Once a Pioneer, Always a Pioneer!

My passion for softball has always been questioned throughout my career. “It’s only a game,” I’d always hear from friends, teachers, and even some of my family. I knew that no one would ever understand how committed I was to the sport, but it never stopped me from playing. The thought of it ever ending honestly never crossed my mind. Now that I am writing this blog, only hours after the final at-bat of my life, I truly wish I had prepared myself more for this. I cannot promise to keep this entry short, but my hope is to make it worth reading—and maybe even suggesting for others to read as well. I have absolutely loved every opportunity I’ve had to share my senior year with the rest of Pioneer Nation through this blog, and I am so sad that this is the last time I will ever have that privilege. So, as I was saying…

My journey to MidAmerica has been one most people would consider ridiculous, and maybe even “not worth it.” Those people are the ones I hope read this blog the most. I had the opportunity to play for Coach Babs immediately following my sophomore season at Neosho County Community College in 2008, but allowed several outside factors to sway me a different way: returning home to Oklahoma and giving up my last 2 seasons of collegiate softball eligibility. Life without softball was ridiculously challenging, for I found myself faced with constant reminders of the player I could have become, the dream I let go of, and the years of dedication that seemingly added up to nothing. I had lost any and all hope once I realized I was in fact never going to step between the white lines again, but God had other plans. Coach Babs contacted me 18 months after my junior college career had ended, and simply asked if I wanted a second chance to return to softball. One semester away from earning my degree in English Education, and away from any and all softball related activities for over a year, I didn’t even hesitate to accept his offer. As most would say, the rest is history. My point in saying all of that, however, is that this was literally the senior year I never thought I would have. Had Babs considered anyone else over me, and contacted her, I may not have dropped my life to finish my dream here at MNU. I may not have been blessed to receive All-American honors as a junior, and be a part of two National Tournament squads. The last two years of my life would not have been what they were had it not been for him simply remembering my name. I will never say that I regret giving up softball back in 2008: a blessing in disguise, so to speak.

Words can never replace the memories I have shared with my teammates not just this season but last year as well. I will never forget the history we made, the records we broke, the tears we cried, or the smiles we induced. I cannot thank each and every one of them enough for the support they provide not just on the field, but in our everyday lives as human beings. Sometimes we forget that there are in fact bigger things in life than striking out with the bases loaded or making an error to prolong an inning. When my grandmother passed away the morning of our game against Graceland University, I was overwhelmed with love and condolences from everyone before, during, and after the game. When I cried after striking out to end the game, our season, and my fellow seniors’ careers tonight, they made sure I knew that I wasn’t crying alone. The best teams are those with the fondest memories outside the lines. How blessed I am to have people who have made saying, “good-bye” so, so hard.

I’m not quite done yet…

As I mentioned earlier, without Babs’ generous offer to give me a second chance at becoming a Pioneer, my days at MNU would be nonexistent. But without Coach Juber, who made the boring drive to Chanute, Kansas to watch my junior college get run-ruled, I doubt Babs would have ever even considered contacting me. Needless to say, God’s timing never failed, and everything fell into place perfectly. Coach Mac has been my emotional rock since Day 1, and I truly believe she never receives the credit she so rightfully deserves for that. I will always refer to Jackie as “the miracle worker,” as she put up with me so much last year with a stupid calf injury. Hopefully I am done for good with crutches, ace wraps, and MRIs. These people have become my friends. They have believed in me every second since I stepped on campus. I know that I never fulfilled every expectation each of them had for me as a player, but I am grateful that they had more faith in me than I could have ever had in myself. Knowing they wanted me to succeed meant everything to me, and I will be eternally appreciative of everything these four have provided me in the short amount of time I have known them.

