The Ferris women’s softball team has acquired 10 new student-athletes to their squad this fall, all of which will be eligible to compete this upcoming season.
This team, with many new faces, is looking to change the culture of Ferris softball from years past and transform a program that has struggled.
Last season was Ferris head coach Kristin James’ first campaign with the Bulldogs. The team finished 17- 31 overall with a 11-19 GLIAC
record.
“The new athletes are allowing Ferris State softball to recreate the program. With the new talents of our teammates, we are planning to pave the way for success,” Ferris sophomore outfielder Paige Kortz said. “The new members bring a new set of talents to the team. Although our team is freshly put together, we have bonded very quickly and have shared the same long-term goals.”
The new talent for the Bulldogs consists of four transfers, and six of the 10 additions listed as pitchers.
“We were never lacking in skill on our pitching staff last year; we were only lacking in numbers. We added quite a few pitchers to our roster this year, all of which have a lot of potential to make a positive impact on this program,” Ferris senior third baseman Lexi Hongisto said. “We have no excuse to not be ready when we start playing in the spring. We have a returning coaching staff for the first time in years so the team knows exactly what is expected of us.”
Last season, the Bulldogs ended the year on an explosive note by winning nine out of their final 14 games, which pushed the team into a GLIAC tournament entrance.
“I think last year was a learning process for us all and our coaches had prepared us. However, we just had to put the pieces together in order to be successful,” Ferris junior pitcher Abby Highway said. “I feel the new girls bring a lot of new and exciting energy to our team. We now have quite a few pitchers, which will add a lot of depth to our pitching staff. They also deepen our offensive lineup, as many of them are
incredibly talented hitters.”
The Bulldogs will only be returning three seniors to their squad, which means a lot of young talent will have to step up in the spotlight for
the team to succeed in the competitive GLIAC softball conference.
The team will be suiting up at noon Saturday, Oct. 6, against Concordia for a double header. This is the first of three exhibition matches for
Ferris this fall. The Bulldogs are still awaiting their upcoming regular season spring schedule.