Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

May 24, 2021
And just like that the season’s over. It was one heck of a ride.

The past few weeks were hectic. The road to G-MAC’s was exhausting. During finals week we had to play eight games while we all also had to balance two-to-six final exams. Hey, what’s life without a roller coaster thrown in there?

Ohio Valley: Two wins
Kentucky Wesleyan: Two losses (and a rain delay which forced us to play at 9:00 p.m.:)
Malone: Two Losses (At this point, the majority of us thought we were out of G-MAC contention)
Ohio Dominican: Split.

It was close, but with Ursuline beating Kentucky Wesleyan, we squeaked our way into the tournament….And in the tournament, seeding means nothing. Everyone in that tournament earned it.

And then the G-MAC Tournament began. We had to play Trevecca. Which we were excited to do. They were the number one seed…and we BEAT them. Actually, there were upsets all the way around. We (number eight seed) beat the number one seed. The seventh seed (Ursuline) beat the number two seed (Hillsdale), and the number six seed (Ohio Dominican) beat the number three seed (Malone).

Continuing into our tournament we played Tiffin. A night game once again…and once again it was tight. We had them going into the seventh inning with the score being 1-0. Tiffin staged a comeback and got two, sending us into the loser’s bracket. We then had to play Hillsdale in the morning, and it wasn’t good. They ended up mercy ruling us.

It wasn’t the way we planned for the tournament to go. We know we could have played better and gone farther. It’s a shame we didn’t, but we’re thankful that God got us there in the first place. And I think we’re all still very happy about beating Trevecca :)

Inside Scoop:

The week leading up to the G-MAC Tourney was interesting to say the least. It was filled with a lot of fish. Ashley Bortlein’s fish went missing the first night we all moved into the late-stay housing. Then a bunch of us bought fish and left them in Coach Rowe’s sink. (SURPRISE). Abbey Mayes gained a few fish herself….Yeah, a lot of fishy activity was going on.

Now, with the tournament over we have all went our separate ways. I believe Zoe Pressnall summed up the season well with her latest Instagram post (@zoepressnall), so I’ll just provide you with her caption.

Freshman Year:
Rick might have to amputate her arm. KK might lose a leg. Casey broke her back. Sami spilled her coffee. Brooke turned into a cookie. Sophia has a secret. Mariah smelled a lot. McKenna never knew what position she was going to play. And for me, I’m still thinking about my one good at bat. Love you guys so much!

If you don’t understand, I’ll summarize. Our girls were injured (more than what’s stated above), and they fought through. They gave their all for this team and for our Lord. They are now recovering.

Sami had a little coffee accident on her way back from G-MAC’s. The bus accelerated, throwing her off balance, crashing into me, and then the bus wall. The coffee spilled everywhere - the floor, the wall, Sami’s face, Sami’s hair, and she sat in a puddle of it.
Brooke Miller’s nickname on the year was Brookie Cookie.
Sophia has a secret. I know the secret. Others know the secret, but unfortunately it must stay within the softball team. Sorry. (She has a boyfriend though!)
Mariah smelled for most of the season. I don’t mean that she’s a naturally smelly person. In fact, naturally she probably smells like roses. Unfortunately, there have been a few times she’s forgotten deodorant… and then there’s her feet.
I got to play seven out of the nine positions this year. Which I truly love. It’s a lot of fun going out there and having the trust of my Coach to take on whatever position he puts me in. Although, just so we’re clear, 52% of my time was spent at SS.
And Zoe? She played great out there. She did have a phenomenal at bat that we all remember. She also had an incredible double play off a line drive. She’s a dime.

Accolades:

Casey Bertke: We put her first because she’s incredible. (DUH). She might not have won Freshman of the Year at Cedarville, but she won it in the G-MAC! It was well earned with her ERA being 1.35 over 119.2 innings. Not to mention, we all got to watch her batting average rise to .292 to finish the year. In conference play, she batted .385. Miss Casey Bertke also was voted onto the All- Conference Second Team. We await her standout sophomore year.

Faith Bergner: Coach Jess’s choice for who she would not let date her son. Okay, that’s not her real accolade. Miss Faith was voted onto the All-Conference Third Team! She batted a straight .300 in the conference and finished a stellar freshman year with a .269 avg. The girl also made some amazing diving catches and great throws to home.

