MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University softball team is slated to begin its 2020-21 season on Friday, as Dakota Wesleyan faces Presentation College at 10 a.m. as part of the PC Dome Classic in Aberdeen, S.D.
In his opening season at the helm, head coach Derek Lien will get his first chance to gauge and assess the Tigers, who will be competing for the first time in nearly a year as they square off against their in-state rivals.
"What is going to be key this season is the performance we get from our returners, especially with a number of talented freshmen itching for their chance to see the field," commented Lien on how he plans to assess his team's progression throughout the season. "If our returners play the level of ball we know they can play, and we fill in some gaps with freshman who do their job, I am going to be able to sleep most nights!"
The DWU softball roster currently boasts 10 returners from a season ago, including seven upperclassmen. Therefore, the Tigers figure to have plenty of skill, talent and firepower keeping opposing hitters up at night according to the first-year head coach.
"I feel incredibly positive about our returners as well as our junior and senior class this year," Lien stated.
Returning Talent
Alyssa Garcia (L.A. Verne, Calif.), who took advantage of an extra year of eligibility from last season, will be a key piece to the Dakota Wesleyan lineup. Garcia led the Tigers offensively a year ago with a batting average of .404 and a slugging percentage of .538 in 19 appearances. She tallied 21 hits, nine runs, four doubles and one home run in 52 trips to plate.
A senior leader that will be looked upon throughout the season is Stephanie Gabel (Sioux Falls, S.D.). She concluded last season with 15 hits, three doubles, two homeruns and 12 RBIs in 18 games she played in. Throughout her career, Gabel has totaled a .281 batting average, along with 62 hits and 38 RBIs. According to Lien, Gabel will be the leader of the infield and has often been the overall leader for the team.
"Steph has taken huge strides this year to become an incredible playmaker in the field," Lien commented about his senior infielder. "Her ability to consistently put the ball in play (and hit for power) makes her someone who will see the field almost every game."
A natural centerfielder with the ability to cover plenty of ground according to Lien, Adriana Thomason (Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to take charge of the outfield during her junior campaign. Thomason earned All-GPAC Honorable Mention accolades during the 2018-19 season and recorded 16 putouts along with three assists a season ago. At the plate, she recorded 14 hits, 10 runs, four RBIs, five doubles and a triple during 57 trips to the plate in 2020.
In the circle, key returners for Dakota Wesleyan include Devany Farris (Cheyenne, Wyo.) and Kyllie Ramirez (Revillo, S.D.). Farris returns as the expected closer for DWU and collected 20 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched along with a 3.34 ERA in 2020. Meanwhile, Ramirez is expected to be a leader among the pitchers as she tallied 11 strikeouts in 22.1 innings and finished her sophomore campaign with a 2-3 record.
Other key returners for Dakota Wesleyan are Allison McElveny (Chula Vista, Calif.), Meghan Daffern (Tehachapi, Calif.), Reagan Nebel (Hayti, S.D.) and Haley Linke (Mitchell, S.D.).
Despite a handful of seasoned veterans returning to the diamond, the Dakota Wesleyan roster also features 11 new faces all competing for playing time. With so much raw talent, a sense of optimism and expected patience surrounds this year's newcomers.
"With this many young players, you are going to have your struggles early on as we adjust to playing a faster game," expressed Lien, the Sioux Falls, S.D. native. "We have also had to learn to let the little things brush off our shoulders which isn't easy when you are trying to make a statement early as a freshman. However, I am really proud of our team overall and I really like our freshman class as there are plenty of names to talk about."
Key Additions
Reagan Grossi (Vail, Ariz.) is expected to compete at the catcher position and developed plenty of offensive firepower during her four-year prep career at Empire High School. As a sophomore, Grossi tallied a career-high .529 batting average and .704 on-base percentage along with 21 runs, nine hits and seven RBIs. At the conclusion of her junior campaign, she was named to the Sports 360 AZ All-Academic Softball Team.
Alyssa Burke (Rapid City, S.D.) is anticipated to be another strong player at the plate for the Tigers. Burke finished her career at Rapid City Central High School with a .722 slugging percentage and had no strikeouts while at the plate. The 5-foot-8 freshman also competed for the RC Crush as she tallied a .605 batting average.
Defensively, Monique Gomez (Santa Maria, Calif.) is a natural second basemen and carries a very smooth glove per Lien. Gomez served as team captain at Pioneer Valley High School during her senior campaign and was a member of the USA Phenom and So Cal Diamonds. The 5-foot-1 freshman finished her prep-career with a batting average of .330 and was a three-time Scholar-Athlete member.
Other newcomers with really strong starts to the season and to keep an eye on are Alexys Durham (Rapid City, S.D.), Lena McCoy (Estherville, Iowa), Katelyn Farris (Converse, Texas) and Nora Nelson (Rapid City, S.D.).
Holding a lineup filled with both raw talent and tested experience, Dakota Wesleyan is focused on building off the previous two seasons. DWU finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 12-30 mark and boasted an 8-13 record at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.
"This is a biased outlook, but I really like our squad this season and better yet we have everything to prove and nothing to lose this season," expressed the first-year head coach on this year's goals and expectations. "This team will surprise a lot of people this season and I like our odds to get back to the GPAC tournament in May. It's a redemption season for our returners and they have not forgotten how it felt to have a season taken away from them."
With a sense of redemption and ambition for a trip to the conference tournament at the top of the list, DWU embarks on the 2020-21 season with plenty of opportunities to gauge and assess the direction of the program. The Tigers will face 20 non-conference opponents to open the season before embarking on their 22-game conference slate.
"I am excited for the challenge, however, I am putting a lot of pressure on myself this year," iterated Lien on his own, personal goals and expectations entering his first season as head coach. "The GPAC is a gauntlet each game you play so we cannot afford to not be prepared before each contest. I have challenged myself and our staff to put the hours in watching game film and practice film to have the best game plan possible."
"My main goal is to not be out worked this year and ensure our athletes are ready to play hard each day," also added Lien. "The hardest part will be accepting the fact that I might get out-coached in some games. Yet, at the end of the day, I would take this group of players over anyone else every single day."
Despite the possibility of getting out-coached in his first season, the Sioux Falls, S.D., native is no stranger to the game of softball. Having competed in the men's fast-pitch softball circuit for much of his life, Lien carries a unique coaching style to the Dakota Wesleyan program.
"I have been fortunate to play with and against some of the best athletes to ever play fast-pitch softball, including Hall-of-Famers," expressed Lien on his experiences and background in the game. "At its core, softball is softball so my playing experiences have helped to put our players in better positions depending on what the situation is. I think it is also important towards my credibility with our girls if they can see me practice what I preach."
No matter the position it finds itself in, the Dakota Wesleyan University softball program is in good hands. The 2020-21 campaign figures to have its fair share of difficulties and adversities, though, through a game-by-game approach the Tigers can expect a season of development and improvement. After facing Presentation College Friday morning in the PC Dome, the Tigers will face three other opponents over the weekend in Aberdeen, S.D., including University of Jamestown, Valley City State University and Dordt University.