Season Recap, Northwestern College Red Raiders

YOUTHFUL RAIDERS FOCUS ON IMPROVEMENT DURING 2009 SEASON

The Northwestern College softball team had a new look during the 2009 season, not just on the field but also in the dugout. Former skipper and last year’s assistant coach, Dave Hulsart, took over the reigns after former head coach Melanie Mason left following seven seasons. Hulsart returned just seven letter winners and welcomed eight freshmen as the Raiders vied for their 10 TeamReview ^th straight season with 20 or more wins. They finished the season with a 13-24 overall mark, 10-14 in the competitive GPAC conference and did not qualify for the postseason. Coach Hulsart, however, saw great improvement in the Raiders, as noted by their 11-10 record over the final month of the season. “One thing you look for in athletes is the ability to deal with and battle through adversity,” commented Hulsart. “We noticed early on that this group had what it takes to focus on getting better each and every day.”

After four weeks of practice indoors, the Raiders traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to get an early look at the team’s progress as they played Grand View in a non-conference doubleheader. Although Northwestern was swept, Coach Hulsart and his staff were able to see their young squad in real game action. “Our first contest was an outstanding softball game and was a good indication of the potential that this group had,” commented Hulsart. “However, one downfall with playing so early is that the gap before your next games.”

Northwestern then traveled south over the spring break to play in the Tucson Invitational, where they got to compete against several other NAIA and NCAA D-III teams. The Raiders finished the tournament with a 2-6 record, earning their first wins of the season against Purdue-North Central (4-3) and Calumet-St. Joseph (8-4). The Raiders returned home and opened with four straight losses within conference play, followed by a 1-2 record at the Morningside Invitational.

Coach Hulsart’s club resumed conference play with a sweep over USF and then split a GPAC doubleheader against conference-leading Hastings in which freshman Kami Kuhlmann (Charter Oak, Iowa) threw an impressive six-hit shutout. After back-to-back losses to Dordt and Nebraska Wesleyan, the Raiders finished the season with a 7-5 record and were playing their best ball at the end. They finished 10^th in the GPAC with a 10-14 mark.

Harris Sophomore outfielder Rachel Harris (Akron, Iowa) led the team with a .343 average and headed a list of four players who earned all-conference honors. The centerfielder and lead-off batter received second-team accolades after scoring 22 runs and leading the team with 10 stolen bases. She set a single-season record with 27 walks and recorded an on-base percentage of .477. Junior shortstop Sara Curry (Fort Collins, Colo.) was named honorable mention all-GPAC for the second straight year after hitting .294 with a team-best 21 RBIs. The anchor of the Raider defense, Curry boasted an impressive .944 fielding percentage and earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. Freshmen Glory Benson (Arvada, Colo.) and Shelby Johnson (Akron, Iowa) also earned honorable mention all-GPAC honors. Benson hit .288 and scored a team-high 23 runs as the Raiders leftfielder. Johnson hit .308 with 20 RBIs and also boasted the ninth-best fielding percentage in the program’s history (.990) from behind the plate. The freshman committed just two errors in 192 chances and also threw out 14 base runners. Pitcher Gavi Burrola (Gallup, N.M.) finished out her career 10^th all-time with 129 strikeouts in her two seasons. Burrola led the pitching staff with seven wins and posted a 2.89 ERA. Kuhlmann went 6-5 with a 2.33 ERA from the mound after joining the team late due to her basketball commitments.