The Whitworth women’s softball team has faced a tumultuous start to the season, battling top-ranked competition and tough weather conditions. However, the Pirates remain resilient, leaning on their strong team culture and the belief that success is within reach. The Pirates opened their season with matchups against nationally ranked Linfield and College of Idaho, two powerhouse programs that tested the program early.
“We’ve definitely faced some adversity,” stated senior Reiss McIntyre. “We came out [of] the gate against a top-three team in the nation. Beating Linfield is hard, but we’re learning from it. This weekend, we’ve got Willamette, and we’re ready to go.”
The challenging schedule wasn’t the only obstacle the team had to navigate. Weather cancellations against Eastern Oregon left the Pirates without valuable early-season reps. “We were supposed to have another two games against Eastern Oregon, but those were canceled due to weather,” said senior Annie Brose. “Going into Linfield, we probably would have wished for a few more games under our belts, but there were some wins to take from Linfield without winning the game.”
One of the biggest difficulties for Whitworth this season has been the transition from practicing indoors to playing on dirt. “With the snow and the little late winter that we’ve had, it was hard to get outside,” said McIntyre. “Our first day on dirt was not until this last week. We went into the College of Idaho without seeing a ball outside, and our very first game on dirt was against Linfield.”
In addition to adjusting to outdoor conditions, the Pirates are working to fill gaps left by graduating seniors. “We lost a few big bats in our order last year,” Brose said. “Those were holes that had been filled for three years, so trying to find people to step up into those roles has been a challenge. But with every game, it gets better and better.”
The team is focusing on sharpening both its offense and pitching. While Whitworth has done well putting the ball in play, they haven’t always been able to find the gaps. “We’re making contact, but the ball is just hitting right to people,” McIntyre said. “We haven’t had many strikeouts, which is a positive, but now we need the hits to start falling our way.”
Pitching has also been a focus, particularly after seeing how Linfield capitalized on mistakes. “Linfield taught us quickly that if you make a mistake, it’s gone,” Brose said. “They take advantage of pitches that miss their spot, so we need to be more precise and intentional with our pitching.”
After missing the conference tournament last season, the Pirates are hungry to make a comeback. That drive has been a major motivator for the team this year. “We all just really want to make it to the conference tournament,” McIntyre said. “Last year was the first time in a long time that we didn’t make it, and that was rough. We’re coming back eager to win and make a difference.”
The team has embraced an underdog mentality, using preseason rankings as motivation. “At the beginning of the season, we were ranked lower in the conference,” Brose said. “So, one of our sophomores, McKenna Hoffer, came up with the motto, ‘Why not us?’” This mindset resonated with the entire team. “We look at teams like Linfield and think, ‘Why can’t that be us?’” McIntyre said, “Why not us? We have nothing to lose.”
With a renewed mindset and lessons learned in the early season, Whitworth is determined to build momentum throughout.
