The Wildcat softball team has had plenty of success over the past couple of years. During the 2022 season, the Cats had a 20-8 record and finished 4th place in state. In 2023, the Cats went 24-5 and finished 2nd in districts. This year, the Cats are looking to flourish again. The team has a lot of attention on them. Can they live up to the hype that they have created? Or will they succumb to the pressure to impress the Westminster community?
Softball has been a growing sport at Westminster since 2016. Head coach Dan Petke revived the team and restarted the softball team with only a few players. Now, we are starting to see major success from the team. According to MSHSAA, the Cats are 8-4, including a 15-0 blowout against Parkway North. At this pace, it looks like softball could be making a run for that district championship again.
There are a lot of challenges that the team will face over the course of the season. Coach Petke stated that “Injuries and a tough & demanding schedule could give my team a hard time this year”. Injuries are a part of any sport and happen to the best of us. However, the softball schedule is very exhausting. The cats played a total of 9 games between September 3rd and September 7th. The Cats have also moved up a district and are playing unfamiliar teams.
Despite this exhausting schedule, the Cats have held their own. One of their losses came in a thrilling game against Lutheran St. Charles. This game went into extra innings where the Cats finally succumbed to the St. Charles’ Cougars, 17-18. The Cats’ other 3 losses came against Parkway West twice, and Ellsberry.
When asked “What factors have contributed to such high success?” Petke answered “The culture of the girls and the returning members being welcoming of new members”. This year, there are 3 new freshmen on the team: Lainey Kane, Morgan Dolley, and Charlie Berkmeyer. It can be intimidating being a freshman on varsity because you have this feeling of needing to prove yourself. However, having the upperclassman be welcoming and guide you can be a relief.
There are 6 seniors and 2 juniors on this year’s team. Most of them have been on varsity for all of their highschool career. These perspectives can be beneficial to helping sophomores and freshmen adjust to the team. It is also beneficial that the team has a team captain that helps keep the team focused. However, there is no team captain.The girls have to learn how to be leaders, even if they are just a freshman.
Ma’Kya Huddleston, a returning junior, has been on the varsity softball all 3 years of her highschool experience. When asked “What is the chemistry of the team like?” she responded “We are very loving of each other. We carry the chemistry off the field and into school by saying hi and stopping to talk to each other in between classes.”
The Cats have a great team. Despite the odds stacked against them, the Cats have a reputation to uphold and coach Petke believes that “ we have the pieces to make a deep run” The question is will they be able to win it all again? Or will they fold under pressure?
