ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team is set to begin the 2018 season – its 50th at the College – this weekend at the Rochester Regional Bubble. The Gusties will take on Coe at 1 p.m. Saturday followed by UW-La Crosse at 5 p.m. and then on Sunday face Nebraska Wesleyan at 11 a.m. and Carroll at 1 p.m.
Gustavus is coming off a 2017 season in which it went 23-17 overall and finished sixth in the MIAC at 10-12. Head Coach Britt Stewart, now in her second year at the helm, is focused on improving the fundamentals early in the season and getting the younger players more experience on the diamond, considering 12 of the 18 players on the roster are either first-years or sophomores.
“We’ve been working really hard in practice to focus on the process rather than the outcome,” Stewart said. “This weekend will give us a good baseline. We have a lot of newcomers so that will give them opportunities to play as well as get our returners back in action. We’ve also been focusing on breaking down the mechanics of our swings and seeing what we look like together as a team.”
Emily Carlson (So., Burnsville, Minn.) and Aly Freeman (So., Omaha, Neb.) are the top returners this season after each posting at least .300 batting averages last year, while starting nearly every game as first-years. Carlson, who hit No. 3 in the lineup last year in 14 games, batted .323 with 30 hits, 16 runs, 19 RBI, four doubles, and a home run last season. She started 36 games at catcher and committed just three errors with 221 putouts and 25 assists for a .988 fielding percentage. Freeman started 37 games at first base and batted in the three-, four-, or five-spot for the majority of the season. She batted .300 with 33 hits, 17 runs, 13 doubles, two home runs, and 16 RBI. Freeman also posted a .962 fielding percentage.
“Emily will have a little bit more of a leadership role this year, taking control of the field and helping our young pitchers develop,” Stewart said.
With the loss of last season’s top pitchers in Hannah Heacox and Jena Willis, who accounted for 245 of 266 total innings, Freeman will see a significant increase in innings this season. Last year she appeared in six games with a 3.39 ERA in 20 and two-thirds innings.
“My favorite thing about Aly is how she competes,” Stewart said. “We’re excited to see a lot more innings out of her this year. We also have two first-years on the mound who will play other positions as well.”
This year’s senior class includes outfielders Kim Kurtzweg (Arlington, Minn.) and Jessica Neuman (Elk River, Minn.), along with newcomer Taylor Shortly (Lindstrom, Minn.), who is making the transition from the tennis team to the softball diamond. Kurtzweg started 30 games last year (23 in left field) with a .260 batting average, while Neuman started 25 games (14 in center field) with a .275 average.
“Jess and Kim will help us with the leadership in the outfield,” Stewart said. “Jess has a very consistent bat as well. They know the game and have been around the program for four years. They continue to help the younger kids develop and understand what MIAC play is like. They also come with a competitive edge each day and that helps our girls get better.”
After this weekend’s four games, the Gusties have almost three weeks off before traveling to Arizona for the Tucson Invite, where they will play 10 games over five days March 15-19. The home opener is April 2 against Bethany Lutheran.