Havin' A Day!!

In the bottom of the fifth inning, I was dreading what I would have to write in this blog. We were losing to Ottawa 4-2, and were down to our last 6 outs of the ballgame. While it may not have seemed like so much was on the line, we were playing for more than anyone could ever imagine. We were playing for bragging rights. We were playing for the state of Kansas. We were playing for a season-ending win. Most of all, we were playing for our seniors. How quickly one inning can change things...

Bri has been our leadoff hitter all season long. Whenever she comes up to bat, I scream at the top of my lungs: "You lead, we follow!" She did...and so did we. The best thing about having a slapper like Bri is all the things she can do to get on base. She chose to swing away, and luckily she got the best of Ottawa's shortstop. Of course, she stole second base as if it were nothing. True walked shortly after, then Jen received a free pass as well. I was next up, and of course, I caved. A weak pop-up to shortstop did nothing for our team. Bri stayed at third, True stayed at second, Jen stayed at first. Thanks to me, we had the bases loaded with one out rather than zero. But one thing I have learned after playing collegiate softball for 3 years is that if one person can't get the job done, another one can. Thankfully, Mayhle bats after me. She picked me up. She held the rope for me. She came through and gave us the lead we would never lose. I will love her forever simply for hitting a single up the middle.

Fittingly, Penny, Russ, and Mayhle took the field for the final time in the top of the 7th. Ottawa thought they were going to come back and pull off the upset, but I never doubted us for a second. I knew we had it. I knew we were going to pick up win #46. I knew we were finishing the season exactly how we should be. When Penny pitched her last pitch...when Mayhle caught the final out in left field...when Russ embraced them both in the middle of the infield after hearing the umpire call "Ball Game"...that's when I got emotional.

I know what it is like to play my last softball game. But I was blessed with the opportunity to come back and continue my career. Those three seniors will not know that feeling. They have played their final softball game. I almost feel bad for having one more year of eligibility. The entire team knows that one day, their careers will also end. None of us want to experience it after watching Penny, Mayhle, and Russ experience it today. I could write for days about how amazing they were all season long, but to put it simply, they will be impossible to replace.

To summarize the 2010 MNU Softball season in a blog would be virtually impossible. What I can do is think of the memorable things that made our 46-8 season so special...

• Our first win--which was our first game--against SNU (Salty's personal favorite).
• Going 3-0 in Wichita, mostly thanks to Jen hitting 4 homeruns throughout the day.
• Penny throwing a 19 strikeout perfect game against Southwestern.
• Winning 5 of our 6 games in Arizona, our only loss being to the #3 team in the nation by 2 runs.
• Starting off at 2-3 in conference play, only to win 15 straight conference games and 22 total before losing to Evangel in the 2nd round of postseason play.
• Sweeping Central Methodist at their place...probably shocking the entire HAAC at that point.
• Jen and Penny's back-to-back no hitters against Baker.
• Hitting 3 homeruns against Missouri Valley with my parents there to watch.
• Getting a slight scare from Graceland the next day, then finding out Lindenwood lost to Benedictine (securing our regular season Conference Championship).
• The 17-inning come from behind win against Evangel in the 2nd round of playoffs: Laura's pinch hit double to score Mayhle; Bri's throw from centerfield to home; Jess's perfect tag at the plate to keep us in the game.
• Bri finally throwing a runner out at first from centerfield.
• Playing the #7 team in the nation (Point Loma) to an 8-inning game at Nationals.
• Coming from behind to beat Ottawa in our final game of the season at Nationals.

I know I've left so many other memories out. I know people will read this and say to themselves: "What about this?" "What about that?" I know all of us will look back on this season and remember and forget different things. One thing I know all 19 of us will cherish this day a little more than others. We made history all season, and we have one more record to add: the first win MNU Softball ever had at the NAIA National Championship.

I want to take this time to thank every person who reads this blog, and any of the other blogs I have posted this past week. If you know me, you know I love to write. If you don't know me, you can probably guess that I love to write. I hope this blog allowed you to feel like you were at least with us in spirit while we lived all of our dreams at this amazing and prestigious event in NAIA Softball. On behalf of the players and coaches, thank you so much for supporting Pioneer Softball. Thank you for thinking of us when you never had to. Thank you for sharing such a memorable experience with us. We are blessed to be Pioneers. We are blessed to attend MidAmerica Nazarene University. It is you who helped make the 2010 season one we will never forget.