McKenna Smith (@ me): I was voted onto the All-Conference Second Team, which just proves that no matter how bad things start, they can always get better. My sophomore year was ratchet. I batted .031 in my first 32 AB’s. I struggled defensively as well. I lost my starting position. I was a mess. God reminded me that year that I might have been thinking that my world was falling apart, but maybe it was falling into place. I persevered. I devote this year to Him. It’s His work.

Addie Ziehmer: Another amazing pitcher that was voted onto the All-Conference Third Team. Babe killed it with a 2.60 ERA over 83.1 innings. She also gave us some clutch at bat’s at the plate. Besides that, I’d like to recognize Addie for something else. She’s a tough love kind of girl, but throughout this whole season she asked our team to be selfless and to put their hearts out there to win. She stepped up as a leader this year, which is incredibly hard to do as a freshman. I, and all our teammates, are incredibly proud of her. We know next year she’s going to kill it…once again.

Well, that about summarizes this year of Cedarville Softball. We’re losing two great upperclassmen in Brooke Miller and Ashley Bortlein, but besides them the team is staying the same. We are jam-packed with underclassmen, and we learned a lot this year. We didn’t meet our own expectations, but trophies don’t go to the ones that have a good beginning. Next year is the next step, and we plan on being better than we were this year. We know we’re capable of great things.

XOXO

- McKenna

P.S. Enjoy this picture of Sami covered in coffee.


April 28, 2021
To summarize the past two weeks, we’ve played Tiffin and Trevecca. We split with Tiffin and dropped two to Trevecca.
    
Most of the upperclassmen were very excited to play Tiffin again considering the last time we played them. The last time was a 10 inning game in the G-MAC Semifinal two years ago (COVID happened last year, obvi). That was one heck of a game.

Funny story. We won that game by one run. Brooke Miller happened to be that winning run. However, she never actually stepped on home plate. We have it on video. Luckily for us, the umps and Tiffin didn’t catch it and we ended up winning ;)

As for Trevecca, we made our first trip down south in four years. It was a fun one. Trevecca’s field is absolutely beautiful. I do have to say it rivals our own. While we did lose both games, there were some good things that happened. One, the games were hard fought, and we hit well. Two, Trevecca and us have now become closer friends.

Before the game, Trevecca handed us personal notes from each of their players to our own. This is something we typically do here at Cedarville but haven’t this year because of COVID. Anyway, they were very sweet. During warm-ups we got to chat with some of their girls, and they informed us that they don’t typically send out notes. They did this only for us because we have always done it for them. Their other reason was because of their star athlete, MaKray Odom (now Farris, as she recently got married). MaKray told us during warm-ups that two years ago she was in a rough spot and received a note from one of our players, who was number 18 (so, Danae Fields), that really encouraged her and brought her closer to God. She said it made her cry tears of happiness. She told us that she hopes that if we come down there again her team will carry on this new tradition. Besides this heart-felt moment, Trevecca also has a lot of fun during their pre-game warmups. Before the game starts, they do some line dancing. Of course, some of our players had to participate in this. They tried their best (Brooke Miller, Chloe Vaughn, and Mariah Wallace), but Trevecca is clearly the superior line dancing group. LOL.

Inside Scoop:

From Trevecca we went straight to Kentucky Wesleyan to play them. Unfortunately, the games were rained out, but that didn’t stop us from having some fun. On the way from Trevecca to Kentucky Wesleyan we had a little contest. Basically, the contest was to determine which teammate had the fattest simp of a boyfriend. It came down to either Kylie Hertzler’s boyfriend or Bella Ross’ boyfriend.

Well, after a lengthy conversation with one of the boyfriends, we claimed Bella’s as the winner (Jimmy Miller on the baseball team). This was then shared with his teammates and his head Coach (Coach Manes) who agreed this was true.

Another fun event would have had to have been the next day when we were waiting to hear if our games would be rained out or not. We waited until around 4-5 p.m. During that time, some of escaped the bus and found ourselves on Kentucky Wesleyan’s football field playing Storytime (where everyone stands in a circle and says one word until it makes a story). We also had a nice little dance party/photo op on KW’s football field (very nice turf field btw).

