Wesleyan Softball Falls To DePauw

Image courtesy of Kodiak Creative

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- Illinois Wesleyan Softball is in mid-season form. The team currently has a record of 16-9. 

Recently, the team had lost both games of the double header they had against Depauw, with scores of 3-2 and 2-1.

Senior Hayley Ealy is leading the team in batting average with .381. Junior Natalie Grubczak has the lowest ERA out of the pitchers with it being 2.31. Freshman First Baseman Ava Khoury is leading the team in Home Runs with 6. 

Early season goals help provide a guideline as for what the team wants. Season goals can change as the season progresses. For Illinois Wesleyan Softball it seems like they have a mindset one one task. Senior Hayley Earl talked about those goals.

“I mean, we just like every other team in the nation, we have aspirations to make it to the national championship. That’s ultimately our largest goal but coming from two seniors our goal is just to play hard and go have fun, competitive season and kind of having no regrets in the way we play and so making sure that whatever we do, we leave it all on the field and that’s just the aspirations that we have to continue playing and continue earning that opportunity to play in postseason,” Said Earl

Senior Utility Player Colleen Palczynski also mentioned her goals were just to have a “Good game tomorrow. That’s it.”

Every team wants to see some form of progression from season to season. Even an improvement from game to game can show the change the team is willing to make. This seems to be key for Earl for this season. 

“Honestly I am very excited with the season. I think our coach says it all the time that we’re continuingly progressing and our goal is to progress. So we’re at our peak in postseason in May…. Even in our games against Dupaw . We’re continuity progressing and being more competitive, taking bigger risks,” Said Earl

Last year, Palczynski had won CCIW player of the year. One may wonder if that might get to a players head; it seems like that wasn’t the case for her.

“I think if anything it’s made me a lot more grateful for having one last year too. I mean receiving that as a Junior was an absolute amazing opportunity to have. I think other teams know that, you know that I got that award and I think they’re coming for me which is something I’m really excited for and grateful for,” Said Palczynski 

Winning the award last year changed Palczynski in some ways, from the player she was in the previous seasons. She then talked about this change the award has done to her as a whole.

“I think it made me more like lighthearted, I guess to put things into perspective of when I enjoy the sport, when I enjoy my teammates, when I enjoy my coaching and you know taking everything in like that’s when I do my best and so I think it  helps me get ready for this season  and get really excited,” Said Palczynski

The regular season is scheduled to end on April 30. The CCIW tournament will start on May 4, 2022.