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A PIONEER!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Happy Birthday to Me :)

I was so sad to see my parents leave to go back home to Oklahoma yesterday after our disappointing loss to Point Loma. Selfishly, it was because my birthday was the next day...and they would be missing it. I thought today was going to be miserable. I thought it would feel just like another day rather than my special day. Thank goodness for my amazing MNU Softball family!!

This morning we attended church at the First Church of the Nazarene in Decatur. We were joined in congregation by Point Loma Nazarene from California (the team we played Saturday) and Trevecca Nazarene University from Tennessee. We were welcomed with open arms by the small community church and its many devoted members. I loved Coach Babs's message, which was that even though we may come from Kansas, California, Tennessee, and Alabama, we still gathered on this day to worship the same God. I was moved by the sermon and touched deeply by the songs we sang in worship. I felt an enormous sense of pride after Coach's message. I was, and still am, truly proud to be one of his players.

The church was gracious enough to feed us lunch at CiCi's Pizza, and David, our bus driver, made a special trip to the mall so I could pick up the cookie cake my parents ordered for my birthday. It was huge!! (Enough to feed 40 people) A few girls stayed in the hotel to catch up on rest, while the others took a short trip to Huntsville for a shopping venture. The day ended with an amazing dinner at Mi Hacienda Mexican Restaurant. The girls decided to tell our waiter it was my birthday...and not only was I given a sombrero to wear in honor of my special day, but I was also serenaded with the "Happy Birthday" song in Spanish. Everyone clapped. Russ filmed the whole thing. I turned bright red. It was pretty awesome!! It was finally time for cookie cake when we got back to the hotel. You know how I said it fed 40 people? Somehow the 25 of us demolished it. I think I heard a few of the girls say they had 3 pieces each.

Tonight is packing night. It's hard to believe our trip will be over tomorrow. After playing Ottawa, we will have just enough time to take showers, grab some food, and head back to Olathe. We will soon head our separate ways for the summer, which makes me tremendously sad. I never thought I would hate to go back home to Oklahoma, but I have 18 sisters who make saying "good-bye" so hard. Tomorrow's game is for bragging rights. It's for one final "W" added to our record. Most of all, it's for #3, #14, and #19. They deserve to go out on a win. Mayhle, Russ, and Penny are the epitome of leadership. I cannot think of a better trio of seniors to play under. I love them so much, and will hate to watch our final game together come to an end.

We travelled over 600 miles to play a school that is 30 miles south of us. One team will walk away from Nationals with a 1-2 record and the right to say they are the best NAIA softball program in Kansas. I see no reason why that team should not be MidAmerica Nazarene University. Watch or listen to us play tomorrow at 9:00 AM :) God Bless!!

THANK YOU MNU SOFTBALL FOR THE GREATEST 22ND BIRTHDAY EVER!! LOVE YOU ALL :)

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Time to End With a Win

The #7 team in the nation played up to their reputation today. That's impressive. The #22 team played just as good. That's even more impressive. All season long, we have been in search of respect from other NAIA coaches and teams. I think today, even after losing 1-0 in 8 innings, we finally made a name for ourselves. I can only imagine what would have happened if we had beaten Point Loma today. The score may have reflected a lack of offense on our side, but once again, it was defense and pitching that kept us alive throughout the ballgame. In the end, one hit...one adjustment at the plate...one solid swing was what made all the difference.

In 53 games this season, we have watched the other team celebrate only 8 times. Even with a .850 winning percentage, it is still so hard to lose. Monday will be our final game of the 2010 season. It will be the last game Penny, Mayhle, and Russ play forever. It will be the last time we compete as the greatest team in MNU Pioneer Softball history. Coach reminded us that not very often does a team get to end its season with a win. There's no other way to end our season than with win #46.

Thank you to all who watched or listened to the game today. Thank you to all who made the trip and withstood the heat and dreadful humidity the southeast has to offer. Thank you to our honorary coach for giving us Auburn/Alabama shirts. And thank you to Coach Babs for reminding us that even after a loss, we still have something to be proud of.

