Softball using new coach, new ideas to create excitement

After a tough season in 2015, a new coach and a new outlook has the Washington softball team focused on one thing: What?s coming next.

The Demons introduced new softball head coach Ben Obermann this offseason, and he is hoping to introduce some new ideas this season.

?A lot of it is more philosophy-based changes,? Obermann said. ?We are going one-pitch-at-a-time, and trying to teach that softball is a very difficult game, and we need to control what we can control. You can control effort and how you approach the game. We need to win the pitch, and if you don?t, then move on to the next one. They are buying in nicely.?

Obermann brings a wealth of baseball knowledge to the game of softball, after being the head coach at South Winn for two years (which included a state tournament berth) and a former collegiate baseball player at Luther College.

With his new ideas, the players are starting to adjust to the change.

?It?s a new change to Obermann, and he?s really excited,? Washington sophomore Morgan Brinning said. ?I think it?s a good change because he has new ideas, and I think he?ll be good. Our team just needs to work together and it?ll be a good year.?

Brinning was a bright spot on the seven-win Demon campaign last year, batting over .400 and leading the team in nearly every offensive category, while playing as the everyday shortstop.

After battling an injury this winter, Brinning said she?s looking forward to getting back out on the field.

?We?ve had offseason hitting about every two days in the winter, and as I got better (from my injury), I started to throw and hit more,? Brinning said. ?I?m trying to get better for the year.?

The Demons graduated two seniors from last year?s team, and this year only have one senior listed on their roster in Mackenzie Knutson, one of the Demons? top returning pitchers.

Knutson threw a team-high 68 2/3 innings last season, finishing the year with a 5.10 ERA, and she said she?s ready to get on the field to help lead the team.

?I?m really excited for it,? Knutson said. ?Our hitting is getting a lot stronger and our fielding is getting much better. We are a young team, but we are making an improvement.?

Behind Knutson, the Demons have two juniors on the squad in Taylor Dicks and Jessie Buchholz, and their leadership will be key for the Demons? success.

?It makes them very important,? Obermann said. ?I?ve talked to our three upperclassmen, because we are very young. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores who have played a lot of innings, but they have to want to lead. That?s what we are looking for in the next few weeks. If they set the tone verbally and with their actions, that?s going to pay huge dividends.?

Based on last year?s statistics, the Demons figure to have more than 280 combined starts returning to their bench this season, losing only 49 from a year ago.

With that experience, the Demons are hoping to overcome their youth and set the tone in this year?s conference race.

?We talked about where we want to be as a team,? Obermann said. ?We didn?t put a set number of wins, but simply improving day by day, game by game, and hopefully by late June and early July, we are peaking at the right time. Our ceiling is very high.?

With a high ceiling in front of them, the excitement for the Demons to start the year is going through the roof.

?I think our team is really excited,? Brinning said. ?We have a countdown in the dugout and I think we will be pumped. We want to win and hopefully we put that on the field.?

The Demons will open their season on Monday night with a road contest against Highland.