Mystics Softball Take Back Wins as Season Progresses

The Mystics Softball team has racked up wins in the past few weeks after competing at the Space Coast Games in Florida over Spring Break. The Mystics played teams from Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois, as well as the Czech Republic National Team. The team won four games and lost five, with the game against the Czech Republic National Team not counting for a win or loss. After the Space Coast Games, the Mystics played strong at their home field against Carroll College, winning three out of the four games.

Overall, the Mystics have seen growth in all areas, whether that be offense, defense, batting, or their general playing level. Interim Head Softball Coach Brady Dutchak has noticed this as the season progresses.

“We're playing a lot better right now,” Dutchak said. “Florida was a good trip for us. Played well against good competition, and then obviously opened up last week with Carroll for conference games and played well again. So definitely a lot of growth from this fall to the beginning of the season to now.”

Dutchak highlighted that the team has improved defensively, playing a cleaner defense and doing a better job of hitting their cuts and understanding defensive assignments. Offensively, the team is working on avoiding pitches that are not strikes and understanding the strike zone a little better.

As the team enters April with a growing win-count, Dutchak and Assistant Softball Coach Maddy Zander prepare the team for the Frontier Conference Tournament through consistent practices and numerous games. Dutchak has also looked at scouting reports for other Frontier Conference teams, though he does not rely completely on the scouting reports for preparation.

“At the end of the day, we control us, so it's about focusing on what we can do, and what we do well,” Dutchak said. “Turning our current deficits into strengths and learning as we go, learning opponent tendencies that we can kind of capitalize on come the conference tournament.”

As the team prepares for conference, standout players from the team have been recognized for their dedication. Sophomore Kathryn Sliman was recently named Frontier Conference Pitcher of the Week after the games against Carroll College. Other standout players include Sophomore Brielle Wrangham and Sophomore Savannah Gustavsson.

“A lot of different people are stepping up, which is nice,” Dutchak said.

The Mystics Softball team will play against Providence and Dickinson State after the publication of this article. Check out the Bismarck State College Athletics website for updated stats and scores.

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