Teammate Insight:

Ashley Bortlein: Junior Outfielder
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Favorite Teammate Quote: “One time in eighth grade I took a golf cart and got into Warped Tour. I met the manager of Asking Alexandria, and then me and my friend took the golf cart through the McDonald’s drive-thru.” - McKenna Smith
Ashley will be leaving us this semester as she technically graduates from the School of Pharmacy. She is known on our team as an organizer and a great contact hitter. She will be missed next year.
Disney Character: Meg from Hercules (No explanation. It is what it is.)




Kaley Clark: Freshman Outfielder
Teammate She Would Make Walk the Plank: Zoe Pressnall
Funniest Teammate Quote: “Shawty got the bugs.”-Arica Flaugher
Kaley has the most joyful spirit on our team. She always appears to be happy even when we know she’s sad. And when she is sad she is still an amazing comforter to the rest of her teammates. Also, she reminds us of her Golden Retriever. They are one in the same.
Disney Character: Belle from Beauty and the Beast (She’s beautiful on the inside and the outside.)


So, now we play six more. Kentucky Wesleyan, Malone, and at Ohio Dominican. Three days, three games. Wish us luck :)

XOXO

-McKenna


April 13, 2021
My sincerest apologies for keeping you out of the loop for a week. Luckily for you, a lot has happened in the past two weeks. We’ll look at our games first.

Ursuline: 1-1… Lost the first game, mercy ruled them in the second.
Walsh: 1-1… Lost the first game (10 innings), mercy ruled them in the second.
Hillsdale: 1-1…. WON the first game, we got mercy ruled in the second.
Lake Erie: 1-1… Lost the first game, won the next. (sorry, they didn’t fit the pattern)

As you can see, our “new goal” has not been accomplished. We’re working on it, I promise. Next up, we play Tiffin, which will surely prove to be two difficult games. We would prefer NOT to split with them. Lord willing, we’ll win two. All we can really control is our attitude and our effort.

Inside Scoop:

The birthday’s have slowed down some. Mine was on the 3rd and Kaley Clark’s is TODAY (04/13).
The majority of us celebrated Easter at Rock City Church in Hilliard, Ohio. It was an amazing service, and a great reminder of what Jesus did for all of us. Highly recommend that church if you’ve never been.
Arica Flaugher dyed Zoe Pressnall’s hair. It is now a shade into brown compared to a dark blonde. She shall be dying my hair next.
Olivia Wolffe got ENGAGED! If you get the chance, ask her about how she met her fiancé in a Home Depot parking lot.

Teammate Insight:

Chloe Vaughn: Sophomore Utility
Favorite Place on Earth: “Any beach or the lake”
Funniest Teammate Belief: Olivia Wolffe
Chloe is probably the teammate who shows the most servant leadership. She does sooooo much for our team. Beyond that, she’s absolutely hilarious. And like, really pretty.
Disney Princess: Cinderella (okay, she was originally the un-shrekified
Fiona, but we think Cinderella fits much better. I mean, just look at her.)



Mariah Wallace: Freshman Third Baseman
Favorite Place on Earth: Kung Fu Tea
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Let’s name some Mariah facts: She talks a lot (and we love that because she’s hilarious.) She does have some smelly feet. Oh, and she loves boba! Which in case you didn’t know, IS NOT like poppers. They do not pop in your mouth. You have to chew on those suckers for years before they fall apart.
Disney Character: Maui (if you look at our finsta, cusb.f, it makes sense)



Well, thanks for tuning in. 'Til next time :)

XOXO

-McKenna


March 29, 2021
Alright, not much news to report this week. Since we last spoke, we played two more games. This time against one of our G-MAC rivals, Findlay. We were supposed to play Ursuline the day before, but due to weather, the games were postponed. We shall play them this Tuesday (March 30).

Our games against Findlay were, as always, hard fought, but we ended up splitting with them. Our first game we won 1-0. Casey Bertke pitched a shutout, and once again lowered her ERA (if that’s possible).

Our second game, we were the ones shut out.

God has gifted our team with many talents. Generally, our team’s talent runs in the order of pitching, hitting, defense. We’ve relied on our skill to win games, but right now we need some grit.

Our team phrase this year has been “Do Better” or “Be Better”. A lot of the time it comes off as a joke, but there usually is some seriousness to it. In those serious moments, what it means is that the next time we get a chance to do what we just failed at we must do it better. For instance, we try to make every at bat better than the last. We need to do better next time we step out onto the field for Games 1 and 2. We need to win them both; not just one. This is our new goal.

