No Place Like Home Base: Softball

No Place Like Home Base

The Blue Dragon softball team is enjoying a strong season so far.

Photos & Design | Kaitlyn Seiwert

Story | Aubreigh Heck

Prior to the start of the softball season, the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons were picked to finish in third place in the Jayhawk Conference.

After just completing a 13-game winning streak, the Blue Dragons have proven themselves worthy of fighting for first place.

HutchCC currently holds a 25-5 record overall, and boast a 16-2 record in Jayhawk Conference play.

Blue Dragons Head Coach Jaime Rose knows that her team has a shared goal, which helps drive her team to work to earn these victories.

#16 Allie Stipsits | Olathe

Photos | Kaitlyn Seiwert

#11 Natalie Bevan, Augusta

Photos | Kaitlyn Seiwert

“Every team in this conference is capable of winning, so we just try to keep getting better,” Rose said.

Riley Wertz, a freshman pitcher from Wichita, just earned her fourth Jayhawk Conference Pitcher of the Week honors this season. Not only does Wertz have 0.64 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched, she is also hitting .305 in 59 at-bats.

Wertz’s ERA is the second-best in the Jayhawk Conference, and her eight wins have her in fifth best for the Jayhawk Conference.

While Wertz is making a name for herself, she recognizes that a lot of her team’s success can be attributed to their on-the-field chemistry.

“We’re just a big family,” Wertz said. “I credit our chemistry towards always hanging out with each other, always being around each other. We’re a very close-knit group of play-

Completing a home run, #19 Riley Wertz is greeted by her teammates at home plate. Wertz has five home runs this season.

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert

#20 Ella Dougherty | Cross Timbers, Mo.

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert

Haley Miller, a sophomore utility loss of the season in game one, 6-5. player from Hutchinson, also knows Game two ended 8-0 to the Grizzlies that her team’s connection starts off in five innings. the field. Despite losing one of the games,

“We have such a bond with each Wertz and Miller agree with their other,” Miller said. “We’re really close coach that the first game of that series off the field and on the field. It helps proved that the Blue Dragons would when we’re playing, we dance around be a threat during the season. and just shout random things. We “When we beat Butler one game, just get along so well, we keep each that was when we were thinking, other up and positive. That’s what ‘Wow, we can do it,’ and it put us in helps our games.” the right mentality to refuse to lose,”

Miller is currently slashing a .473 Miller said. batting average, .474 on-base per- Wertz agreed. centage and .677 slugging percentage “The first Butler game we definitely for a fourth-best batting average in proved ourselves,” Wertz said. “It the conference. showed everybody that we’re here

Oftentimes when a team is per- to play and that we’re here to stay.” forming much better than antici- Now as the Blue Dragons face the pated, onlookers wait for there to rest of their season, Pitching Coach be one game that shows a team’s Ray Aguirre has one thing for his true colors. players to remember.

The Blue Dragons know for certain “Everybody’s seen us now, so we’ll what their team-defining game was. have an ‘X’ on our back for the rest

“When we split with Butler Com- of the season,” Aguirre said. “We just munity College in El Dorado, I think gotta keep going, and playing like we that got us going. It opened every- have been.”

#16 Allie Stipsits | Olathe

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert

#3 Emily Munson, Omaha, Neb.

Photo | Kaitlyn Seiwert