I want to take the rest of this space to thank my mom and dad for supporting every decision I have ever made in my life. I am unbelievably lucky to have had them there in the stands the past several weeks to see me play. Chad Jenkins and Brett Stillman have been amazing all season long. The hours they devote to MNU Athletics is unreal. I want to thank them for journeying to Alabama with us, and for helping our families stay connected to our games via KMNU, live stats, and video streaming. Dennis Troyer and Lisa Downs—our honorary coaches in my opinion. They do more for us than people give them credit for. I will miss DT’s presence through the loud speakers at our home games, and I am so blessed to have gotten to know Lisa this season as she acted as our Team Chaplain. Brady Braatz was amazing all year helping guide our small group discussions, and Jim Smith went out of his way to provide us with pictures to cherish for the rest of our lives. I cannot end this blog without mentioning all of the families and professors who went above and beyond their duties as fans—the Salter Clan, Alexis’ grandmother’s amazing pastries, Lynsey and Keeley’s dads for making our field look great, Coach Rodden for getting us stronger and quicker, and making us sore in places we never even knew existed, Mike Goff and Kelvin St. John for being our most valuable fans, every family that cooked or paid for a meal this season, my mom and dad for providing money to fund our Cancer Awareness uniforms, our redshirts Laura, Moe, and Britt for their continued support throughout the season, and most importantly, every member of Pioneer Nation. Without the love and support we received from everyone, our season is not nearly as fun to remember. It goes without saying that we love each and every one of you. Thank you for everything!!

Almost done…

Like I said in the beginning, softball has never just been a game to me. For 17 years, it has been all I’ve known, all I’ve cared about, all I’ve ever really wanted to do. As of May 21, 2011, everything I’ve done on the field no longer means what it once did. There is nowhere left for me to go. Believe me, if there was, I’d be the first one to sign up. What I want to believe is that my career didn’t end; I just ran out of time. I can always pick up a glove and play catch with someone. Nothing will ever stop me from taking some cuts in the batting cage. The sport doesn’t leave me just because my time is up. It doesn’t make the pain lessen any, though. I know that I will cry more tears at the thought of tonight’s loss to Cal. Baptist, and the many games I have played in years past. It wouldn’t be so hard to let it go if it was only just a game. Softball has become a part of who I am, almost like a definition of me. I am now left with an identity crisis, so to speak. Who will I become outside of the player I once was? What will I achieve in life that does not come in the form of a trophy, a “gold” medal, an All-American certificate, or a homerun ball? What will I be able to look back on and truly be grateful for that does not involve a motivational speech from a coach, a group of teammates waiting to greet me at home plate after scoring a run, or the simple privilege of being healthy and able to compete at such an elite level? Though right now it is so difficult to comprehend the answers to any of these questions I have for myself, I know that God did not bring me to MidAmerica just to finish my softball career as a Pioneer. There is no way He is finished with me yet, and I am so looking forward to what His future plans for me entail.

I want to end this (for good, I promise) by giving one last shout-out to the Softball Seniors of 2011. I will never look back and smile more than when I think about the last two seasons I was fortunate to play with all of you. I know that your lives will continue to be blessed with health and happiness, and that God will guide you on all of your journeys in life. Our mark has been made, and I firmly believe in my heart that what we have accomplished in our time here at MNU will be forever sought by future Pioneers to come.

“You, O Lord will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.” –Psalm 18:28

Once a Pioneer, Always a Pioneer!!
Love Always,
Taylor #21

P.S. If you have read this entire blog entry, you rock!!

Who Wants It More?

I just got back from a team dinner at Lester's: a seafood place not too far from our hotel. The hospitality was unbelievably great, and the food was even better. The team enjoyed crab legs, buffalo wings, burgers, and pasta. TG probably had the most satisfying (and most expensive) meal of the evening--lobster tail. Everyone gave her a hard time about ordering something that was almost twice the amount of our individual spending limits, but I think it was worth the great food. T, if you're reading this: I would have done the same thing...if I liked seafood, of course ;)

But anyway...

It felt so amazing to watch my teammates come back this afternoon after a devastating loss yesterday. Our game against SUNY-Canton proved how resilient MNU Softball has been all season. Coach Babs prepared us well for the pitching style we had to face, and the scouting we did yesterday worked out perfectly in the game today. A win at Nationals is always nice, but a run-rule is even better. This team has so much momentum going into tomorrow's match-up against #1 Cal. Baptist. Not to mention, the entire NAIA will be joining Pioneer Nation...at least for a few hours, anyway. I am so excited to know that we still have a chance to compete in the Elite Eight. While most teams look at a road like ours and say, "We're done," we are focusing so heavily on what we need to do to shock the country. Something that helps me stay positive and focused on our game tomorrow is knowing that there truly is nothing special about Cal. Baptist. In defense of the aforementioned statement, what I mean is that each player on that team puts on her uniform the same way every player on our team does. They buy their bats from the same companies we do. They cry, they laugh, they bleed, just like us. However, they want to win just as badly as we do. Tomorrow will determine which team is capable of making the fewest mistakes. A record of 61-3 cannot be underestimated, but neither can a 39-11 one. People may have already counted us out. I'm sure there are more odds stacked against us than there are for us. But none of that matters. It never has. This team thrives when no one expects us to perform. Do I even need to remind anyone of the HAAC tournament? One hit, one error, one extra base, one bad call...any of those can change the entire outcome of a ball game. I have never believed in this team more than I do in this exact moment. Come tomorrow evening, at 6:00 PM to be precise, we will find out which team really does want to win more.

