Setting A Course To Soar
Rams look to turn lessons into gains
Evan Liu
Spring is in the air. Don’t let the weather forecast say otherwise.
Nonetheless, Colorado State’s softball program stops at nothing. There may be plenty of snow remaining scattered across the state, CSU may not have a playable field yet, but on go the charging Rams.
“The anticipation is huge,” Hailey Smith said. “We’ve been practicing and practicing like nobody’s business. I can say for all of us that we’re so excited.”
While practices have been in an unorthodox fashion thanks to the snowy weather and loss of a home field, the work has never stopped. Practices have been held at Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins and Poudre high schools in preparation for the season.
All working around each of their owns schedules, finding places to simply chuck the ball at one another. Getting back to their roots. In unison with high school practices and weather problems, the Rams haven’t been deterred by the elements thrown their way.
Even if players have shown up in seven different cars to the various practice fields.
“It works,” Smith said. “It’s weird to not be on your field and practicing. It’s weird to be in a different area, get all the equipment there and back. We’re all just very grateful for all the people who let us practice out there.”
Colorado State enters its 46th season of competition in softball under head coach Jen Fisher in her 14th season at the helm. Nearing the 50-year mark and 29 years after being reinstated thanks to Title XI, the Rams look to be swinging for the fences once again.
The anticipation is certainly there. There’s no reason for it not to be. It’s a new era in Rams softball history kicking off later this week, who are ranked fourth in the Mountain West coaches preseason poll thanks to nine starters returning and continuation of development in said players.
“We’ve worked a lot offensively on being tough outside the plate,” Fisher said. "We’ve got goals to score first, score last, and worked a lot on our character and mental toughness at the plate which should help us a lot.”
Some of the returning players include the aforementioned Smith, Ashley York, Morgan Crosby, Sydney and Katelyn Hornbuckle, Kaitlyn Cook, McKenna McVay, Jordan West, Danielle Serna and Peyton Allen.
We’re so excited, and it’s a feeling we’ve all been waiting for. This is home. This what we’ve all been dreaming of.Hailey Smith
These players returning to the program are looking to avenge 17 losses by two or less runs from the previous season. They understand the circumstances around what happened last season and want to prove they can find ways to be on top in the end.
“We kept telling ourselves at the end of last year to keep your heads up, you’re learning, you’re growing,” Fisher said. “If we improve by 10 percent as much as last year, the experience and playing together portion is so crucial. They can trust each other, and we have high expectations for the leaders on the team.”
The Rams return a trio of .300 hitters from a season ago, and Smith and York – top-of-the-lineup catalysts in 2022 – will be asked to build off their ability to set the table and clear it, as well.
The outfielders set the pace, with Smith leading the team with a .354 average, York a step behind at .342. The were 1-2 in run production (Smith with 40, York with 31), and Smith finished with 20 extra-base hits (15 of them doubles), while York had 15, including a team-leading six triples. She also blazed on the basepath, successful in 16-of-18 steal attempts.
The team will travel to various tournaments in much warmer and ready-to-play fields across the country to start the year. The road trips in it of itself brings along the challenges a team will face – all while the student-athletes balance out their time with work with classes as well.
It just so happens to be for the Rams, this test comes early in the season. After last season’s abysmal 2-14 record on the road, the chance to redeem themselves is presented from the get-go.
“Any time you go on the road and someone else’s home turf, you’re expecting a battle,” York said. “Knowing we’ll have to do that for four weekends straight will really test us.”
“The pitchers will probably be the most handicapped because they will not have pitched on dirt very much,” Fisher said. “But we’re a team full of young women who don’t make excuses when we’ve been lacking in practice facilities, but doing things inside other teams might not have access to.”
Coming home. Home in the nifty city of Fort Collins couldn’t be looking any sweeter with the implementation of a new Ram Field, reinvigorating the passion for softball in the area.
The first games at the new facility will have to wait until mid-March. But, there are big plans in the making both on and off the field even after their first opening series.
“I know I’ll have to bring the team down because they’ll be so amped,” Fisher said with a chuckle. "It should be more comfortable, aesthetically pleasing for the fans, and I hope we have the same energy at the field. It’s going to be a nicer facility; we’re going to do a grand opening on April 1 and I imagine it will be really great energy.”
The excitement isn’t only there for the veteran coach, but there’s a plethora of energy and suspense from the players as well. It’s what comprises dreams.
Back in 2019, when the program last won the conference, the set up was rather similar. The Rams had spent the season before dropping a series of close games. What was disappointing at the time became inspiration when they returned. As it is this campaign approaches.
For those putting in the work on and off the field, their dreams are looking to be relished at season’s end. With the return of the Mountain West Tournament in San Diego in May, the program is through the roof setting sights on Southern California.
“We’re working so hard for all the people who got us here,” York said. “Getting on the field, I get excited and it’s going to be insane to see the people there and see our stadium.”
“We’re so excited, and it’s a feeling we’ve all been waiting for,” Smith said. “This is home. This what we’ve all been dreaming of.”