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Whether it’s the crack of a bat striking a baseball, a lacrosse ball stretching the back of the net signaling a goal, or a golf ball dropping in the bottom of the cup, the sounds of spring sports are beginning to join chirping birds around campus athletics. As the semester winds down, several spring sports wind up. These sports include women’s tennis, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s golf. Each sports brings a different group of student athletes into competition.
The baseball team is off to a 3-9 overall start through the first dozen games. Through the same amount of games, the team has been led by junior Zach Kitzmiller’s ten runs batted in. The Comets are looking to improve on a 10-30 overall record in 2014, according to miaa.org.
The softball team started the season in Cape Coral, Florida by participating in the Gene Cusic Classic. During the course of the tournament, the comet softball team finished 8-3. As a team, the Comets held a .327 batting average while playing in Florida. Freshman Larissa Ludwick also hit the team’s only home run in Florida; contributing to her .367 batting average in her first 30 plate appearances.
After winning the first game of the season against Concordia, the men’s lacrosse team dropped the next five games to start 1-5. None of the games played so far have been conference opponents. Junior Dakota Badder leads the team with twelve goals after a five goal home performance against Illinois Wesleyan University, according to olivetcomets.com. Badder also has seven assists so far this year.
The women’s lacrosse team has started the season 4-3, including a four game win streak. As a team, the Comets are averaging 10.86 goals per game and 24.7 shots per game, according to advanced statistics by Sports Information Director Geoff Henson. Senior attacker Geri Merrell leads Olivet College in goals with 26; averaging 3.71 goals per game she plays.
The men’s golf team plays the first tournament of the spring season on April 3 and 4. During the fall season, the Comets finished seventh in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The best individual stroke average belonged to freshman Tanor Blowers with a 79.2. Blowers’ best round was a 73 during the first round of the Lou Collins Memorial Tournament, held at Bedford Valley Golf Club.
The women’s golf team started spring season over spring break while playing in Jekyll Island, Georgia. While playing an invitational tournament in Jekyll Island, sophomore Laura Bacso shot a career best round of 77 strokes. During the fall season, the women’s golf team won two tournament rounds and placed runner up in seven. In the three tournament rounds in Jekyll Island, junior Brooke Kastamo led the team with a 78.3 stroke average.
Lastly, the women’s tennis team started a spring season last February and since starting have a 1-6 record. The team finished 1-5 during the September season, which included a 9-0 shutout win over Defiance College.
Every spring sports team is knees deep in practices at this point and are led by the respected coaches. Every coach and team looks to improve each season. The Olivet College Echo would like to wish good luck to each sports team in the competitive seasons. Go Comets!