The Rockhurst softball team opens their season Friday in Wichita Falls, Texas. With the new season beginning, there is much to be excited about. One bright spot from last year's promising finish is that nearly everyone is back for the Hawks, and a collection of newcomers will hopefully have the team contending for a spot near the top of the GLVC standings.
Rockhurst went 23-24 overall last year, thanks to a balanced attack of offense and defense. The Hawks ranked fifth in the GLVC in team batting and sixth in team fielding. The team lost just two regulars from that lineup and return the key parts of last year's pitching staff.
New head coach Tyler Gunelson is excited about the amount of talent that is on his team. "We have a ton of experience on our team with only four freshmen. Our seniors include Calli Wibbenmeyer, Allison Shakiba, Gwen Bostick, Clare Reinhart, Jaden Santoni, and Maya Gallagher. Their leadership and experience are what drive the culture.
"We also have experience in the circle with Anna Newcomer, a returning junior; BreAnna Droge, a junior-college transfer; Anna Stephen and Bre Barchak, both sophomores who threw a lot of innings as freshman last year, and freshman semester transfer Avery Huffman."
Wibbenmeyer started 45 games as a graduate student and returns after hitting a team-best .479 with 57 hits while scoring 31 runs. Also back is senior shortstop Maya Gallagher, who started all 47 games and led the team with 15 home runs.
Newcomer leads the pitching staff after posting a team-best 3.56 ERA over 141 innings with 152 strikeouts as a sophomore.
When asked what Gunelson is most excited about, he answered, "to watch our preparation come into a full circle moment. This group has worked hard to prepare as a team on the field and off the field. They get enjoyment from being together and working through practices, and as a coach, that is always rewarding."
The Hawks take on Fort Hays State in their season opener Friday at 11:30 am, and will play Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, they face Southwestern Oklahoma State at 8:30 a.m. and play Oklahoma Baptist at 1:30 p.m.
"This weekend will be a good test to see where we are. I expect to compete to put ourselves in a position to be successful," says Gunelson.
All games will have Live Streaming and Live Stats available on rockhursthawks.com.
