The Marshalltown Community College softball team wrapped up its 2013 fall schedule and first year head coach Ty Robinson has plenty to look forward to for the upcoming regular season. The Tigers concluded the fall season against NCAA Division I opponent Iowa.
"We had seven days to prepare as a team," said Robinson, who was hired to lead the Tigers just before the start of the fall semester. "The group was very successful in a limited amount of time. The players picked up the system and were able to adapt very quickly."
MCC squared off against multiple two-year and four-year institutions from across the region, displaying an offensive attack that was backed up by solid pitching. The Tigers took on Region XI Division I opponents Muscatine, Southeastern, and Indian Hills, splitting doubleheaders with each opponent.
The Tigers went 2-1 on Sept. 21 at the Morningside Tournament in Sioux City, IA, defeating Dordt College and Northwestern. MCC took four wins from the Iowa State club team, outscoring the Cyclones 49-7.
"We played a pretty competitive schedule this year. We saw different teams that provided us with different challenges." Robinson described the Iowa game as pivotal learning environment for the Tigers. "Playing against the Hawkeyes gave us a completely different challenge, something the team had not seen before. It was a great atmosphere to play in and provided great experience to the entire team. The players knew what they were up against, and went in with a great attitude."
In all, the Tigers outscored their opponents 121-71 throughout the course of the fall.
"We had a lot of players step up at different times throughout the fall," continued Robinson. "All around, we had a strong showing." Robinson pointed to Holli Baker's bat as an offensive leader in the upcoming regular season."Holli showed she was a leader of the team and had a strong fall for us at the plate."
A trio of veteran pitchers led the way in the circle for the Tigers. Robinson will look to sophomores Sarah Wilson, Brianna James, and Mackenzie Gott to continue their success in the 2014 season. "Our pitchers were very tough to score against when they were hitting their spots this fall. That's something will look to lean on in the spring."
The MCC roster features a total of 13 players- nine sophomores and six freshman. Robinson praised the play of the freshman class, pointing to newcomers McKenna Hotopp and Lexie Biehl. "McKenna is a strong utility player that we can use at multiple positions. Lexie showed a variety of tools for us, especially defensively with her glove at shortstop."
The offseason will give the Tigers more time to grow as a team. "We'll hold individual workouts and weight-training programs throughout the winter to help get better every day. This is a great group to work with and I'm looking forward to the upcoming season."
