With two quick losses the softball ladies reminisce on great season.
by Sam Stavish
The Spartan softball team knew it would be facing some tough opponents when heading into playoffs, contending for the state title.
The team’s first match-up came against the 14-8 Cheyenne Mountain Indians, and after a long, hard-fought battle, came up short losing 21-3. Unfortunately, things would not get any easier for the ladies in the next game, as they then found themselves face to face with the Pueblo Centennial Bulldogs. An 8-0 loss to the Bulldogs would then end the season for the Spartans. The weather proved to be the ladies’ Achilles’ heal, as it was raining and cold, with a high temperature of only 42 degrees. “What kept us from winning state was our toughness – we didn’t suck it up and play through the weather,” commented Head Coach Kyler Jackson. “We are a great team, but we may be one of the worst cold weather teams,” added Jackson.
When all was said and done, the dominating Wheat Ridge Farmers, with an overall season record of 23-2, came out on top, winning the State Championship.
Although the season came to a quick end, it should not overshadow the fact that the ladies had an excellent season under the leadership of coach Jackson. This last year was Jackson’s 11th year coaching softball, and third year leading the TJ Spartans. The team had a winning record of 14-7 and an unprecedented 8-0 record in conference play. When it comes to league play, it seems that the Spartans are unbeatable. After this year, the ladies are now on a 23 consecutive game winning streak in conference play over the past three seasons. “I think we improved as a team, and we proved to ourselves and other teams that we can play and compete on the same field as some of the better teams,” commented Junior Aryn Grywusiewicz.
Much of the team’s success can be credited towards the strong numbers at the plate. Junior players on the team stepped up big. Catcher Lauren Jorgensen had a batting average of .439 on the season and 29 hits. “We seem to do pretty well on offense,” commented Jorgensen. “At times we seem a little inconsistent, so we should try and work on our consistency for next year.” Fellow junior and 2nd basemen for the team, Sarah Southard, surprised her teammates as she stepped up big and made hits when the team needed them.
“Morgan Bertram and Sarah Southard definitely surprised me this year. Both players grew a lot and matured into great players,” said Jackson. Southard managed to bring in 28 runs for the Spartans and maintained a .408 average this season. Grywusiewicz also had a phenomenal year at bat with a .603 average and 31 runs batted in.
Pitching was also a strong aspect of the teams’ defense throughout the season, led by Grywusiewicz on the mound. She threw an impressive 164 strikeouts throughout the year and through her 104 innings pitched she had a notably low 1.08 earned run average, allowing only 95 runs throughout the season. “I had the best season when it comes to both pitching and batting since playing at TJ,” said Grywusiewicz, who will enter her 4th year on the team, and looks forward to finally being a senior. “I will have a lot more control of the team as a senior and will be able to contribute more leadership to the team.”
As for next year, with a relatively young team, Jackson believes they can only get better. “I think that we are a couple of top players away from being a serious contender in state,” said Jackson. “We had such a talented junior and sophomore class this year, we are hoping for a couple studs next year, as well. Almost all of our juniors, and at least three or four sophomores, will certainly be able to contend at the college level when the time comes,” Jackson said, praising future prospects.
Not everyone will be coming back next year. For lone Senior Alexa Johnson, she will not get to return and play with her team. “I miss the team already,” Johnson said. “I will miss being with my girls and the intensity that we bring to the games.”
In the off-season, Jackson has some big things planned for his team. “We are setting up some programs at the local batting cages so the girls can continue to practice their hitting during the winter,” he said. The big news is what Jackson has planned for spring break. “We are very excited this year to be able to compete in the Disney World Tournament in Orlando, Florida,” said Jackson. That’s right, this spring break the ladies will head down to Florida and play other softball teams around the nation. Included in the package is theme park privileges, so rest assured the team will be stopping by and having fun at some of the resorts at Disney World. “This has been a two year project, and I am really excited that this year we will be able to actually go [to the tournament],” said Jackson. “We will have a lot of fun and get to practice against some of the best teams in the country.”
Next year’s team will look to improve their game during this time off, especially in the area of team communication. “I feel that I personally need to work on better communicating when on defense, in addition to overall team communication when we play,” stated Jorgensen.
Some of the girls will also work on their own personal weak areas until next year. “I could definitely improve on physically grounding the ball for next year,” said Southard.
A graduating Johnson had some sound advise for the team next year, saying, “The team needs to forget about this year’s regionals and continue to play with the intensity that we finished off the season with this year.”
When all is said and done, one thing is for certain: the softball ladies know how to have a good time. Jackson said, “I had a lot of fun this year and acquired many new softball memories. This may be my most fun year yet. There are just so many fun and crazy personalities on the team; it’s hard not to have a good time.”
