The last time the Northwestern University softball team took the field, the stakes could not have been any higher. The Wildcats came up short last spring, losing to Arizona in the NCAA national championship game.
This time around, the stakes could not be more different, as UW welcomes the nation's second-ranked team to Goodman Diamond this weekend as part of the Wisconsin Round Robin exhibition. UW-Green Bay will round out the three-team field.
While it is only an exhibition with UW coaches experimenting with different positioning and lineups, UW head coach Chandelle Schulte is in it to win.
"The object is still to win," Schulte said. "That's our primary purpose, and maybe learn some along the way."
UW is particularly fired up to face Northwestern. The Wildcats blew out UW twice last year, including a 16-0 run-rule shortened loss.
"Last season we didn't have the best outing against them," UW senior pitching ace Eden Brock said. "It's the time to come back and show them that we can play a better game than that and send a statement to the Big Ten that we will be better than last year."
"I'm just worried about us getting better during the game," Schulte explained. "Last year nothing went well … We don't have to beat them now to beat them later, but I do think we do have to show up."
As the final piece of Saturday's triumvirate, UW-Green Bay provides a different, but still intriguing, opponent for Wisconsin. UWGB is the only other Division I squad in the state and reached the NCAA tournament as recently as 2005. Because of the proximity, the matchup will be intriguing for a couple reasons.
"Of course we want to beat Green Bay, they are an in-state rival," Schulte said when asked about the importance of the game. "I think we beat them last year in extra innings, but the thing is, in the fall anything can happen."
"I'm excited," junior shortstop Lynn Anderson said of the opportunity to play against fellow Wisconsinites, several of whom are friends. "Green Bay is also a very good team. We don't get the chance to play them very often … but they can bring it, and we're going to do the same. During the game it will be competitive, but after … it's going to be all good."
One of the interesting storylines of the fall will be the position battles that will play out. According to Schulte, outfield and infield spots are up for grabs, and about 75 percent of those positions will be settled going into winter workouts.
A strong outing from UW could jump-start a fall season critical to the resurgence of the team. While a positive attitude and camaraderie are evident among team members, Schulte thinks a winning fall season can help build that confidence over the winter and into the spring season.
"I think pretty far," Schulte replied when asked how far a successful preseason can carry a team into the spring. "It's easier to get them to believe [they can win] than if you lose in the fall.
"I think if we came out with four or five wins [out of six] that would be fine," Schulte continued.
Brock echoed Schlute's remarks: "I think from last season, we saw we could be so much better and achieve a lot more. We're all excited to get that started and see [how] our hard work pays off."