By Lilyen McCarthy
Adelphi Softball returns to this spring season with hopes for continued dominance over the Northeast Region. The team finished with a 47-3 record last season, 21-3 overall. The season came to an end with a devastating 1-2 series loss to Wilmington University in the East Super Regional.
“Unfortunately, we fell short last year at the end, but I am very proud of the way my team reacted,” said senior Kendall Winn. “We came back and worked extremely hard during the off season to have our best year yet.”
The team returns star pitcher and Academic All-American Team Member of the Year, Lindsey Hibbs, and Academic All-American Courtney Wengryn to the lineup. The Panthers maintained much of their previous roster and recruited a class of great additions. One addition includes Kendall Winn’s younger sister, Reagan Winn, who enters her second semester at Adelphi.
“Being able to play softball with my sister has been an incredible experience,” said Reagan Winn. “She has been my best friend my entire life and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to play with her.”
The two are making the team’s success a family matter, as they have high hopes for the upcoming season.
“Playing with my sister will make this year by far the most memorable,” said Kendall Winn. “I have enjoyed every moment with her here and it's been a great experience for me and my family.”
The team traveled to California in mid-February, playing ranked competition and finishing 2-8. Though the numbers might seem bleak, the team views the experience as a lesson and remains optimistic.
“Though our record may not reflect it, we played very well considering the time of year and the competition we faced,” Kendall Winn said. “In my opinion, this is one of the best lineups we have had in my four years and I am hoping for a pretty long postseason.”
Her sister said, “As a freshman, experiencing so many games as early in the season as we did was very helpful to understand everything for this upcoming season.”
AU returns to their home field March 13 for a regional matchup double header starting at 2:30 pm. Right after this home game, the team travels to Florida for three double headers over spring break.
“Knowing this is my last season, I have really tried to make an effort to take advantage of every rep,” said Kendall Winn. “We are all focused on supporting and doing everything we can to get us back to the World Series.”