Thank you for your continued support of MNU Softball. Go, Go, MNU!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Moving Forward...

I wish I had more to say, but sadly I really don't. We watched our hopes at winning our pool get a little harder as Friends found a way to out-score us, even though we out-hit them. It wasn't exactly a great way to begin our day. I've always had a "here and now" type of mentality, so to be honest, I'd rather post a blog about our future games rather than the one we've already played. Tomorrow we play SUNY-Canton, the fourth seed in our pool. After watching them play Cal. Baptist this afternoon, I feel confident that if we play errorless ball, and continue to find ways to score runs, we will even out our pool play record headed into Saturday's match-up. Nationals has a tendency to bring out both the best and the worst qualities in a team. We haven't had many games where we have played our best in all three aspects: pitching, defense, and hitting. We can't afford to do that from here on out. I hope you can find some time tomorrow afternoon to listen/watch our game against State University of New York-Canton at 3:30 PM.

Go Neers!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

One Last Practice

We woke up bright and early this morning to get one last practice in before we begin pool play tomorrow. We quickly learned that several teams had also decided to hold a practice at the same sports complex as us in Orange Beach, and needless to say, there definitely were not 32 fields to accomodate each one. Luckily there was a baseball field closeby that several teams shared, and each school took turns taking infield on the actual softball field, which had t-ball regulation bases and pitcher's circle. The weather here is definitely hotter than Kansas, but the humidity isn't quite as bad...at least not yet.

Lunch at Moe's BBQ was really good!! Not to discredit the famous barbeque places in Kansas City, but I just don't think anybody compares to places we've been to in the Southeast the last 2 years. Most of the girls went to the ocean once we got back to our condos, then it was off to the Opening Banquet and the "Parade of Champions" at The Wharf Resort. A great meal was provided as each qualifying team was recognized. Jordan was given the Champions of Character award, while she, Gale, and myself were named NAIA Scholar Athletes. Overall it was great day for Pioneer Softball.

MNU/Friends is the first game of the 2011 NAIA National Tournament. We know a lot about them, but they know a lot about us as well. It's going to be a great match-up, and hopefully we will walk away with our 39th win of the season. Game begins at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Check out links on mnusports.com to see how you can watch/listen!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Hello Gorgeous Gulf Shores!!

I am happy to be writing this blog from our beautiful condos in Gulf Shores, Alabama!! We arrived around 1:00 this afternoon, and have been blessed with gorgeous sunny skies and a perfect view of the Gulf from our rooms. The bus ride was much more pleasant than I envisioned it being, since we chose to leave Monday evening and drive through the night. I remember falling asleep in St. Louis and not waking up until we crossed the Alabama state line. Charter buses just aren’t made for sleeping, unless you’re a contortionist I suppose. We made do with the space we had, though. We watched a wide variety of movies: Tangled, Friday Night Lights, Martian Child, and The Last Song. The 16 hour drive really did seem to fly by, and I am so glad we have an entire day to relax and enjoy our surroundings before getting a morning practice, followed by both the banquet and “Parade of Champions” tomorrow.

