Although its season is only in its infancy, with just one game under its belt, the Wisconsin softball team has high hopes for its 10th season of competition. The team returns seven regular starters and lost only one senior, leftfielder Diana Consolmagno, to graduation last year.
The Badgers got off to a hot start last season, jumping out to an 11-4 record that included a team-best eight-game winning streak, but they faltered late and finished the season with a 29-28 overall record and a 6-14 mark in the Big Ten.
However, this season the Badgers will be bolstered by the return of fifth-year senior Meghann Reiss, who missed all of last year with a knee injury sustained in a preseason practice. The Badgers missed her bat, as Reiss has a .265 career batting average to go along with 25 doubles and 56 RBI. This season, she will be a valuable addition to the middle of the lineup.
“I think [Reiss] brings that game sense and that leadership,” UW head coach Karen Gallagher. “I think Meghann will be a big RBI person for us this year. She’s motivated to have some individual accolades, but she wants to get her team back to the Big Ten tournament.”
UW should benefit this season from a mature roster that includes five other seniors. One of those is shortstop Kris Zacher, who is coming off the best season of a year in which she set Wisconsin records for hits (63), total bases (91) and tied the record for triples (3). She also led the team and set a career-best mark in batting average, hitting at a .350 clip. She missed the first game of the season with a leg injury, but should be back in the lineup soon, contributing as always.
“Once we get [Zacher] back in the lineup, we can get back to getting our regular infield and our best hitting lineup on the field as well,” Gallagher said.
Zacher and Reiss are joined by fellow seniors Katie Layne, Boo Gillette, Anastasia Miller and Natalie Phillips. Layne started almost half of the team’s games last season, going 13-12 with a 2.72 ERA, while Miller and Phillips will play left field and right field, respectively. Gillette is the rock at catcher, as she threw out 52 percent of runners attempting to steal last season, including 12 of the last 13. She also led the team with five home runs and was second with a .328 batting average. The senior class should also provide maturity on an otherwise young Badger team.
“I see a lot more leadership, and I see a lot more mentoring going on,” Gallagher said. “I think that really builds relationships among the players in regards to trust. The environment is very positive.”
Wisconsin also benefits from a talented sophomore class that includes three of last year’s regular starters. Athena Vasquez spent time at both second and third base last season and racked-up a single-season record 185 assists on her way to being named the team’s defensive player of the year. Sam Polito began the season as a walk-on, but soon became a regular in centerfield and the leadoff spot. Finally, Eden Brock surprised many with a breakout freshman season on the mound, finishing with a team leading 1.71 ERA.
With the return of so many starters, as well as a plethora of seniors and sophomores backed by a strong freshman class, Wisconsin possesses more depth than it has had in years past.
“I think the other good thing we have is the healthy competition within the team, where everybody is pushing each other to be better,” Gallagher said. “I think that helps improve upon a situation where I didn’t always feel like we had that depth last year or the year before.”
Gallagher will be looking for improved offense this season. Last season six of the Badgers’ 28 losses came when they yielded only one run, and they were shutout a total of 15 times. Perhaps most affected by the lack of run support was Brock, who posted a 12-13 record despite her 1.71 ERA.
“We need to score runs for our pitchers,” Gallagher said. “We just have more of a finesse type of pitching staff. It’s important for us to put runs on the scoreboard for our pitching staff, and we can’t be living on the one-run ball games anymore.”
UW faces a tough road ahead to start the season. The Badgers will face 12 opponents this season that began the season ranked. They will also face Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern in the conference season, who are all ranked either in the top 25 or at least garnered some votes.
Wisconsin began last weekend with a 9-0 loss to South Carolina in what was supposed to be a five-game tournament before the first two days were rained out.
The Badgers begin their trying schedule with four ranked opponents this weekend in Palm Springs, Cal., at the Palm Springs Classic. UW will butt heads with No. 4 UCLA, as well as the likes of No. 24 Long Beach State, No. 19 Oregon State and No. 25 Cal State-Fullerton. The Bruins are two-time defending national champions.
Despite the daunting task ahead of them, the Badgers are excited to get out of the McClain Center and off the field turf. UW is looking to translate its depth and senior talent into a higher conference mark than last season’s 10th place finish.
“There is no reason why we shouldn’t be in the top half of the Big Ten this year,” Gallagher said. “I think that with the talent that our new freshman should add to the hitting lineup, I think we should do well.”
