Softball: Trusting Team Forty-Two

As head coach Lynn Curylo gets the softball team ready for its season debut in Tampa, Fla., against Illinois, she drills her squad not only with exercises on the field but having trust for each other during the game.

Last year, the softball team finished fifth in the Horizon League Conference with a 19-37 record with 21 one-run losses throughout the season.

When asked about the main focus throughout the season, Curylo said her emphasis this year is to instill trust within the team.

“It is a matter of the team finding a way to stay together throughout the season,” Curylo said. “It is easy for a team to stay together at the beginning of the season when things are going well, and when they are staring to develop their roles, but it is hard to hold onto that until the end.”

“We are the 42nd softball team at Wright State, so that’s what we have been basing everything off of. This team is going to go farther than any other team that’s been here before us. We will never have this team again, so we are trying to make it special,” said Sophomore Becka Peterson who had a batting average of .111 last year.

Junior Reagan Stofcheck said that not only is team 42 important but so is trust.

“You have to be able to look at your teammate and know that they are able to get their job done and execute, so that’s a huge part of our trust,” said Stofcheck who hit .258 last year and added 9 RBIs

“Our pitchers have to have a lot of trust in us too, so they know we can have someone to put the ball in play and we can field it for them,” Peterson said.

With a tough schedule this season, Curylo believes that Valparaiso is going to be one of the hardest games.

“Valparaiso has two strong pitchers and some pretty good hitters, so that will be the team to watch in conference,” said Curylo.

“We hope to win the Horizon League Championship, and make it to the NCAA Tournament and then to the World Series” Stofcheck said.

The softball team has implemented weight training and teamwork throughout the off-season.

“We have really been focusing on weight lifting and getting stronger. We have this thing called the Raider Cup Challenge where we are on different teams, and we try and max

out each other on different exercises such as squats. It’s always who can get the most weight based on their body percentage,” said Stofcheck.

With the USF Tournament beginning on Friday, the softball team will play five games in Tampa, Fla. before heading to Bowling Green, Ky. on Friday, Feb. 28 for the Holiday Inn Hilltopper Classic.