The team is healthy and ready to get back on the field, especially with the pool we’ve drawn for the National Tournament. Being the #2 seed is exciting, but we know that rankings don’t mean much in a place where every team is good. Babs told us at our last practice that every year, at least one #1 seed does not advance to the Elite Eight. How great would it be for us to upset not just the #1 seed in our pool, but also the #1 team in the nation? This entire season we have played with targets on our backs. The entire HAAC was thriving to beat MNU. Now, at the biggest stage in NAIA Softball, the pressure isn’t on us to win the pool—it’s on Cal. Baptist. Before we begin thinking of them, we have to prepare for our first opponent in Friends University (yes, we came all the way to Alabama to play a school from the same state as us). We’ve played some tough games against schools in their conference this season, so we know that they truly earned their right to be here. SUNY-Canton is a school we don’t know much about, but will hopefully get to scout later on Thursday when they play Cal. Baptist. MNU Softball isn’t just here to say, “Hey, we made it to Nationals. Good for us.” We know we can compete, and we are ready to shock the nation this week.

I’ll be updating this blog daily, so feel free to check back often. Time to go enjoy the beach with my teammates. Havin’ a day!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

2011 HAAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS!!

I am sooooo excited to be writing this blog, and even more excited that I still have a few more to write when we go to GULF SHORES, ALABAMA for the 2011 NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT next week!!! There will never be enough words to describe how proud I am of my teammates, and how blessed I am to be a Pioneer. It was such a relief to see each player step up when it mattered most this weekend. The Evangel game was a true test of our mental stamina, as we lost a 7-2 lead, but rallied back to score 4 more runs AND hold them the rest of the way. Our first meeting with CMU showed us that it is in fact possible to win a game on a single hit, and that defense actually does win ball games. The championship game against Central Methodist reminded me of why I decided to play softball in the first place. Never have I been a part of a team who wanted a win as much as we did that game. We knew what it meant, and we knew that we weren't ending our season any other way. As a senior, it means the world to me that I am guaranteed at least 3 more games of my career. Knowing that I will play my final game at the most prestigious event possible is such an awesome feeling. It goes without saying that it has been a GREAT YEAR TO BE A PIONEER!!

We have a week of practices before we leave on Monday, the 16th. We know what it takes to win at Nationals now, so I have all the confidence in the world that this team will be well-prepared for whomever we draw in pool play. If we play like we did this past weekend at the HAAC tournament, I have a great feeling we will be competing in the Elite Eight beginning on the 23rd, which just happens to be my birthday as well :) I am going to do my best to post daily blogs about our experience in Gulf Shores, and of course, our games at Nationals.

THANK YOU PIONEER NATION FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!! MNU Softball loves all of you!!

THE PIONEERS ARE BAMA BOUND...BACK TO BACK!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Final Four!!

We were blessed with having an "away" home game on Tuesday before beginning the first of round of the HAAC post season tournament. Because their fields were too wet, MO Valley came to Olathe to play us in the final regular season series of 2011. We needed to sweep them to claim the 2nd seed in the tournament, and I am happy to say we did just that.

Being the #2 team in the bracket meant we were to host #7 Benedictine for the second straight season. I must admit I was extremely nervous, considering their deceiving 10-10 conference record included victories over #1 Central Methodist, #3 Lindenwood, and us. On a warm, but windy day at Williams Field, pitching and simply putting the ball in play were all we needed to advance to Round 2 of playoffs. Jen pitched amazing in Game 1, keeping Benedictine from even threatening to score a run throughout the entire game. Babs had us work on reading pitches in the dirt at practice on Thursday, which really worked to our advantage in Game 2. It was bittersweet to see our final home game of the season (and the seniors' careers) come to an end, but what's more important is that MNU Softball is the Final Four of the 2011 HAAC Tournament!!

Central Methodist and Evangel also swept their 3-games against MO Valley and Baker, respectively. Lindenwood and William Jewell had to play 14 innings in Game 2 and 19 innings in the decisive Game 3 before Jewell came away with the series win.

We are going to prepare like no other for our first opponent of the double elimination tournament: Evangel. We split with them earlier in the season, but as every sports fan knows--stats and history go out the window when playoffs arrive. I know that Coach Babs will continue to use his scouting reports to help us prepare for all aspects of Evangel's game. We played them earlier in the season, so we know that they're not the same team...but neither are we.

I am so excited to get a couple of practices in this week while the weather is nice before making the trip to Fayette, Missouri to keep pursuing our goal of repeating as HAAC Tournament Champs. It's been a great week to be a Pioneer!!

MNU vs. Evangel - Friday, May 6th - 2:00 PM - Fayette, MO

Love Always,
Taylor #21