After a slow start to their season, the Gophers softball team hopes to turn the tide and grow as the season progresses.
The Gophers spent the last three weeks on the road, but they will finally see Gophers fans in the crowd of U.S. Bank Stadium. The Gophers will play five games in three days this upcoming weekend.
Minnesota’s current 5-9 record is not where the team wants to be sitting.
Head coach Piper Ritter said the team needs to improve for this upcoming weekend.
“We have to take care of the ball,” Ritter said. “For us, we have to keep working on limiting the freebies. Make them earn every 60 feet they get.”
Ritter is not the only person who wants to help the team improve. Catcher Taylor Krapf said she wants to achieve a couple of her own goals alongside winning games.
“I think consistency, sometimes there are going to be bad at-bats or bad games,” Krapf said. “Just finding that happy medium of just being consistent through every game. Doing whatever I can to help the team.”
Despite the losses, Krapf’s season is off to a good start. She hit three home runs, nine runs batted in (RBIs) and 52 putouts (PO) in 14 games. Krapf said she is proud of her ability to bounce back.
“If I don’t have a good at-bat or don’t have a good game, just being able to reset and get the next one,” Krapf said. “Just being able to bounce back and not let my past define what’s coming in the future.”
Ritter started coaching for the Gophers 17 years ago, holding various positions.
She spent 13 years as the pitching coach and four years as the head coach. Prior to working for the Gophers, Ritter played for the team from 2001 to 2004.
She said she would like to see the team’s resilience heading into Big Ten play.
“We have a really tough schedule and right now we are a little banged up,” Ritter said. “So getting back down there and getting people healthy for the stretch of our post spring break.”
Both Ritter and Krapf agreed that the team’s main goal for the season is to win.
“To finish in the top of the Big Ten because if you finish top of the Big Ten you give yourself the chance to go to regionals, if you go to regionals you give yourself a chance to go to the college world series,” Ritter said.
Excitement is high for this upcoming weekend as the Gophers have yet to play at home this season.
“We love to play at home and we love to play with our fans,” Ritter said. “People get to come and watch Gopher softball in February and March that never happens. So that’s what’s exciting about it.”
The first game of the Gopher Indoor Classic is on Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. against North Dakota State.
