Courtney Van Haaften | Sports Co-Editor
The Buena Vista University (BVU) softball team opened its season this past weekend at the Rosemount Dome in Rosemount, MN. The Beavers played some great competition and ended the long weekend with a record of 3-3.
BVU started their weekend playing a double-header against 19th ranked University of St. Thomas on Friday. The Tommies came away with both victories with scores of 9-3 and 9-1, respectively. Head Softball Coach Heather Hupke commented about their transition from practice to a real game in their first day out on the field.
“It’s different for them when they start the season. We look good against each other in practice, but it’s good for us to see how we play against others. We have a brand new pitching staff and have learning curves to get through. Attitude wise, we went out and fought back from being down and truly played for each other,” Hupke said.
On Saturday, the Beavers played a double header against Bethel University. They split with them, winning the first game 5-4, and then losing the second game 6-1. The Beavers then went on to play Gustavus-Adolphus and came out with two impressive victories over the Gusties with scores of 6-1 and 6-5.
Overall, there were many key players who contributed to the success of the team throughout the weekend. Sophomore Stephanie Hayden ended the weekend with a .500 batting average, 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Junior Brooke Berkey contributed with a .421 batting average, 8 hits, and 6 runs. Also, sophomore Jessica Stocker chipped in with a .350 batting average, 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs.
After the first weekend out, Hupke commented on things they did well and what they still need to improve on during practices.
“I saw good things from people in pressure situations. We played aggressively but not apprehensive. We have things to work on but not as big and broad as we thought we would. We were confident going in, which is really important to us. I feel good about going 3-3, especially with the way we finished on Sunday,” Hupke said.
The team also has a good core of returning infielders, which the coaches see as a very positive thing for this team.
“I think we finished the tournament on a good note with a sweep against Gustavus. We had a lot of confidence, and it was nice to come back and win,” Stocker said.
The next time the Beavers are out on the field is Thursday, March 14, in Orange City against Northwestern College. Their first home double header is Friday, Mar. 14 against Nebraska Weslyan University; first pitch at 5 p.m.