By Kevin Clack, Sports Editor
The Newman Softball team wrapped up its season April 24, sweeping both games against the Fort Hays State Tigers in their non-conference match-up.
The Jets finish 16-35 overall.
Head Coach Janice Fiene said the season may not have ended as well as the team had hoped, but the players showed a lot of heart.
“I would say the big things with our kids too is that they never really gave up. They pushed and you can see that till the end of the season, every game they fought,” she said. “So I still think there’s still that growing pain, there’s still that learning and developing and gaining that experience.”
Since last semester, Fiene said, the team has proven its talent levels when going up against seeded and big hitting teams.
“We took two out of three games from St. Mary’s, who finished second in the conference. We split with Oklahoma Christian with our doubleheader there. They’re number one in the conference,” she said. “So yeah, we had some good wins and competed well against some high-level teams.”
With four seniors graduating in May, Fiene said she plans to focus on gaining more leadership from the start.
We’re bringing in probably a little more transfer kids this year maybe to help a little bit with that experience,” she said. “However our sophomores will be juniors, so we’re going to be a little more experienced coming for next year, which I think is going to be big.”
Graduating Senior Dominique Payne said she’s enjoyed ending her career at Newman and said she is confident the ladies will continue to improve, even when her class is gone.
“Although we didn’t have the greatest season, I still feel we left everything on the field,” she said. “I really look forward to future seasons to come with the underclassmen because I think there is so much potential with those players.”
Senior Adrienne Esposito, Bayley Horsch and Chantel Purcella will also be graduating this coming May.
PHOTO: NEWMAN SOFTBALL will be graduating Adrienne Esposito, Bayley Horsch, Chan- tel Purcella and Dominique Payne. Courtesy photo, Newman Athletics
