The start of softball season at the University of Wisconsin has been less than ideal. The team’s record currently sits at 17-26, good for 10th in the Big Ten. This coming off two straight winning seasons and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2022. But not all is lost. As the team goes through somewhat of a rebuilding year, the Badgers’ underclassmen are taking strides and showing immense promise they could become superstars in the near future.
Out of the nine batters who have played in 75% of games this season, four of them are underclassmen. They frequently find themselves in the starting lineup and they aren’t at the bottom.
Sophomore Emily Bojan usually slots in at the one or two spot. Freshman Hilary Blomberg has slowly crept her way into the three-hole throughout the season. Sophomore infielder Ava Kuszak holds the team-best OPS at .999 while starting — and finishing — every game this season. Her companion in the infield is freshman Alivia Bark, who is right behind Kuszak in at-bats. This young core of hitters lead a powerful offense ranking in the top half of the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.486).
The two sophomores — Bojan and Kuszak — have seen their playing time increase immensely from last season to now. They have jumped on the opportunity to showcase themselves. Kuszak, a Colorado native, has taken the biggest year-to-year leap on the team. In her freshman year she got 37 at-bats, posting the 2nd lowest OPS (.430) on that year’s team. This year, not only has she been the best hitter in the Badger lineup, but has led the team in at-bats at 101.
For Chicagoan Bojan, she has shown to be a valuable table setter. Her .380 on-base percentage is why head coach Yvette Healy has moved her to the top of the lineup as the year has gone on. Bojan has also provided valuable versatility for Healy. With the ability to play infield, outfield or catcher, Bojan often moves around mid-game. This allows Healy to creatively use her bench and sub players to run or hit, without sacrificing anything in the field.
For the two freshmen in the lineup — Blomberg and Bark — they’ve been just as impressive in their first collegiate season. Blomberg had some big shoes to fill. She has started most of her games in the Designated Player spot, a role that for the past four years was held by two-time all American and 2019 Big Ten player of the year, Kayla Konwent. Under the pressure of following up one of the best in Badger history, Blomberg has performed admirably. After a slow start to the year, the Verona native leads the team in batting average (.348) and hit her first career home run earlier this month. In Blomberg, the Badgers seem to have another hometown star.
Blomberg’s freshman counterpart — Bark — may not be lighting up the stat sheet as well as Blomberg has, but she has still been highly valuable for this Badger squad. Examining the two players’ years, they seem like mirror images of each other. Bark began the year on a tear—hitting her first home run in just her second collegiate game. She finished the month of February with a .362 average and three home-runs. However, since then it’s been a struggle at the plate for Bark, as her average has come down to .268. Despite her offensive woes, Bark has continued to be a key part of the team thanks to her great defense and smart baserunning. Bark leads the team with 125 putouts, while maintaining an impressive .972 fielding percentage.
Similar to Bojan, Bark has the ability to move around the diamond and play any position at a high level. She’s also proven to be a good decision maker on the base paths, leading the team in runs scored. All these traits are why she has remained a consistent staple in the Badger lineup and if she can find her swing consistently, Bark will be another key piece for the future of UW softball.
On the other side of the ball, the UW pitching staff has relied on sophomore Shelby Jacobson to step into a much bigger role this season. The pitching depth took a big hit when ace Maddie Schwartz graduated and 2023 freshman star Paytn Monticelli transferred from UW to the champions at the University of Oklahoma. Jacobson, who only threw two innings in her freshman year, has pitched 66 innings so far this season. Her 6.23 ERA may appear unseemly at first glance, but it is somewhat inflated by a couple blow-up starts.
Because of the lack of depth on the pitching staff, Jacobson often has to stay in the circle even if she is getting hit. The Chicago native has had multiple strong outings — including a one-hit complete game shutout on Feb. 24. Jacobson is getting her first real taste of collegiate softball and while taking her lumps at times, she should prove to be a solid contributor for the Badgers’ pitching staff in the years to come.
Outside of the everyday starters, UW is getting key contributions from underclassmen up and down the roster. Freshman speedster Danielle Lucey has gotten into almost every game this season as a pinch-runner — leading the team in steals. Fellow freshman Eden Echevarria hit the first home run of her career this year as well. Others often serve as defensive or base running substitutes throughout a game — contributing any way they can.
UW softball may be having a tougher time finding wins compared to previous years, but the opportunities created by the departure of the program’s mainstays have opened the door to a new era. Talented underclassmen are leading UW into a bright future at the Goodman Softball Complex.
