Softball rolls into record book
Muskies enjoy winning ways
Jake Frias
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports
Despite the weather not being the most cooperative this spring, the Lakeland softball team has still risen to the occasion during its record breaking 19-game winning streak. According to the archives, the old record was 15 consecutive wins in 1994, when current athletics director Jane Bouche was the head softball coach.
"We have some people doing real special things," said head coach Chad Buchmann. "We have people doing functional things we need, and then we have our freshman that are filling in the holes, so that's kind of how this streak kind of came up."
According to Buchmann, this success story can be traced back to past seasons.
"The current junior class was on the team that went 27-12 [in 2007] so they were used to being successful," said Buchmann, "Last season, everyone was shooting for us and we kind of slipped against four of the top teams [in the conference]."
According to Buchmann, the older players are now leading the team and wanting to know what else it takes to get back to the successful level they were at in 2007.
"I think we've learned from past teams what we need to do and what we don't want to do," said Buchmann. "This year's juniors, combined with a few sophomores, have told the freshman 'Here's how it is and this is how it's going to be.' The freshmen have bought in to it completely this season, whereas in seasons past, some may have disagreed."
One junior on the team who has been leading the women through their long streak of wins has been second baseman KC Blahnik. In 25 games this season, Blahnik is hitting .548, which ranks her second in the Northern Athletics Conference. She also leads the conference in runs with 46, total bases with 83, hits per game with 1.84, and runs scored per game with 1.72 per game.
What is most astounding is that as a lead-off hitter, Blahnik also leads the conference with nine home runs. With one more, she will beat former Lakeland softball player Allison Lock's career record, which was reached in four years.
"We have some people doing real special things," said head coach Chad Buchmann. "We have people doing functional things we need, and then we have our freshman that are filling in the holes, so that's kind of how this streak kind of came up."
According to Buchmann, this success story can be traced back to past seasons.
"The current junior class was on the team that went 27-12 [in 2007] so they were used to being successful," said Buchmann, "Last season, everyone was shooting for us and we kind of slipped against four of the top teams [in the conference]."
According to Buchmann, the older players are now leading the team and wanting to know what else it takes to get back to the successful level they were at in 2007.
"I think we've learned from past teams what we need to do and what we don't want to do," said Buchmann. "This year's juniors, combined with a few sophomores, have told the freshman 'Here's how it is and this is how it's going to be.' The freshmen have bought in to it completely this season, whereas in seasons past, some may have disagreed."
One junior on the team who has been leading the women through their long streak of wins has been second baseman KC Blahnik. In 25 games this season, Blahnik is hitting .548, which ranks her second in the Northern Athletics Conference. She also leads the conference in runs with 46, total bases with 83, hits per game with 1.84, and runs scored per game with 1.72 per game.
What is most astounding is that as a lead-off hitter, Blahnik also leads the conference with nine home runs. With one more, she will beat former Lakeland softball player Allison Lock's career record, which was reached in four years.
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