Havin' a Senior Day!!

As cliche as this sounds, the saying "all good things must come to an end" has been weighing heavy on my heart these last few days. I began playing softball when I was 5 years old, and I swear every memory I can recall of my career flashed before my eyes as we were warming up yesterday against Lindenwood on Senior Night. God answered my prayer to keep the rains away, but the cold temperatures and forceful wind made for an eventful evening at Williams Field. As expected, a lot was on the line for both teams. Coming in with the same number of losses as the current HAAC leader Central Methodist, either us or Lindenwood would be denied of repeating as regular season champions. I'll let you read the write up on www.mnusports.com for explicit details, but in sum--it can now be said that neither us, nor Lindenwood will finish #1 in the conference. A regular season championship does not define a team, though. Any athlete will tell you that. Our goal now is to sweep Missouri Valley on Monday and host the first round of playoffs next Friday and Saturday. As I said before, we are in great position to return to the NAIA National Championships in Alabama. A new season begins once post-season rolls around. Sadly, my fellow seniors and I can see the end of our careers drawing near. This blog is dedicated to them and what they have meant not just to MNU Softball, but to me as well...

Stephanie Jones #2 -- When I look at Steph, I am reminded of how far faith can take someone. I have come to know her on a deeper level in recent months, and have grown to appreciate her inner strength and perseverance, as this season has been one of constant struggle and setbacks for such a wonderful teammate and friend. I know that I will take all of the great advice she has given me to heart as I enter a world that will undoubtedly test me like this season has tested her. I met Steph as a new teammate, but I will say good-bye to her as an eternal friend.

Jennifer Costa #12 -- It would be hard to summarize in only a few sentences the impact Jen has had on my life in the short amount of time we have known one another, but here it goes. Never had I witnessed a more passionate love for the sport of softball before I met Jen. Since then, I have become even more dedicated to getting stronger in all aspects of the game. I've had a companion there to throw me extra batting practice, help me become a better defensive player, and continue to encourage me of how much progress I make every day. I have no doubt that Jen will continue to achieve greatness and success in whatever direction her life's path leads her.

Ashley Salter #15 -- This girl has given me more reasons to laugh and smile than anyone I have ever known. Her contagious free-spirited personality has helped me get through some of the hardest times I've ever had while at MNU. I know that no matter what is going on, Salty will always give me a reason to see the good--and even the funny--side of it. I hope that I can begin to look at life the way she does: with a carefree and fun-loving attitude. I will always admire her commitment and dedication to MNU Sports, and will be forever grateful for the support her family has provided not only us with every season, but also her since she first picked up a softball.

Emily True #24 -- I am extremely blessed for this person, not just as a "pick me up" on the field, but most importantly, for the everlasting friendship I will share with her once our final game has been played. In every moment I have been hurt or lost, True has been right there by my side. I will always remember the memories we've shared and the seemingly ridiculous things we love to laugh about on a daily basis. I cannot even describe how much she and her family have inspired me in the small amount of time I have known them. I will miss her so much when we say good-bye, but I know in my heart that our friendship does not end when our softball careers do.


"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other with us." -Unknown

How blessed I am to have people who make saying good-bye so hard.

Love Always,
Taylor #21

It's Not Over...

I just noticed where my last blog post came when we were still undefeated in the Heart of America Athletic Conference...two weeks ago. I guess I have a lot to catch everyone up on then :)

Despite coming from behind twice to defeat Central Methodist at our place, we were dealt a shocking defeat to Baker, who is by far the most underestimated team in the conference. Luckily after losing a heartbreaker in 10 innings by one run, our bats woke up and helped us prevail in Game 2 to earn a split. Non-conference wins against Bethany a few days later helped us gain momentum heading into an 8-game week to come. William Jewell didn't let their first game loss to us phase them, as they took us to a 9-inning, one run loss on our own field. The following day we travelled to Springfield, MO to play Evangel, whom we hadn't seen since ending their season and run at Nationals in dramatic fashion last year in the second round of playoffs. We easily came away with a win in Game 1, and seemed to have Game 2 won before they scored 5 unanswered runs to come from behind and hand us our third conference loss of the 2011 season. Things didn't get much better the next day as we went to Ottawa for a couple of games. Thankfully, after watching another lead diminish and result in a loss, we responded like no other with a 15-1 run-rule victory. Sporting pink jerseys in honor of cancer awareness on Saturday, we were finally able to get a sweep against another non-conference opponent in William Woods University.