Inside Scoop:

Well, today was Samantha Buettell’s birthday. It was quite the celebration. When Sami woke up this morning, she found her car covered in hot dogs. IT WASN’T ME. She and all her friends blamed me, but it was Miss Mariah Wallace and a few of her comrades.

Of course, I was the one who cleaned it up. I mean, it’s like “Happy Birthday! Here’s some frozen hot dogs filled with cheese for you to clean up.” LOL.

Then the rest of Sami’s day was filled with friends, family, and cookie cake. Because cookie cake is sooooo much better than normal cake.

Oh, and there was Starbucks.
(There’s always Starbucks)


Teammate Insight:


McKenna Smith: Currently, I’m a middle infielder (Senior, obvi)
(Sorry, you get to learn about me. I forgot to interview another upperclassman :)
Funniest Teammate Belief: Kacey Smith or Olivia Wolffe
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
All I have to say for myself is that I am an enneagram 4. That basically explains my entire life.
Disney Character: Ariel (the red hair, ya know?)




Bella Ross: Freshman Catcher
Funniest Teammate Belief: Zoe Pressnall
Favorite Place on Earth: “My grandparent’s house because they have a lot of land, and I can get lost in the woods.”
Bella is a GREAT teammate. Since day one, she has been there as a selfless supporter. We love her. Oh, and she wears these contacts that turn her eyes purple when she plays. It’s really cool… and a lil creepy at first.
Disney Character: Aurora (Blonde hair, violet eyes, likes to sleep)


Stay tuned to see if we “Do Better” ;)

XOXO

-McKenna


March 23, 2021
Hello everyone! This week’s episode of Cedarville softball was busy, filled with games, missing class, and birthdays. Apparently, half our team was born within the same week.

To start everything off, we played Charleston. We split with them, and those games…were interesting.

Then we played Saginaw, who is a HUGE rival. We beat them two years ago, but haven’t since. The games have always been exciting. In fact, two years ago we stayed up playing them until around midnight up at Wright State’s field. Fun. This year we split with them, and we call that a success.

Then there was today (Monday, March 22), where we played Wayne State. This was the first time Cedarville has ever played them, and they were two hard-fought games. We split with them. The highlight would definitely be that Casey Bertke threw a shutout. We love that for her. On top of all of that, we have a few accolades to give out. Casey Bertke was just named the G-MAC Pitcher of the week. Well earned. Her ERA is still at .56 or something. Which is INCREDIBLE.

Then there’s Miss Arica Flaugher out here doing her thing, and being named Cedarville’s Female Athlete of the Week. Once again, well earned.

Inside Scoop:

Oh my goodness, this is birthday week. To start the week off we had Brooke Miller’s birthday on the 20th. Then we had Liz Breedlove’s birthday on the 21st . Then today (22nd ) we had Abbey Mayes and Millie German’s birthdays. The saga will continue shortly with Sami Buettell’s birthday this weekend, and my own next week. We are a team full of March, April, and May babies. Needless to say, our dugout has been full of cupcakes and cookies due to the numerous birthdays. Love that for us. I think our parents are trying to fatten us up.

Teammate Insight:


Sophia Hevel: Sophomore Outfielder
Funniest Teammate Belief: Olivia Wolffe
Favorite Movie: The Sandlot (OG)
Sophia is known as a rat. Her partner in crime is Annie Rourke, one of our ex-teammates, who we dearly love and miss. They both fall under Miss Kacey Smith’s wing, which basically means they’re hilarious.
Disney Character: Tiana (they look alike and Sophia would def kiss a frog)



Lexi Parsons: Freshman Middle Infielder
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw (although we don’t know why…)
Favorite Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (she dressed up as Willy Wonka for Halloween and it was creepy.)
Lexi is known for her dazzling blue eyes, although her roster picture does not do her credit. Her bestie on the team is Madi. They wear black a lot, and also own a lot of rock t-shirts.
Disney Character: Fiona from Shrek…. (now before everyone thinks we’re being mean, we’re not. Fiona had to be passed down to someone on the team, and unfortunately it fell to Lexi. Next year she’ll get someone else;)


XOXO

-McKenna


March 17, 2021
This past week we traveled to the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia. Let me tell you, this was one eventful trip. West Virginia may be known for its beautiful wildlife, but to us softball players it is now known for its windy roads…that made the majority of us get sick on the way to the games. Yes, we lost count after the seventh person vomited. (That’s not including the multiple trips that some of my teammates made to the onboard restroom).

