GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Another season is underway for the Cornerstone Golden Eagles softball team as they head down to Florida for a week on the diamond at the NTC Spring Games.
But this is no ordinary season since Cornerstone has already played two games. In mid-February, Golden Eagles went down to Aurora, Illinois to play a pair of indoor games against Trinity Christian. CU went 2-0 that day, but we will get to that later. What matters right now is that we get you up to speed on this Golden Eagles program before they kick off their Florida spring break games on Saturday. We will give you a quick recap of last season before diving head first into home plate about this year's team.
Review of Last Season:
Just a quick look at last year, the Golden Eagles went 17-17, 9-11 WHAC under first-year head coach Kelsey Kooistra. CU split a majority of their double headers, staying competitive with just about every team they played. There was no Florida trip last year due to COVID's influence, but that did not deter the Golden Eagles from having a solid season. The 2021 edition of CU softball ended up placing fifth in the WHAC before dropping both games in the WHAC conference tournament.
Key Losses:
Cornerstone lost OF
Sierra Sanchez to graduation. Sanchez led the team in multiple stat categories, most notably at bats, runs, and hits. Sanchez was also second on the team in average, RBI's, homeruns, and OPS. The Golden Eagles also lost OF
Alessa Baldwin-Buchner who was third on the team in at bats, runs, and RBI's. With those losses there, is some offensive production that will need to be picked up by current CU players. On the defensive side, 3B/Utility
Aliyah Lemmer was named to the 2021 All-WHAC defensive team, leaving a hole in the defense this season.
Key Returners:
Despite some of the losses to graduation, CU returns a lot of firepower on offense, strength on defense, and some aces in the circle. Some of the returning pitching prowess comes from the arms of senior
Kaitlin Johnson (6-6 in 2021) and junior
Mikayla Meade (7-8 in 2021). Johnson led the way with 38 strikeouts while only giving up 44 earned runs on 102 hits. According to head coach Kelsey Kooistra, "Both have had lots of experience and time on the mound and are approaching this season with a new hunger and determination."
Helping to lead the Golden Eagles pitchers is junior catcher
Molly Poole who is known for her ability to lead, care for, and understand her pitchers.
Additionally, CU returns a stacked infield, led by seniors Mckenzie Butgereit and
Allisen Martz. Butgereit led Cornerstone with a .354 average, racking up a team leading 27 RBI's and homeruns. She was at or near the top of every offensive stat category. Martz also brings a lot of experience and leadership to this squad. Martz was on the 2021 All-WHAC Second Team for her performance in the Golden Eagle jersey.
Lastly, sophomore SS/2B
Sydney Carr is looking to continue on her strong freshman campaign. Carr registered a .276 average, 21 hits, and four RBI's in 2021.
Freshman Faces:
Head coach Kelsey Kooistra is excited about what this freshman class can bring to the field, and so are we. Freshman OF
Mackenzie Nagelhout brings speed and consistency in all levels of her play and showed flashes of excellence in her performance against Trinity Christian in February. Another freshman to watch out for is P
Alyssa Braam who was an experienced pitcher and leader at Hudsonville High School. Braam is known for her work ethic and desire to succeed.
FSI Yellowstone Summer Trip:
A great story from this past year off the field was the Cornerstone Athletics and Friendship Sports International leadership trip to Yellowstone National Park. Head Coach Kelsey Kooistra and sophomore
Sydney Carr were asked to go on the trip and learn more about the Lord, leadership, serving others, and so much more.
"It was a joy to walk alongside sophomore
Sydney Carr this summer as we all grew in our understanding of leadership while being surrounded by God's presence in the beautiful Wyoming mountains," said Kooistra. "God moved so much in Syd's life that on that trip she said YES to committing her life to Him and was baptized in a Wyoming river surrounded by God's magnificent handiwork in creation and a group of people with so much love and passion in their hearts."
Carr also shared her thoughts on the impact of the trip in an interview with CU Athletics a month after the trip:
Preview of This Year's Team:
On the diamond, CU was picked to finish sixth in the WHAC preseason poll. The Golden Eagles are also trying to win first WHAC championship since 2013. There are a lot of returners on this squad in key positions, and a veteran presence in the locker room.
Off the diamond, the coaches are excited about this group of women that the Lord has brought together for the 2022 season.
"Us coaches have talked a lot recently about how blessed and fortunate we are to coach such a fun, hardworking, and selfless group of women," said Kooistra. "This team will make everyone around them smile, they will leave everything they have out on that field, and they genuinely want to see their teammates succeed. This is a testament to who they are as young women in Christ and the ways in which they are letting God work in and through their lives."
Florida Spring Break Trip Preview:
This will be the first trip to Florida for the softball team since 2020, right before COVID cancelled the remainder of the 2020 campaign. This CU team is ready to get on the diamond for the NTC Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida at the Fortune Road Complex. The Golden Eagles will play two games a day between Saturday, March 5, and Saturday, March 12 while taking Sunday and Wednesday off.
Kooistra put it this way, "This team has been putting in so much time and work since the first day of school and they are just ready to compete. We can't wait for some dirt under our cleats and the opportunity to play the game we all love in a way that brings all glory and honor to our Father in Heaven. We get to face some great teams while down in Florida which is exactly what we have been preparing all year for. But ultimately, we are looking at each day as an opportunity to learn and grow and be the best we can be."
And this team will have to be ready to be the best that they can be as they play three ranked teams during their time in Florida. Cornerstone will take on #18 Marian (Ind.) on March 7, #8 Indiana Wesleyan on March 11, and #19 Saint Xavier (Ill.) on March 12.
To watch the games in Florida, you can tune in to FloSoftball. There is link to FloSoftball in the
CU softball schedule. You do need to sign up for a paid subscription to watch, so if that's not your thing, there will be live stats and recaps of each game that you can find on cugoldeneagle.com. Make sure to check out the first game as Cornerstone takes on Florida National University on Saturday, March 5 at 9 a.m.
Review of the Games Against Trinity:
Cornerstone got off to a hot start this season, with a pair of wins over Trinity Christian. The Golden Eagles played at an indoor facility in Aurora, Illinois and the bats got hot. Over those two games, three Golden Eagles hit home runs, seven players had extra base hits, and players were driving in runs left and right. Junior
Jolie Groeneveld even stole home in a rare play that showed her tenacity on the base path. The Golden Eagles were so dominant that they forced a mercy rule in the fifth inning of their second win that day.
Rest of the Season Preview:
Once the games in Florida end, CU will have a quick turnaround when they welcome Aquinas for their home opener of Wednesday, March 16. From there, it's full speed ahead as the Golden Eagles play a few nonconference games before starting WHAC play on March 25 with a doubleheader at Lawrence Tech. Once the regular season concludes, Cornerstone will head to WHAC conference tournament in Sylvania, Ohio from May 5-7.
Softball Contact:
Jesse Campbell
CU Athletics: Twitter |
Facebook |
Instagram