Which leaves me to where Pioneer Softball is right now...27-8 overall, and 9-3 in the Heart. We are blessed that our chances of repeating as HAAC Champions are still very much alive. Like last year though, we need some other teams to help us out. We also need to go undefeated from this moment forward. My, how that sounds so familiar :) If anyone has ruled MNU out of the 2011 HAAC Championship race, I strongly encourage you to reconsider until the final out has been made at the end of the season. So much can still happen, and I know that my teammates and coaches have all the faith in the world that great things are still in store for the red, white, and blue...and pink to an extent ;)

This week is nothing but away conference games: Benedictine on Tuesday, Avila on Thursday, and Missouri Valley on Saturday. Hopefully our chances at finishing #1 will be significantly increased come Sunday morning, and that we will be well prepared for our final home game--Senior Night :'(--against another rival, and current HAAC leader Lindenwood next Tuesday the 19th.

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Oh, How I Love Being a Pioneer

It has truly been a great year to be a Pioneer! While the weather hasn't exactly been good to us this season, we were blessed with clear skies the last few days so that we could at least get a couple of conference games in before the snow--yes, I said snow--came down this weekend. Our trip to Georgia was a learning experience, to say the least, and we came into our first conference double header against Culver-Stockton out to prove that there was no mistake in selecting MNU as preseason #1 in the HAAC. I was afraid that we would struggle adjusting to the pitching Culver had to offer, considering we had just faced some of the best pitchers we will see all year down in Georgia. Luckily we had a big inning in Game 1, and scored in each of the first four innings in Game 2 to come away with our first two conference wins of the season. Six of our eight pitchers took the mound in the two games, and all of them did an amazing job at keeping the Culver hitters off-guard. I think we are all beginning to see how effective having such a deep pitching staff will be as our season progresses.

Rain washed away our chance of travelling to Winfield to play a non-conference series at Southwestern, but luckily sunny skies dried up our home field just in time for another HAAC double header against Graceland. Finally being able to play on Williams Field was beyond exciting, even if it was a little on the chilly side. Our bats struggled in the first game, even though we won by a score of 4-0. Thanks to a couple of walks and timely hits, we came away with a pretty ugly win if you ask me. We left no doubt in Game 2, though: scoring 7 runs early, then finally putting up the decisive 8th run in time for the 5-inning run rule victory. I was happy to see so many people at the games, and I hope they enjoyed themselves enough to come to some more home games--like on Wednesday when we host Central Methodist (who is also undefeated in the HAAC right now).

With four HAAC wins so far this season, I must say that I am even more anxious to see what this season truly has in store for us. We know that regardless of how good a team may be playing, on any given day, especially in our conference, they can lose the game that could have sealed their fate. My hope is that we will continue to work hard and live up to AND exceed the expectations that have been set for us. Next week will be a big test as we play two teams (CMU and Baker) who have started strong in the HAAC so far. We would love to see everyone who can make it in the stands as we work to take one step further toward a repeat HAAC title.

I want to take this time to thank Lynsey and Keeley's dads, who worked so diligently on our dugouts and field this last week. The time and effort they put in is extremely appreciated.

I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to all of my teammates and coaches who have helped me get through the sudden loss of my grandmother, who passed away just a few hours before we took the field against Graceland on Wednesday. Words cannot describe how blessed I am for each and everyone of them, and I will never forget all of the encouraging and uplifting words and prayers they have devoted to both me and my family in this time of trouble. I always knew I was lucky to be a member of MNU Softball, but this week has left no doubt that it truly is a blessing to represent Pioneer Nation.

Love Always,
Taylor #21

With Every Loss Comes a Lesson...

I think I can confidently say that every athlete in the world hates losing. On any level, at any age, in any event...losing never feels good. In my short career at MNU, I haven't lost very often. In fact, I have won more games in the 5 months I've been a Pioneer than I did in my two-year junior college career. Even then, I hated every loss we sufferred. It wasn't until I came here to MidAmerica when I learned that losing can actually be a good thing after all. I think our Spring Break trip is a prime example of that.