Despite the motion sickness, our team endured. We came out on top of Glenville State in our double header. We mercy-ruled them once. Emily Blake got her first couple of innings in, and her ERA remains at a solid 0.00.

Then we went home…and the fun began again! We were unable to leave Glenville until 8 p.m. Then there were the windy roads again (YAY), and then the arrival time of 1:00 a.m. back at Cedarville. All that to get up again the next day and play our good enemies, Davenport. We won one and lost one. Casey Bertke pitched the second game and her ERA remains at a solid 0.00. Did someone say G-MAC Pitcher of Year??? (Knock on wood)
P.S. She was just named the NCCAA Pitcher of the week :)

Inside Scoop:

Ten players on our team all joined up for church this week at Rock City in Hilliard, Ohio.
We highly recommend.
P.S. They gave us free Starbucks cards.

Faith Bergner apparently is big into the bat flip thing. During one of her practice rounds she accidentally flung the bat into the top of our dugout. There is a lovely, giant dent there now that we will always remember as the moment we all thought the dugout was getting hit by a plane.

Oh, and then of course we all found out that our dear teammate Liv Wolffe is a big snorer. And I mean, BIG. Her roommate, Chloe Vaughn, sent our entire team a video of Liv snoring so loud you would have thought there was a herd of elephants walking through their room. Chloe attempted to wake poor Liv by throwing numerous pillows at her, but there was no such luck.

Teammate Insight:


Arica Flaugher: Sophomore First Baseman
Teammate she would make walk the plank: Zoe Pressnall
Favorite Place on Earth: Laguna Beach, CA
Arica (AKA Big Rick) is known for her outgoing personality and her love of legos. Deep down, she believes she was born to be a human lego.
Disney Character: Elsa (Majestically tall and has braidable hair)





Madi Olszewski: Freshman Pitcher/Third Baseman
Funniest Teammate Belief: Madi (Yes, herself)
Favorite Place on Earth: The bathroom
Madi is known for her no crap attitude. When you first meet her, she hits you as an outgoing human. I don’t think there was a freshman on campus this year who didn’t know who Madi was that first week of school. In reality, though? Madi is an introvert with a small group of friends.
Disney Character: Randall from Monsters Inc. (If you know, you know)


XOXO

- McKenna


March 8, 2021 Hello again! This week on our episode of Cedarville softball there were some major events. To get you started, we’ll rehash the games.

On Friday, we played the University of Indianapolis (ranked #17). Hard fought battles, but we ended up losing. Highlights would be that Casey Bertke pitched straight fire and has her 0.00 ERA still intact, and Lauryn Leslie conjured up a couple of hits.

On Saturday we played Notre Dame (Ohio) again. We won both games. The first one was close, the second game we mercy-ruled them. Mariah Wallace and Kaley Clark got their first and second home runs of the year.
 
Also this week we had our annual team goals meeting led by some of the upperclassmen. Our focus was along the lines of another Tomlinism,“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

From a Christian perspective, this idea goes to a whole new level. We have talent, but we can’t rely on it. We must work hard to end up on top, and we do it for Him. We want to be #1 in the G-MAC, and He’s the one who put that hunger in our hearts.

Inside Scoop: As we all know, it is March, the month of Shamrock Shakes at McDonald’s. Lesser known are the wonderful Shamrock McFlurries.

So, yours truly and Miss Arica Flaugher went on a mission to go get ourselves some Shamrock McFlurries. When we FINALLY got to the front of the line we noticed McFlurries were crossed off. So, we asked if the sign was correct. The man on the other end told us they can make McFlurries. So, we asked about Shamrock McFlurries. He told us he cannot make Shamrock Shakes….The thought? “Okay, so can you make Shamrock McFlurries?”

Which, of course, we asked.

The man then turns around and tells us he can make them, but not sell them. Arica and I exchanged looks and then asked for the reason. The reason was this, “We don’t have the lids for the McFlurries, so they won’t let me sell them to you.”

