how now the team feels their goal to win conference is becoming more realistic and they are staying positive to reach that goal.
“I think the biggest thing for us is to keep our rhythm right now, we are being pretty consistent,” she said. “We are playing really good ball but I think they see the prize at the end and I think they know it is a very realistic goal for us now.”
After not having a very good season last year Dorsam thinks the team is doing a much better job this season and they are on track for having a great year.
“I think we are doing really well. I think we came into this season with a good mindset that it was going to be different than last season,” she said. “We are playing well and we are playing with confidence, so we are right where we want to be.”
Dorsam who currently leads the team in hitting, sees her role as a lead-off hitter as an important job to get the team ready to win.
“”It’s just stepping into a role as a lead-off hitter my job is to start off the game and gets my team going,” she said. “I have power hitters behind me, so it’s just doing the little things trying to be a little scrappy and get on base so that they can hit and we can score some runs.”
Having a well-rounded team is important to make the team as a whole strong.
Kunckle said that the rest of the team is happy for those players who are winning awards and it only makes the team better.
“I think the one thing we recognize this year and that has kept our kids pretty humble is that our whole team is good,” she said. “We don’t have one star, we have multiple and I think it just makes people work harder. They are genuinely proud and happy for people who get an award.”