Moving Towards a Second Chance
5/28/2020 2:21:00 PM | SOFTBALL
In 2019, the Blue Demons entered the season with a coaching change, welcoming back All-American pitcher Tracie Adix-Zins along with the additions of Joe Yegge and Amanda Buchholz. They took on fierce competition both in the non-conference and conference portions of their schedule on their way to earning their third consecutive BIG EAST Championship. DePaul was selected to compete in the Ann Arbor Regional of the NCAA Tournament with their third consecutive berth.Â
Using that as motivation at the beginning of the 2020 season was key. And while this season got off to a rough start, Adix-Zins, who was starting her second season at the helm of the storied program, believed they were finding their groove at the beginning of March at the Saluki Invitational.
"The 2020 season definitely started off a little rougher than we would have liked as a team, but I believe we were finding our way during our last tournament at Southern Illinois," she said. "We had a lot of players in new positions and at key positions, and it was taking us some time to find our rhythm. The team was making a turn and we were excited about heading to LMU with a new mindset."
But as the team was heading to LMU, the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It would only take two days before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the pandemic. Adix-Zins enchoed the sentiments of her team, acknowledging that it was difficult for the season to be over but knew it was in everyone's best interest.Â
"It was crazy to have season get cut short but we knew, like all other schools, it was the right choice to send the team home and keep everyone as safe and healthy as we possibly could, not knowing how it was truly going to unfold."Â
Those seniors on the team were looking forward to the potential of a four-peat and senior third baseman Erin Andris was one of them.Â
"The season getting canceled was a shock for everyone," she said. "We had a lot to take in, in a very short period of time. One minute we were getting our tournament to California canceled and the next we were done.Â
"As a senior that chose not to continue, I still am processing today. I don't think I will ever be able to completely comprehend and make sense of this time period. It shocked all of us, not just our sport, but every athlete across the country, I am sure."
The team capped off their 20 game season with a 8-12 record just five games short of the beginning of BIG EAST play. Andris and junior shortstop Maranda Gutierrez were batting .333 and combined for 40 hits, 27 RBI and eight home runs. Andris led the team in hits, home runs and total bases. Gutierrez had a team high .630 slugging percentage.Â
The Blue Demons made use of their expanding pitching staff - now with five pitchers compared to last year's duo of Krista Dalgarn and Natalie Halvorson, utilizing transfer Erin Hocker and freshmen Brooke Johnson and Tori Meyer in the circle.
Dalgarn posted a 3.26 ERA and a 4-3 record with the most wins for the Blue Demons with Halvorson behind her with a 3.22 ERA and a 2-3 record. Halvorson and Dalgarn each tallied one shutout while Halvorson, Hocker and Meyer all earned a save.Â
With the NCAA granting spring-sport athletes another year of eligibility, three seniors will return to the program and three will continue onto the next step in their lives after graduation.Â
Andris, Cara Jimenez and Madison Fisher will finish their careers at DePaul while Angela Scalzitti, Jessica Cothern and Krista Dalgarn will return for one more year.Â
In looking forward to next season, both Adix-Zins and Andris know there will be positive moments ahead for the team and it's best to focus on those. Â
"I hope that even from a life perspective, not just softball, life will throw some curveballs at you and while you may not be able to understand or process it in the moment, know that you will get through it and there are better times ahead," Andris said.
"Even from a game stand point, this moment is tough, but, you will figure it out and get through it. Take time to heal your bodies, mental and physically, and come back strong next season."Â
"We're excited to get back on campus and get a second chance," Adix-Zins said. "We have a large freshman class, with seven and a large senior class with seven.
"I'm excited about the competition that will ensue with having so many new members on the team and how they're going to help push our returners and I know the returners are chomping at the bit to get back and take full advantage of the opportunity they have and not take anything for granted. It's going to be a fun fall for sure."