If you are reading this blog, I would assume that you are probably aware of the outcomes of each game we played in Savannah, Georgia. Despite defeating an NCAA Division I school twice (Savannah State University), we unfortunately were swept by a DII school (Armstrong Atlantic University) and a fellow NAIA ranked opponent on their home field (SCAD). While losing itself is hard to swallow, barely losing is even harder. You may have noticed that two of our games were decided by one run, with another being by two. Two of those three losses were games in which we were winning, but could not hold onto in the end. Call me crazy, but I would rather lose by 10 runs than one. I would rather never be up than lose a lead in the final inning. Coach Babs said at the end of our two-day series that he felt like we needed these losses; that we needed to know what the other teams we play go through when we beat them. As hard as it is to accept, I know--and the rest of the team knows--that he is right.

MNU vs. SCAD (6-7 L and 1-3 L)
I have always believed that 6 runs should win a ballgame. In fact, 3 or 4 should win a ballgame. Had we not given SCAD 4 runs in the very first inning, we easily would have won our first game. The pitching was astronomically better than what we had seen in our first 13 games of the season, but it took us a few innings to finally make our adjustments at the plate. SCAD won simply because they took advantage of extra opportunities we gave them--both on defense and with our bats. Jen, True, and Chelsea all hit homeruns, while Annie and TG split pitching time. The second game (our final game) came down to three big hits--one on our side and two on theirs. Fortunately for them, both of theirs came with runners in scoring position. It sucks that mistakes in a sport like softball can cost a team a game, whereas typically, mistakes in other sports only cost a team a small opportunity. SCAD took advantage of our missed opportunities, and in both games, that made all the difference.

MNU vs. Savannah State University (8-1 W and 1-0 W in 8 innings)
It seems odd that we managed to easily defeat an NCAA DI program by 7 runs in the first game, but then be forced to play an additional inning against them right after. The score of the first game best reflects how good we are as a team. The score of the second game simply reflects how easy it is to struggle when you think you can win half-heartedly. True and Jen hit homeruns in the first contest. Costa also won the game in the circle while receiving relief from Gale, Becca, and JJ. Kayla threw a complete game shutout in Game 2, and most definitely deserved the win she got thanks to TG's single through the right side in the bottom on the 8th inning.

MNU vs. Armstrong Atlantic University (4-5 L and 8-1 L)
I want to begin by saying that this school is the best team we have played thus far, and could possibly be the best team we end up playing all season. With the help of two homeruns by Jen, and consistent pitching from Jess, we had this DII school down going into the bottom of the 6th inning. Once again, small mistakes cost us the game. Armstrong scored two runs in their half of the 7th and shut us down in the bottom to get a come-from-behind win. Like I said earlier, I'd much rather lose by 10 than one, especially when you consider we were one out away from winning. The second game was ours for just a short second, then Armstrong literally took over. They hit three homeruns, all with runners on base, of course. Our bats never really came alive, despite a homerun by Salty in the top of the 1st. There's really nothing more to say. We finally learned what it is like to lose badly, and it was probably the biggest pride check I think I've ever experienced.

With every loss comes a lesson. Some lessons are easier to see than others. Coach has always said he prefers his team to go 20-0 in conference even if they go 0-20 before that. We've played 17 games and have won 13. Before Georgia, we didn't know what it was like to lose this year. Now we do. We now understand what it takes to hit quality pitching, what it means to start strong and finish strong, what we have to do if we want to repeat as HAAC Champions. I know that our experiences in Georgia will impact how we perform in the 20 games we play that really matter. I just hope that we as a team can understand that losing is inevitable in a failure sport like softball. What matters is how we use it to better ourselves in the future. I want to extend a huge CONGRATS to Seniors Jen Costa and Ashley Salter for making the All-Tournament Team in Georgia. I would also like to thank the families who made the drive to Savannah to watch us play. I don't ever think enough words can be said to signify how much it means to have you there cheering us on. Thank you for everything.

The small amount of time we had not on the softball field was well worth the 18 hour bus ride. We found entertainment in going to the beach, shopping, and enjoying our luxurious condominiums complete with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, three bedrooms, and a hot tub. We were happy to be in the sunshine while Olathe was being snowed on, but not so thrilled about dousing ourselves in dryer sheets and bug spray due to the large gnat population in Savannah. All in all, our trip was fun and much-needed. I am anxious to open up HAAC play with our double header against Culver-Stockton tomorrow, and even more excited to continue our quest for another trip down South to Alabama and the NAIA National Tournament in May.

