As the pennant races heat up in baseball, the Wisconsin softball team is gearing up for the beginning of its fall season. The Badgers will see their first home action in several months when they take on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Fighting Phoenix in a doubleheader Saturday at Goodman Diamond.
UW is coming off a 19-26 season that saw it finish 7-13 in the Big Ten.
Before last season, Badgers head coach Karen Gallagher boasted, “This is probably the best team we’ve ever had at UW in terms of potential.”
These were high boasts indeed, coming from a coach who had overseen four straight winning seasons, three straight trips to the Big Ten tournament and two straight to the NCAA tournament.
The Badgers did shoot out of the gate last season, starting the year 6-3. And of those three losses, only one came to a team that wasn’t ranked in the top 12 nationally. Two of the victories even came against teams ranked in the top 25 nationally. They also finished the season up on a high note, winning five of their last seven, including a season-ending extra-innings victory over Minnesota.
A few key Badgers are gone. Erin Barnharst, named the Badgers Offensive Player of the Year last season will be missed for her presence in the lineup. The biggest loss, though — and the toughest gap to fill — will be that of three-time All-Big Ten pitcher Andrea Kirchberg. Kirchberg struck out 278 batters last year, including an astounding 17 in one game against Ohio State. She holds nearly every Badger pitching record, and if the team hopes to go anywhere this year, finding her replacement will be a top priority.
It will not be easy, though. The only pitcher used by the Badgers last year other than Kirchberg was junior Katie Layne, who achieved mixed levels of success. Sara Gonzales, rejoining the team after a year’s hiatus, and freshman Eden Brock complete the trio the Badgers will be sending to the mound.
Luckily, filling out the lineup card will be a bit easier for coach Gallagher than choosing her pitchers. The Badgers return all but two of their starting fielders from last year, and while the losses of Barnharst and fellow graduating senior Amanda Liles will hurt, the infield is entirely intact from last year and figures to be a bit closer to their potential this season.
The most notable players returning are All-Big Ten catcher/third basemen Boo Gilette and designated hitter Anastasia Miller. Gilette led the team in most offensive categories last year and twice extended games to extra innings with clutch home runs. After starting last season on the bench, Anna Miller ended the year being named the Badgers Most Inspirational Player. She hit a home run in the first official at bat of her career. Second baseman Laura Friedman, last year’s RBI leader will also return, giving the Badgers a big bat in the middle of their lineup.
The Badgers still have a lot of questions this year, and they will begin looking for answers as they open up their home fall season this Saturday with the Phoenix.
