Taylor University softball has been rolling to the Crossroads League Tournament. They stand at a record of 28-17, putting them fifth in the conference.
The Trojans have put up impressive numbers. They lead the league in at-bats and are second in RBIs. In order to crack the top of the conference and make a real run at the NAIA National Championship, however, they have to match that power on defense.
“We have been trying to find out which players would mold best to certain positions,” Taylor’s head coach, Douglas Gower, said. “We move them around to where our offense and defense are best together.”
Coach Gower and the rest of his staff have been working diligently to find the best lineup for the team. He wanted to give each of the players a good amount of experience. Each of the players, from seniors to freshmen, has gotten their chance on the field in some way.
Against Bethel, freshman Madyn Mohr went in to pitch in the third inning. She then shut out the Pilots for five straight innings, which led to a 7-5 victory.
“I’ve never really pitched before, and I didn’t really come to Taylor to pitch. But it was one of the most memorable moments this season,” Mohr said with a smile on her face.
With the weather that has been rolling over Upland, the softball team has not gotten as many opportunities to practice as they would have hoped.
A combination of using the hitting facility they share with the baseball team and staring down many days of double-headers has given them the experience they are after.
“We are getting very good hitting sessions. As far as being out on the field, we haven’t been out there as much as we’d like to have been,” said Gower.
One aspect that the players have really focused on is chemistry, utilizing their meetings, prayer time and lifts to build team camaraderie. The players and Gower echoed how the team has improved this season. Their cohesiveness has made multiple steps forward, as well as the team culture.
“It’s just so much fun being here, and we are just enjoying every single time we have left with each other,” Mohr said.
With multiple exercise science majors on the team, the players have taken ownership of the weight room. Coach Gower said it has been very successful from the start of the season until then. The players have handled the whole thing from the schedules, workouts and nutrition.
“It’s been really cool to get a say in what we are doing because we do know our bodies the best,” junior Madisyn Standridge said. “It’s also a great experience for our future careers.”
The culture meetings focus on defining what work ethic, what mental health and what spiritual growth are. The team goes through what everybody wants from the season on and off the field.
According to Standridge, being tight-knit off the field results in being tight-knit on the field, and leads to winning more games. It helps the team to grow closer together, where everyone becomes family. These thoughts can be seen in how the team views their coach.
“I love Coach G,” Mohr said. “He’s one of those people that really cares for you as a person first. The player stuff comes second.”
“I could see him walking me down the aisle at my wedding,” Standridge said.
Taylor sits as the fifth seed in the Crossroads League, just two games out of third place. With only eight more games in the regular season, Coach Gower and the team have been working hard to get there.
Having a solid offense brings in some other struggles. The high-scoring games require the defensive end to be near perfect. With only three healthy pitchers on the roster and many back-to-back double-headers, the team has to trust fully in each player on the defensive end.
In Taylor’s last eight games, they went 3-5. Seven of those eight games had one, or both teams, score more than six runs. Each of those losses had many defensive errors on the mound and in the field.
“We can’t keep giving the other team freebies,” Standridge said. “We just need to emphasize clean defense.”
Everyone on the team is prepared for the Crossroads League Tournament, which begins on April 29. Their eyes are set on the NAIA Nationals as well, which begins on May 12. Last season, three Crossroads League teams made Nationals.
“We are definitely a tournament team. And we can be scrappy when our backs are against a wall,” Coach Gower said.