See you at the ballpark!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Georgia On Our Minds

I am writing this blog as our bus approaches its last couple of hours on the road before we finally arrive in Savannah, Georgia for the next 6 games on our schedule. It’s been a busy week for MNU Softball, despite having 4 games cancelled because of rain. When we finally did get to take the field on Thursday, it truly felt like we were starting our season up all over again. We traveled to Lindsborg for a non-conference double header against Bethany, and while we may have come away with two wins (or “dubs” as Salty would say), our team as a whole grew up a little that night. Despite us having a convincing 5-0 lead late in the game, Bethany slowly came back and tied the game in their last at bats to force extra innings. For the first time this season, our defense was tested. Yes, we struggled against St. Mary’s and Peru State earlier, but not like this. Errors meant losing the game this time around. Luckily we were able to get out of two big jams, turning an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the 8th, and another to end the game in the 9th. An entirely different team showed up in the second game as we finished things early with an 8-0 run-rule in 6 innings. A long bus ride home put us back on campus at 1:30 Friday morning, and with little time to prepare for our triple header at Oklahoma Wesleyan Saturday in Bartlesville.

As good as it felt to cross the Oklahoma state line and pull up to the same fields I remember playing on from the time I was ten years old, I personally came into our 3-game matchup with OWU extremely worried. Any athlete competing in a team sport will admit that it is very hard to beat a team three times, especially when those three times come consecutively. I learned that they had beaten #10 Oklahoma City University earlier in the week, so of course, I knew they wouldn’t just be a push-over. I was happy to see us score quickly in the first game, and then produce big plays on defense to stop any momentum OWU was beginning to have. While we may have won Game 1 pretty easily (9-0) in 5 innings, Game 2 was yet another mental test for us.

After spotting them a couple runs in the first inning, it seemed to take our bats forever to get going. Jen helped us by hitting a solo homerun early in the game, but we found ourselves losing 3-1 in the top half of the 6th inning. TG led us off with a double, followed by another Jen Costa homerun to tie the game. Salty followed my single with a homerun as well, putting us up by 2 late in the game. Our offenses continued to score in our half of the 7th, and we were blessed to come away with our 10th straight win of the season. The final game was fortunately very much like Game 1 on both sides of the ball. Thanks to three homeruns by Jen, TG, and True, and strong pitching from TG, Gale, and Jess, we took the third game in 5 innings as well.

Immediately after playing our 3 games in Oklahoma, we were provided with an opportunity to shower in the female athletic locker rooms on campus before venturing east for the night…and well into the following day. It’s been hard staying entertained and finding comfortable sleeping positions, and even harder waiting to finally arrive in Savannah at our condos on the beach. I don’t know what this team would be like if technology did not exist. Our iPods have been our saving grace, and DVDs are the only things keeping us from going crazy. We know the trip will be well-worth the wait, though. Seeing the beach and feeling the gorgeous weather that Kansas has been lacking as of late will be a huge sigh of relief for all the players and coaches. I am so excited to get there, take the field, and pick up right where we left off in Oklahoma.

As MNU Softball currently sits at #21 in the NAIA, with a seemingly impressive 11-0 record, everyone knows that our season truly begins once we start facing conference opponents. While we may be the favorites of the HAAC this season, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that the favorite usually doesn’t end up on top in the end. We want to change that. Last season was our year to shock people—and we did. Never did we have a thing to lose when we played Evangel, Lindenwood, Central Methodist, or MO Valley. We weren’t supposed to win. This year, the roles are completely reversed. Everyone wants to beat MNU. Hopefully playing these tougher opponents in Georgia (SCAD, Savannah State, and Armstrong Atlantic) will help us come home to Olathe and prepare for the most important twenty games of our season. I'll try my hardest to keep this updated throughout the next few days as we represent MidAmerica down South.

Thanks for the support! Go Pioneers!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Six Games In...

I can finally post a blog about our games instead of our practices :)

Last week we were able to beat the snow and get a couple of games in against St. Mary's, and luckily we had some time to work on areas we noticed needed improving before beginning an 8-game, 4-day adventure this week. What I love is that we may have made it a little too close in Game 1, but we literally came alive in Game 2 to live up to what we can do as a team. Coach warned us how different this season would be than last. As the underdogs from Day 1, we never had a thing to lose on the ballfield. We were expected to fall, expected to not make great plays, expected not to hit well. This season, the tables have completely turned. Playing St. Mary's showed us that teams play well when they have nothing to lose. We know, because we've been there. It's not easy getting used to having targets on our backs, but I have faith that once we get a few more games in this season, we will rise up to all of the hype.

Peru State decided to play us in a last minute deal, and I am very grateful for their coach committing to travel on such short notice in order to get some games in. One thing we faced that we weren't very used to was being behind late in the game. It wasn't until the 5th inning that we started adjusting to the pitcher, and luckily for us it wasn't too little, too late. T (Tianna George) came up HUGE for us by nailing a 2-run homerun that put us up a run. Jen pitched great and deserved the win hands down. Thankfully Game 2 was a little less nervewracking. Jess pitched so great, and of course, Jen hit two homeruns. What else is new? HAHA! :) It feels great to see our team not only start strong and end strong, but also work through adversity and come through when it matters. The more we play, the more excited I am to see how the season will unfold once HAAC play starts.

St. Mary's came down to play us again for two more "home" games. I say "home" games because we are still unable to play at Williams Field on campus, but have the ability to use Lone Elm Sports Complex instead. It took us a while to score, but once we did, we never really stopped. 7 runs in one inning was plenty of runs to come away with a win, but the final score ended up being 10-1 in 5 innings (via the 8-run ahead mercy rule). Jen hit her 4th homerun of the season while I hit my 1st...and of course, my mom missed it because she was getting her jacket out of the car. Kayla, Jess, and JJ (Jordan Payne) all pitched great, making it easier for us to hold onto our lead. Kayla got hit in the wrist by a line drive, but still pitched a few innings after. I'm really impressed with how she stayed in after getting hit, and hopefully it is not a serious injury.

The second game was just as impressive from our pitching staff--Annie throwing her ridiculous change-up that even fools me from first base, followed by Tianna who literally blew the ball right past every batter she faced, then Becca hitting her spots left and right. In 2 games, we used 6 of our 8 pitchers. I couldn't help but laugh when I overheard a St. Mary's player say, "Jeez! How many pitchers do they have?!" from inside the dugout. Words can't describe how great it feels to play defense behind such a diverse and quality pitching staff. Offensively we struck early and often, which I (and surely Coach Babs) love! T hit another homerun in the first inning, and everything else was hit-after-hit-after-hit. A few errors helped us out too, but I was extremely pleased with how often we put the ball in play. Thanks again to the 8-run ahead rule, game two ended quickly with an 11-0 score.

Sadly our four games against Grand View University got cancelled this weekend (STUPID RAIN!!). We have a busy week ahead of us though: a double header against an always good Bethany College at their place Tuesday...a 4-game series between Kansas Wesleyan and McPherson College (both away games) on Wednesday...a triple header in BEAUTIFUL OKLAHOMA against an up and coming program in Oklahoma Wesleyan...and then a 17-hour bus ride to Savannah, Georgia for 6 games against some of the best teams we will face all season.
Keep checking mnusports.com and/or the MNU Athletics Facebook page for updates. I can't promise to be as efficient as they are, but I will do my best to post another entry next week before we head out of state for Spring Break :)

#21 MNU Softball is 6-0!! GREAT DAY (AND WEEK) TO BE A PIONEER!!

Love Always,
Taylor #21

Praying for Sunshine!

Hello, hello. Hopefully this time next week I will actually have an entry worth posting instead of one like I am posting tonight. Once again, our games this past weekend at Oklahoma Wesleyan were postponed due to weather. I don't even know if words can describe how anxious the team is to begin this season, especially now that we've had to wait an additional 2 weeks to play.

This weekend we are hosting an invitational tournament at Lone Elm Park Softball Complex in Olathe, and have some quality opponents ahead of us. Playing Ottawa will be a true test, considering the last time we played them was in our final game of the 2010 season at Nationals down in Alabama. We ended their season with a loss, so it goes without saying that they will be ready to get some revenge. We will also be tested against St. Gregory's University, a school that participates in what is arguably one of the toughest conferences in NAIA Softball: the Sooner Athletic Conference. I played against several of the SGU players when we were younger, and I know they will be a tough opponent. Bellevue (Nebraska) University is also a team I am looking forward to playing. They qualified for Nationals last season, like us, and seem to always have a great team year after year.

I'm just so excited to see what our team can do. We were finally able to go outside last week and work on team defense (my personal favorite). Our pitchers continue to work hard and look great during live hitting sessions, and our hitters are constantly working to improve themselves. All we can do now is continue to hope and pray that the rain is light, the temperatures warm up, and the sun shines once Friday and Saturday arrive. It's almost time for MNU SOFTBALL!! Get excited :)

P.S. Coach Mac showed us an awesome video to help us understand the importance of believing in ourselves, and I thought it was worth sharing with you as well. Click here to see it.

Love Always,
Taylor #21