On a team chock full of underclassman, leadership is always a key. For the UW softball team (2-4 Big Ten, 16-15 overall), a team with only one senior, leadership becomes even more important. Senior infielder Kaitlin Reiss carries a difficult load for the Badgers, although she has quite a bit of help from the rest of the team.It's kind of hard being the only senior sometimes,\ Reiss said. ""[But] our junior class has great leaders, actually every class has really good leaders.""
""We look up to her being a senior, it's hard just being an only senior,"" freshman pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven said. ""A lot of the juniors, Sammy [Polito] and Eden [Brock], they provide a lot of leadership and momentum and everything.""
The thing making it harder for Reiss and company is the coaching change made after the end of last season. New head coach Chandelle Schulte appears to gel well with the players, but switching coaches for Reiss' last season has not been easy.
""It's a little hard,"" Reiss said. ""[But] they're great coaches, they do a good job.""
Even though the team is young, the experience of last season helped UW considerably. The Badgers won 17 of their last 19 games of the regular season with many freshman and sophomores contributing. Although they were bounced in the Regional Championship by Oregon State, the team learned how to win when it counts.
""I think going to regionals and making the Big Ten [conference tournament] was key to this year, the experience,"" Reiss said.
With the team struggling as of late, players need to step up to get the Badgers out of this slump. Clutch hits have come at a premium as the hits are coming but the runs are not. While many coaches would expect their upperclassmen to completely carry the leadership load, UW head coach Chandelle Schulte has found leaders in unexpected places.
""Sam Polito's a leader, Alexis Garcia's a leader, Joey Daniels is a leader, Valyncia Raphael is a leader, nobody you'd originally think,"" Schulte said. ""Leadership is being accountable to one another, supportive but being accountable. That's a really hard thing to do and I think once we find that, life's going to get a lot better for us.""
""We have a lot of games left,"" Reiss said. ""We have a lot of heart and a lot of talent, and if we can put that together we'll win some games.""
This weekend would be a good time to put it together, because four extremely tough games lie ahead. Friday and Saturday bring Michigan State, the Big Ten leader, to town while Sunday's doubleheader is against defending national champions Michigan, who knocked the Badgers out of the Big Ten conference tournament last season. The Wolverines and the Spartans are the cream of the crop of the Big Ten, so the time to make a move is now.
""I love playing Michigan, they're a tough team, they're a great team,"" Reiss said. ""Our team steps up when we play tougher competition and I think it'll be fun.""
The Michigan State games are at 6 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday. The Michigan doubleheader begins at 12 p.m. Sunday. Games will be played at the Goodman Softball Complex.\
