Jefferson P. Nolan
jnolan@mustangdaily.net
A disappointing softball season that featured multiple close losses to top-ranked teams wrapped up this past weekend as the Mustangs were swept by UC Davis and finished the year in eighth place in the conference.
Although, compared to the 2011-12 season, the Cal Poly softball team (19-34-1, 8-16 Big West) improved in almost every aspect of the game. But as head coach Jenny Condon knows all too well, the pitching and hitting don’t mean a thing unless the runs cross the plate.
“It’s disappointing that we’re not moving on and going (to) the postseason,” Condon said. “We’ve made some good strides, and collectively, we’re better as a team then we were.”
And while the team has made strides since the past few seasons, the Mustangs fell far shy of the playoff bid the team had aimed to achieve.
This season, it all came down to the one-run games.
Fourteen of the team’s 34 losses came down to a single run. The team endured a 7-6, nine-inning loss to No. 21 Stanford, a 1-0 defeat against No. 24 Kentucky, a 2-1 loss to No. 9 Oregon and a 2-1 defeat to No. 14 Hawaii.
“It’s disappointing because in all of those one-run games, I think we definitely had the opportunity to win them,” Condon said. “We’ve got to figure out what the answer is to that. We have all the people and places in place, but it’s all about getting over that hump.”
But while Condon and her team didn’t get the record they wanted, the nine-year head coach is focusing on the positives.
Junior shortstop Kim Westlund finished the season with a .302 batting average, second highest on the team. An All-Big West second team selection in the 2011-12 season, Westlund returned as one of the Mustangs’ leading run producers.
And after entering the 2013 season hitting just .182, junior Jillian Andersen finished the season batting .325 to lead the team. The converted second baseman started all 54 games at third base, and she has learned to appreciate the importance of the mentality of the game.
“Confidence is huge,” Andersen said. “It’s my third year, and I’ve seen all the pitching. I know what to expect, and it’s been a lot easier. It’s about stepping in the box and knowing I can do it.”
And with the help of first-year assistant coach Gina Vecchione, the program is beginning to develop a work ethic much different from previous seasons.
“(Vecchione) has definitely changed the team dynamic,” outfielder Cami Brown said. “She’s been on the winning side (at UCLA), so she’s given that mentality. We just need to keep plugging away. We’re moving in the right direction.”
And Brown, being one of the seven seniors on the team next year, will look to lead the team in its 2014 campaign.
In addition to the returners, Condon expects six incoming freshman to make their mark on the diamond next season. Among the freshman is right-handed pitcher Sierra Hyland from El Diamante High School.
“She’s incredibly competitive, she dominates and she brings a championship attitude.” Condon said of Hyland. “She’s a fighter, and she also hits. She’s an overall great player, and she definitely can be huge for us. She will definitely make her mark as soon as she steps on campus.”
The 19-34-1 2013 campaign marks the fourth consecutive losing season for the Mustangs. In 2009, the last time the Mustangs had a winning record, the team earned an NCAA tournament berth in addition to winning the Big West.