WMU softball prepares to start season

Nathan Palcowski
Staff Reporter

The Western Michigan University Bronco softball team begins their journey towards a MAC West division title this weekend against the defending national champion, and number one seeded Arizona State Sun Devils in the Kajikawa Classic.

While down at the Kajikawa Classic, a tournament spanding from Feb 9-12, the Broncos will face Utah, New Mexico, Cal-State Northridge, and Bradley. WMU will end the tournament against number nine ranked Tennessee. But until the end, Arizona State is the only game on the mind of reigning MAC coach of the year Kathy Leitke.
“We won’t get another chance like this,” Leitke said. “We just have to go down there and play fundamentally sound softball.”

Fundamentally sound softball is the core of the Broncos this season. The team brings back MAC player of the year Gracie Barstad, who last year hit a team best .373 and tied a school record for the second highest batting average in a season. Along with Barstad, WMU returns three of the top five hitters from last year in Courtney Rousseau (.286), Meredith Whitney (.277) and Tara Buchanan (.265)

“We have a great hitting core coming back for their senior season,” Leitke said.

Not only do the Broncos have hitting, but the pitching will be just as dominant as well. Meredith Whitney, a senior, is coming back with the chance to sketch her name into WMU softball galore. Whitney is only 99 strikeouts away from having the most strikeouts in a career.
“I’m excited for her and expect big things from her this season,” Leitke said.

WMU is no stranger to facing ranked opponents in their non-conference schedule. Last year, WMU faced four ranked teams in their first 10 games. National softball powerhouses including Arizona State, Oklahoma, Alabama and Missouri. Overall the Broncos this year will face four nationally ranked teams, which is a decline from 2011 when they faced seven.

“We are going to work on our game, and play well,” Leitke said. “We are going to play the same way every time, fundamentally sound.”
WMU is the pre-season favorite to win the MAC tournament and the MAC West Division. The Broncos start their quest at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9, as they try to pull the upset against defending national champion Arizona State.

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Posted by thehair on Feb 8 2012. Filed under Breaking, Campus, Gallery, Sports, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry