By: Justin Hall ’22, staff writer
The LVC softball team is ready to make its long-awaited return to the diamond and kick off the 2021 season.
The Dutchmen are preparing for a shortened 28-game schedule, which only features games against other MAC conference opponents. The season will culminate with a post-season MAC playoffs and subsequent NCAA championships in May.
Although the schedule is shorter this season, there are still a high volume of games the Dutchmen will play every week. Each weekend the team will compete in a four-game series that features a pair of doubleheaders against the same opponent.
Junior right-fielder Kylie Balthaser had this to say about the upcoming schedule.
“Playing four games over a span of two days will test us physically for sure,” Balthaser said. “But I think it will be good for us to have almost a week of recovery and practice between gamedays.”
The Dutchmen will feature a lot of new faces this year. There are 12 first-year players being introduced to the lineup, to go along with six returners from last year. Only three of the returning players are upperclassmen, so the younger players will be relied upon heavily.
“We definitely have a lot of new faces,” Balthaser said. “The underclassmen are definitely going to have to step up, but I’m confident that they will do just that.”
The Dutchmen have high expectations for the upcoming season, as they try to capture the elusive MAC championship.
“Our expectations this year are high,” Balthaser said. “The ultimate goal is to win the conference championship and advance to regionals.”
Despite the high expectations, the Dutchmen are happy to be back competing on the field. In a season that many doubted would happen, it is important to appreciate the opportunity to play, according to Balthaser.
“What we are definitely looking forward to most is just getting back out on the field and playing the game we love,” Balthaser explained. “It has been over a year, so I know all of us are just really excited to be able to compete again.”
The Dutchmen open their season on March 13, when they host Eastern University for a doubleheader at LVC Softball Park. Games will be streamed live and available at www.godutchmen.com/watch.