We left after a few more exchanges very disheartened. I mean, usually the ice cream machine is “broken”. You don’t hear, “we don’t have the lids” very often.

We moved on to another McDonald’s. They also could not sell us McFlurries. Although, this time it was because they didn’t have the Shamrock shake powder?

Of course, we had to take this to Instagram live where former and present Cedarville softball players all banded together to share in our grief.

We went to Starbucks after that….What we didn’t know was that there was another McDonald’s right beside Starbucks. They provided us with Shamrock McFlurries there. Our mission was completed.

Next to this story, we have a Coach Rowe story. As this weekend was expected to be very cold, Coach Rowe reminded us all of a time last year where he melted his pants. The freshmen initially did not believe him, but the upperclassmen told them the truth.

Last year, on our trip to Tennessee we bought space heaters for the dugouts. You see, during one of the games, Coach apparently got too close to the heater and his pants melted, leaving behind a series of holes down by his ankles.

So, this year Coach hastily informed all of us to not get too close to the heaters. He told us, “DO NOT melt your pants.”  

Teammate Insight:


Brooke Miller: Junior Shortstop
Funniest Teammate Belief: Kacey Smith
Favorite Movie: 42
Brooke (B) is one hundred percent our most caring teammate. She lets everyone in and leaves her heart on her sleeve. She has since day one, and we will all miss her when she leaves us to get married this summer.
Disney Character: Rapunzel (long, braided locks and same personality)




Abbey Mayes: Freshman Pitcher (Lefty)
Favorite Place on Earth: “My bed.”
Funniest Teammate Belief: Carrie Jespersen
Abbey (AKA Queen Victoria) is spunky. She does what she wants when she wants to, and we all appreciate her for it. Quiet originally, but is now a standout to everyone.
Disney Character: Silvermist (from Tinker Bell) (smooth voice and beautiful, long brown hair)     


XOXO

-McKenna


March 4, 2021 Four games, three wins. That’s how our first weekend of play went. Lord willing, our season will continue like this.


What a fun weekend it was. The bus ride on the way down to Owensboro, KY, as always, was a bit quiet. Many players were sound asleep, some in some unusual positions. Miss Olivia Wolffe somehow ended up with her mask covering her eyes instead of her mouth, and Miss Lauryn Leslie somehow folded herself up into a weird looking cocoon. To each their own.


Game day came, everyone was filled with nerves, we faced Quincy…and beat them! Shout out to Lexi Parsons for hitting two doubles, and Arica Flaugher and Faith Bergner for each getting their first home runs of the season.

Ferris State didn’t go as planned. But we recovered nicely on day two when we got locked into a deadly dual with the University of Southern Indiana. Oh, was it dramatic! I think everyone got a little nervous in the first inning when USI came out pounding the ball and scoring four. We chipped away though, and Addie Ziehmer shut down their offense with her pitching. Brooke Miller looked like Sis Bates out there playing short. We ended up tying them, and then late in the seventh inning, Arica Flaugher hit a bomb, giving us the lead. USI did not recover.
 

Notre Dame (Ohio) was a fun game. A lot of freshmen got their first starts including Lauryn Leslie and Madi Olszewski. We won.

Overall, a very good weekend. We’re pleased, but hungry for more. One of our themes this year comes from the plethora of “Tomlinisms” out there (Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin quotes). It says this, “the good teams, the dominant teams, aren’t necessarily dominant in stadiums, but they are dominant largely in moments, when they do what’s required to get out of stadiums with victories.”

This weekend wasn’t perfect. We recognize that. We also recognize that we left everything out there on the field, playing for God. While we made mistakes, in the moments that mattered, we rose and dominated.

Anyways, to celebrate our victories, some teammates decided to prank Coach Rowe! They chalked up the windows of his truck. What a nice victory trophy for him :)

Inside Scoop:

Cedarville softball has a finstagram (cusb.f). Starting last year, we decided to give every Cedarville softball and baseball player a Disney (or movie) character that resembles them either in looks or personality. While last fall we initiated our freshmen (softball), and changed a few of baseballs upperclassmen’s characters, this spring we are focusing on the freshmen of the baseball team. So far, Jimmy Miller has been dubbed Tow Mater and Nicholas Carr is now known as Shark Boy. Stay tuned for more reveals.

