For many softball teams, scoring two runs per game will result in many more losses than wins over the course of a season. That's not the case when Eden Brock is in the circle for the Wisconsin softball team. When Brock is dealing, her teammates can play loose, assured that posting a deuce on the scoreboard typically equates to a Badger victory.

"You know that she's going to give you a quality performance every day," head coach Chandelle Schulte said of Brock. "So you can really focus on doing the other things that you need to do, instead of worrying about producing more runs or having to play perfect defense. She allows you to really relax a little better."

And it seems all that relaxing has paid dividends for UW. After finishing 22-22 last season, Wisconsin, at 15-7, is off to one of the best starts in the history of the program; it trails only Michigan and Northwestern in the conference standings.

Much of this season's success can be attributed to the senior drop-baller from Wakulla County, Fla. Brock's 108 strikeouts rank second in the Big Ten, and her 1.62 ERA is good for fourth in the conference. In addition to Brock, the team has found a deeper connection with one another this year.

"Last year was a rebuilding year, getting a new coach, adjusting to her techniques and re-learning some skills in a different way," Brock said. "She has a different hitting style, so we had to learn a different hitting style. We only lost one senior last year, so we're pretty strong with the same girls."

Since UW ranks near the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories, it will rely on the arms of Brock and freshman phenom Letty Olivarez to carry the team. Olivarez's style acts as an effective change of pace to Brock's flame-throwing approach, and the two have proven to be a formidable one-two punch in the circle for UW.

With all the time they spend together on the field, the two have developed a working relationship. They look out for one another.

"I try to do as much as I can to help her out," Brock said. "[I] try to teach her some things, talk her through tough situations. But she'll do the same thing for me. If I'm struggling, she'll come up and talk to me, so we all try to work together to help each other out."

In the four years since Brock was a freshman herself, her stats have been consistently excellent. Despite her success on the mound, her head wasn't always in the game. She would lose her focus and concentration. This year, however, she has improved dramatically in all of those departments. According to Schulte, Brock's improved strikeout numbers are an indication of this progression.

"I looked at her strikeouts today, and there are more strikeouts than innings, which for us is a very good indication," Schulte said. "So that's a big improvement. … She's just tough."

Brock's cerebral progression may have more to do with experience. Or it could be due to her understanding of how the human mind works. After all, she is a psychology major.

Either way, she certainly has found success on the diamond.

With graduation looming, Brock has made plans to pursue higher education in counseling psychology or sports psychology. Until then, Brock's psychological edge will give Wisconsin a leg up in a conference race that might become more competitive than predicted.