In the past month, eight spring sports have kicked off their seasons but all eyes have been on the softball team. In the last five seasons, the RedHawks have made four state appearances. The team is currently ranked first in the state and 20th in the nation.
“We recently just beat the number one team in the state that was also ranked nationally,” said junior infielder and Northwestern commit Mary Fortner. “We’re really rolling right now. We feel pretty good.”
Besides their big win against nationally-ranked Glenwood High School, the RedHawks also defeated south side rival, Mother McAuley 17-0 April 13 and ESCC rival, Benet Academy 15-0 April 15, both games ending early in the fourth inning.
“We’ve got a tough schedule. We play all the best teams in the state,” said head coach Colleen Phelan. “ We’re not shying away from anyone in order to get ready for the postseason.”
This year means more for the team after their season ended when they faced the Oswego Panthers in last year’s super-sectional game and were upset, losing 5-1. With a team full of returning players, the RedHawks have what it takes to win.
“It’s been nice having a veteran team full of upperclassmen,” said Phelan. “We have kind of been able to jump right in because we know the routine, we know the drills, we know the signs, we know the place. It’s just kind of a review now.”
The RedHawks are led by a total of 10 upperclassmen. This not only benefits the team on the field, but off of it as well. The veteran players are able to help the underclassmen become better at not just softball, but at life in general.
“I think that as an upperclassman and having two new pitchers on our varsity roster, I was able to help them learn how to be a Marist pitcher,” said junior pitcher and Wisconsin commit Soleil Tate. “I think I’ve also shown some of the younger girls that no matter how good you are, you still have to work hard.”
Members of the Marist softball program are no strangers to hard work and dedication. The team, while their season began in late February, have been preparing for this year for a long time.
“We’ve been lifting and working out together with the core returners for 10-plus months now. They work hard three days a week,” said Phelan. “Once our season started, we had four weeks of preseason, where we really focused on all the fundamentals, the little things, team culture, that kind of stuff.”
While working out and practicing are huge factors for the team’s success, a hidden aspect of this is the overall team culture. The team has to learn to stick by one another, despite there being bumps in the road.
“We have seniors that help to uphold the team culture by doing different team bonding activities throughout the year,” said Phelan. “I think it’s super important to do that stuff a couple times a month.”
To maintain said culture among the team, Phelan has instilled in the players three core values that they should live by all season. These values are trust, grit, and belonging.
“Our goal is to stay connected as one,” said Tate. “We need to stay together the whole time and trust each other.”
The RedHawks, through any and all ups and downs, are unified by one goal: to bring home a state championship. The team has come close to winning but has not brought home a first place trophy since 2023. With this year’s team, they have the opportunity to re-crown themselves as the queens of Class 4A.
“We’re back for vengeance after last year’s unfortunate loss in the super-sectional, so we’re really going for gold this year,” said Fortner.
