By Garrett Connor
As fall practices are underway for the McPherson College Softball team, they have high expectations for the spring season. “I have high expectations and believe we have what it takes to make it to nationals,” says 2019 KCAC Newcomer of the Year, Brittany Baroni. Last season, the ladies had a 33-16 record and were receiving votes for the first time in program history. They also had a big win against the number one ranked team in the country, Oklahoma City University. The ladies ended Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play going 17-2 over their last 19 games which put them at a tie with Avila University for the regular season title. Both teams finished with a 20-4 record in the conference, so they were crowned co-champions. Avila ended up winning the tiebreaker, which gave them a bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The Bulldogs lost in the quarterfinals of the KCAC tournament, so they were unable to qualify for the national tournament.
The 2020 campaign is gearing up for the Bulldogs to take the next step. “We have gained so many great players who all love to work hard and are striving for the same goal as us,” 2019 First-Team All-Conference center fielder and NAIA All-American, Jessie Jones, stated. “We have really bonded so much on and off the field that I know we can go further.” With the help of Baroni and Jones, the Bulldogs are also returning 2019 KCAC Pitcher of the Year and NAIA All-American, Christie Betker, and Second-Team All-Conference catcher, Jenna Christensen. Behind the command of the 2019 KCAC Coach of the Year, the Bulldogs are ready to win the conference outright and head to a regional at the NAIA National Tournament.
