Reinhardt Softball (0-0)
Head Coach: Glen Crawford
By: Lauren Mullinax
Last year the Reinhardt Softball team came up just short of playing for a NAIA National Championship finishing third in the nation. Finishing the 2014 season with an overall record of 46-10 and a record of 17-3 in conference play, while also winning conference for the fourth time in a row, the Lady Eagles will look this season to continue the winning tradition that Head Coach Glen Crawford has put in place in hopes of having another successful season. This will be Coach Crawford’s sixth season at Reinhardt as head coach. He will come into the season with a 187-77 overall record and a 75-35 AAC conference record. In 2010 and 2011 he was also named AAC Coach of the Year and has four conference championships under his belt while also making four national tournament appearances.
A big benefit for the Lady Eagles is that they will be returning some of their key players this season. Upcoming sophomore pitcher Madison Luck will be a huge factor to the Lady Eagles success as she takes the mound this season. Luck, who was named to the NAIA First-Team All American list, finished the season at 36-4 with a 2.45 earned run average. She finished the season striking out 158 batters in 254.1 innings pitched, pitching in 50 of the 56 games. With her 36 wins Luck was ranked second in that category nationally among the NAIA. After such an incredible freshmen season, the Lady Eagles will expect no less from Luck as she takes the mound again this spring.
The Lady Eagles will also look to upcoming junior catcher Randi Wimpy to be a powerhouse for their team. Wimpy, who was also named to the First-Team All American list, will be one of Reinhardt’s main offensive key players. Last year Wimpy finished the season batting .445, while ranking second in the nation with total bases (171), second in home runs per game (.393), second in total bases per game (3.052), second in slugging percentage (.998), third in RBI (72), fourth in runs scored (73), fourth in RBI per game (1.286),and sixth in run scored per game (1.304). Wimpy hit her way into ninth all-time for the most home runs in a single season with 22. Along with finishing top ten nationally in these nine categories Wimpy was also named AAC Player of the Year and she was also named to the NAIA Softball World Series All-Tournament Team.
The Lady Eagles will have to make some changes in the roster due to graduation and transfers but that will not slow them down as the continue their hunt for another Conference Championship and Nationals. Reinhardt will begin practice after the players return from Christmas break and games will begin in February.