The 2018 Grinnell College softball team has been shattering records and blowing out opponents all season in their journey to the top of the Midwest Conference. The team currently boasts an overall record of 21-8, along with an impressive conference record of 10-4.
The ten conference wins are the most ever in program history. In order to claim the College’s single-season wins record, the team must close out the season with victories in three of its last four games.
The softball team has been so dominant this season in large part due to their juggernaut offense. In fact, their offensive performance has been so exceptional that it has propelled the 2018 squad towards the top of Grinnell’s record books. This year’s team now ranks first in program history in several key offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs.
The 2018 softball season is even more remarkable considering their past struggles. The team’s last winning season was in 2006, and wins have been hard to come by since then. Needless to say, the team’s absolute dominance this season marks an incredible turnaround within the softball program.
Fourth-year pitcher Maggie Remus ’18 notes that the addition of several first-year players combined with strong returning leadership has been instrumental in the team’s success this season. In an email to The S&B, Remus wrote, “What has been a big game changer this season is the addition of our [seven] first-years. They have been a force to be reckoned with. Also, our returning players made it a huge priority to continue to work hard in the off season, so that we could really shake things up this year.”
One first-year player in particular has already made her presence felt in the Midwest Conference, as Darice Wheeler ’21 has been outstanding both on the mound and behind the plate. Wheeler is already Grinnell’s all-time career leader in home runs and has set records for RBIs and total bases in her first season of college softball. Undeniably, her dominance on the field is a major factor behind the team’s turnaround this season.
In addition to standout individual performances, head coach Amanda Reckamp believes that team cohesion and commitment have been the foundation of the team’s success this season. In an email to The S&B, Reckamp wrote, “One big key factor to our team’s success is that everyone has bought in and we have all 18 players contributing, whether it is starters or playing off the bench. … We have a lot of talent on this team, but our talent is also working incredibly hard to reach the goals we want to meet.”
The most important of these goals, according to Reckamp, is to continue to take the season one game at a time.
“We can’t be concerned about the end goal until we take care of today. We know where the trajectory of our season is taking us and we are working hard every day to put our best effort on the field every game,” Reckamp said.
Fourth-year Kayla Morrissey ’18 has played a critical role in the turnaround of the softball program, too.
“The adversity that we faced in my first few years on the team definitely helped build us into the players we are now,” Morrissey wrote in an email to The S&B. “As a team, our roster size, talent level, and work ethic have definitely increased. Thanks to the coaching staff, leaders from previous teams, and great talent and work ethic, Grinnell College softball is now a force to be reckoned with.”