Teammate Insight:


Sami Buettell: Junior Outfielder
Favorite Movie: Knives Out
Favorite Teammate Quote: “Bro, I don’t know how to run the bases.” – Kacey Smith
Sami has one of the biggest hearts on our team. She will always be there for you when you need her, and she cares for each and every one of her teammates on a deep level.
Disney Character: Tinker Bell (small and blonde)




Zoe Pressnall: Freshman Utility
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Favorite Position: “Any that Coach will let me play.”
Zoe is truly hilarious. Her and Casey Bertke (which no one would have guessed to be besties initially) plague the halls of Murphy leaving notes that make no sense under people’s doors along with carrots and other random foods.
Disney Character: The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland



I’d like to finish this with a huge shout out at Arica Flaugher. Arica is our big hitter, and this weekend she came through clutch. So clutch, that she was just named the NCCAA Athlete of the Week for softball. This is a huge accomplishment, and it couldn’t go to anyone more deserving.

Now you know everything!

XOXO

- McKenna


February 25, 2021
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the wonderful world of Cedarville Softball! We know, you missed us :) While COVID is very much still a thing, and is continuing to keep everyone on their toes, our softball season is moving forward, and we could not be more excited for it!

COVID has certainly changed a lot of things about athlete life here at Cedarville, but let’s not focus on that. Let’s focus on some other changes, primarily, the new additions to our team! While last year’s seniors can never truly be replaced, we have certainly tried to fill their shoes! This year we have 12 new freshmen, and they bring a lot of personality with them.

Next to all those freshmen, we also have an addition to our wonderful coaching staff; Coach Jess (Jessica Palm)! Coach Jess is a former Cedarville shortstop, and we are uber excited to have her with us this year.

All that being said, our team has been working day in and day out to prepare for our first games… which happen to be this weekend in Kentucky! We all passed our COVID tests today (2/24/21), which was the first step to success. Some people cried during testing. Apparently, those swabs going up your nose hurt or something. Now, all that is left is to put the finishing touches on our skills, load the bus, and get on our way! We play Quincy first, so send a few prayers our way and wish us some luck because they’ll be a formidable opponent (nothing we can’t handle, of course).

While our team wants to sweep the weekend with victories, that is not our ultimate goal. Our goal is to leave everything out on that field, so that win or lose, we can leave the field knowing we gave it everything we had. Every year, our team has a Bible verse that we use as a sort of theme. This year, we decided on Galatians 6:4, which states, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”

While last season was a bit rough, we do have some take-aways. Softball is a game of mistakes. We can only do our best to minimize our own. We do this by giving 100% effort anytime we step near a field. And more than that, we work for God. Our team does not step on that field to impress anyone but Him. We do this because of the gifts He’s given us and because of the love He’s shown us. Softball is our act of worship for God, and that is what we wish to accomplish every time we step on a field.

Now, if you wanted some juicy inside info, here’s a rundown of some softball activities that have already taken place. There may or may not have been a prank war started….Coach Rowe has fallen victim to some hot dog pranks if the rumors are correct.

Another rumor says that some of the softball players laid in the back of Coach’s car to surprise him. However, the surprise was on them when Coach revealed they were laying on a bunch of dead mice! How disgusting…@Brooke Miller.
 

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More pranks to come, I’m sure, but onto another event of interest; CU SOFTBALL ANNUAL LIP SYNC BATTLE. My team won btw ;) (Credit @Arica Flaugher, Kaley Clark, Emily Blake, and myself). This year’s competition was very intense. We’ll give a few awards here…

Funniest: This award goes to Carrie’s group comprised of Carrie Jespersen, Faith Bergner, Brooke Myles, and Madi Olszewski. I don’t think there was one person who didn’t laugh throughout their entire performance.

Most Surprising: OMG, Millie German. WOW, who knew this girl had such talent when it came to dancing! She was a member of Ashley’s team (Ashley Bortlein, Lauryn Leslie, Addie Ziehmer, and of course, Millie). So impressive.

Ultimate Best Performer: OBVIOUSLY, Brooke Miller. All that TikTok training coming in clutch.
 

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Well, now you’re all caught up on everything Cedarville Softball related. Catch us outside in Kentucky this weekend!

XOXO

-McKenna


McKenna Smith is a senior pitcher from Clinton, Pa.She is in her fourth season with the Lady Jackets and is a Dean's List student as an accounting major.