Even with the early season stumbles, the Golden Grizzlies softball team isn’t short of any confidence.

The team’s 2011 season record of 17-29 and conference record of 8-15 aided in their fall to eighth place in the Summit League preseason poll.

 

Playing to their strengths

Despite the low projection, the team believes the areas that need improvement are attainable.

“Our defense was rocky at times last year but this year it is our strength,” Erika Polidori, sophomore captain, said. “This year, a big focus for us is our communication and leadership in various aspects of the game. We play best when we are aggressive at the plate and we need to work on that as well.”

According to Polidori, a combination of these improvements is imperative for the team’s success this year.

“(Our goals this year are) staying healthy, eliminating errors, communicating, working as a team and most importantly, having fun,” Colleen Zimmerman, senior corner infielder, said. “When we do all of those things, we take care of business.”

 

Keeping focus

It’s no secret that Oakland has had a rough start to the 2012 season. The team was swept in the three-game series against Summit League fourth ranked Southern Utah University. It was their first Summit League series.

Their first win of the season came Feb. 25, when they defeated St. Peters 2-0.

Last weekend, the team won their first league game 7-3 against IPFW.

“Our games so far have exposed areas we need to improve on, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We now know what to focus on for the rest of the season,” Polidori said. “We need to play as consistently in all seven innings of games as we do at practice every day. We need to let our passion for the game be the driving force behind everything we do.”

 

Staying positive

A challenging first few games have not stopped the team from making lofty goals for the rest of the season.

“We hope to place (in the) top-four (of) the Summit League, which enables us to compete in the conference tournament in May,” Polidori said. “Once we get there, we think we have a good shot to win some games and hopefully win the conference.”

The team says they are working on getting “one percent better everyday.”

The strengths of the team this year have a lot to do with its overall character and companionship.

“Our team chemistry, ability to stay positive, talent and work ethic are the strengths of the team this year,” Zimmerman said.

The bond the team shares this season is a key part of their strength.

“It makes it easier and a lot more fun to play for your teammates, especially knowing that they have your back no matter what,” Zimmerman said.

Polidori says the team’s bond will help the Grizzlies sacrifice themselves in order for overall success.

“Being close with your teammates helps because you are no longer an individual player on the team, but rather a team player — a piece of the puzzle,” Polidori said. “We need everyone to win games, not one or two players.”

OU continued league play with their home opener last weekend against last year’s Summit League champion, North Dakota State University.

Unfortunately, they were swept in the three-game series, losing 6-0, 5-1 and 6-0.

The Grizzlies will host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday March 28. for a double-header starting at  2 and 4 p.m.

 

Contact Staff Reporter Emma Claucherty via email at [email protected]