GO, GO, MNU!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Rain, Rain, Go Away

So we may have left the awful weather in Kansas, but somehow it found its way to Decatur. Thanks to rain all evening and morning, all games were pushed back to tomorrow, causing pool play to extend into Monday rather than finishing up on Saturday. I wish I could be writing about how great we played today against Point Loma Nazarene, and how we are still in the hunt to compete in the 8-team double elimination bracket, but instead I get to write about how awesome it was for the girls to spend time with each other's families and just get away from the hotel for a few hours. I was lucky to have my parents meet up with the team for lunch at Chili's, and then get treated to birthday shopping with my mom. I am a huge Alabama Softball fan, so I purchased a crimson ROLL TIDE shirt at Hibbett Sports, but because my uncle is an assistant softball coach at Auburn, I had to buy a navy blue AU shirt too. I am now confused as to why my shirt says WAR EAGLES across the front, but their mascot is the Tigers. I guess I will Google it later.

The rest of the team found other ways to stay busy in the wonderful town of Decatur. Some of the girls went to see the new Shrek movie and gave it "two thumbs waaaay up!" Another group of girls went bowling, which had to have been a great time if you ask me. We may have been deprived of softball for a day, but it was easy for us to find something fun to do other than playing ball together. I must admit, I have never been apart of, or even witnessed a more close-knit group of ladies as the MNU Softball team. We love each other both as teammates and as friends. I am so happy to surround myself with such a great group of athletes and coaches.

Back to softball though...

Tomorrow we play PLNU and we know they are a good team. They have a great pitching staff and solid hitting from top to bottom. They are a fast team, which is what we saw yesterday against Shorter. They make things happen by putting the ball in play rather than cranking doubles in the gaps and homeruns that clear the fence. They come from a strong conference, so I am sure they have seen good pitching and have defended great hitting. We know we have to play our best in order to prevail tomorrow. We are a team that plays up to our opponents, though. We play best when it matters most. I have no doubt tomorrow's game will be better than some people may think.

I hope you can find time to catch the game on the Internet or radio tomorrow. In the famous words of Joe Willis: FEAR THE NEER!! :)

Love Always,

Taylor #21

Tomorrow Is a New Day

I once was told that after a while, you learn to accept defeat with your head up and eyes open…with the grace of an adult rather than the grief of a child. I think it is safe to say MNU Softball is doing just that. I am proud of our team for the fight we put up against Shorter College today. Rather than caving when they had opportunities to score in the first two innings, we did what we’ve been doing all season long…we held the rope. Penny and Jen pitched well enough to win today. Our defense played well enough to win today. Surprisingly, our hitting just didn’t show up. Like Coach said, great teams have great pitching. We will learn from today and be better tomorrow. It was good to see our infield and outfield work hard to keep our team in the game from beginning to end. We proved today that practice really does make perfect. Jess throwing the first base runner of the game out at second was clutch in the first inning. Bri has been known for her speed on the bases all season long, but today she got to shine in the outfield. I can’t even remember all the times she has tried to throw a runner out at first from centerfield. Today, she finally made it happen. Her diving catch to keep runners from scoring was pretty amazing too. Oh, and I can’t forget her throwing a girl out at third base for the third out of the inning. Today we proved that we are not just a team of offense. We can field our positions as well. Hopefully we can continue our defensive display and find our bats against a solid Point Loma Nazarene squad tomorrow at noon. We need some special things to happen to keep us in the running for the 8-team double elimination bracket, but it’s Nationals. Anything can happen. PIONEER PRIDE THROUGH AND THROUGH!!
Love Always,
Taylor #21

It's Time to Upset Some People...

…Seven hours later, it’s time to wake up for practice. Thanks to the lovely Spring showers Kansas has to offer, we were unable to practice outside the entire week. Luckily, Coach Babs reserved ninety minutes of practice time at the same complex we will be playing at all week long. I want to personally thank Bri for warning us about the hot Alabama weather. I think it was 75 degrees at 9:00 this morning. I can only imagine how hot it is at 12:00 when we play Thursday and Friday. I’m definitely planning on a nice farmer’s tan by the end of this weekend. I wish I could say we got to come back to the hotel and sleep after practice, but some of us (Laura, Caity, Jen, Kalee, Leslie, Becca, Jess, and myself to be exact) were forced to evacuate our suites for water damage and foul-smelling mildew. Thankfully no personal items were damaged. Now, my suite is on the third floor while everyone else is on the first floor. Oh well, it makes for a good story, right? After repacking, moving, and unpacking again, we were finally ready to eat lunch at Logan’s Steakhouse. They had loaded mashed potatoes—we were so excited.

Tonight we travelled to a nearby city called Huntsville for the Banquet of Champions. It was held at the United States Space and Rocket Center, which had a museum, two amusement park rides, and lots of rocket ships inside!! Most of the team took a ride on the Space Shot—an enormous tower that shoots you into the sky, then drops you to the ground. I admire their bravery, but I decided to stay back and take pictures and videos for them. Heights aren’t exactly my thing. We sat with players from Shorter College, the school we play tomorrow. They were very nice and we loved listening to their Southern accents. We also met our Special Olympics supporters, who medaled in various sports and will be supporting MNU Softball for the duration of the National Tournament. I am so excited to get to know them better and learn from their character. They appear to be great people. We were treated to a delicious meal, which included grilled chicken sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, and my favorite: brownies. With full stomachs, we listened to Don Stanford, the Mayor of Decatur. He welcomed us and gave us the usual “you are all winners” speech. It’s neat actually hearing it in person rather than in movies, though. He reminded us that there are plenty of other schools in the country who would love to be sitting in our places right now. Wow, we are one of thirty two teams who can say that we made it to the end. That’s amazing!!

Leslie Jones deservingly received the Champions of Character Award for MNU. She was so scared to go up on stage in front of everyone. I would have been too. Lesley Miller was also recognized as a Scholar Athlete. The best part of the banquet was the induction of Cheryl Schaefer, the interim head coach of Point Loma Nazarene University. She had an amazing story as to how she got to where she was in college, and where she is today. Not only did she excel as an athlete, but she surrounded herself with people who brought her closer to the Lord. She was very inspiring, and we have the privilege of competing against her squad on Friday at noon. It was a great evening overall, and now that it’s over, we can focus solely on our game tomorrow against #10 Shorter College.

Coach told us before we left that if there were no upsets, we would go 1-2 in the tournament, and be eliminated after Saturday. He went on to say, however, that it wouldn’t be a National Tournament without some upsets. We may be the #22 seed in this tournament, but we believe we are the best #22 seed any team will ever face. When we play Shorter tomorrow, they are the ones who will have the pressure. They are the ones who will have more to lose. They are the ones who are supposed to win. But like Coach Babs said, only one team gets to end its season on a win. Why can’t it be us? Tomorrow is where our journey begins. We were the underdogs at the beginning of conference play, and now we are the underdogs in the National Tournament. We’ve surprised people all season. There’s no point in stopping now.

I hope you can find some time to listen to the game on KMNU or watch the live video streaming on mnusports.com. I will continue to update this blog as often as possible. Thank you for your love and support. Everything we do is for MNU!! HOLD THE ROPE!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Sweet Home Alabama!!

Before beginning our 12-hour bus ride, we were blessed with farewells and good lucks from Lisa Downs, men’s basketball coach Rocky Lamar, and our favorite announcer Dennis Troyer. The goodie bags from Admissions and the donuts from Coach Lamar were definitely needed at 7:00 in the morning…and are still being indulged upon. The drive was scenic for the most part. I especially enjoyed driving through Saint Louis and Nashville, minus the traffic. We had a great lunch at Hen House, a family restaurant, in a tiny Illinois town. They had sweet tea—we were so excited. When we weren’t sleeping or watching Disney movies, we found ways to make time pass by playing word games, Pictionary, and I Spy. My favorite part of the trip was when Jen showed the team a video of our season that she had worked on for weeks. It was amazing, but sad. It made me realize that no matter what happens down here, when we come back to Olathe, the season will be over. It wouldn’t have been an MNU Softball trip without getting lost. Luckily when we thought we couldn’t find our hotel, we were actually parked right outside of the front door. Needless to say, after finding our rooms and being overwhelmed by the couch, kitchen, and two televisions in each suite, we finally went to sleep…

2010 NAIA National Tournament

Hello Pioneer Nation!! I am so excited to have the privilege of keeping you up to date on the latest happenings for MNU Softball on our quest for the 2010 NAIA National Championship. I think I can speak for the entire team when I say how much I wish our amazing fan-base could be here in Alabama with us. Words will never be able to describe how much your faith and support has meant to the team this entire season. You may not be in the stands this week, but you will always be in our hearts. I promise to do my best to keep all of you as updated as possible on how the team is doing throughout this memorable experience. We love you all and hope to make you proud!! Go, Go, MNU!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21