CCU Women's Softball Team Concludes Outstanding First Season
Colorado Christian University's women's softball team experienced quite a few "firsts" in their opening season, and expectations are high as they reflect on their first year together and anticipate the future.
The women were led by first-year head coach, Daven Bond, who received the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award. When asked about the season, Bond, said, "The most surprising thing is how well we have done and the things that we have been able to accomplish on the field. The girls have certainly exceeded any expectations that I had for our first year. I am so proud of them and how God is working in their lives. It has been an amazing year."
The team of women gathered together last spring for their first practices, and played their inaugural game on February 10. The team rallied quickly, winning the season's first game the very next day. The team won their first conference game only two weeks later. Throughout the season, they saw continual growth and refined their skills as a team. About halfway through the season, in a game against Western New Mexico, they had more than three times the RBIs of their first season's game against St. Leo.
As the underdogs in any competition with only a few months of practice under their belts, the team blew fans away as they competed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, plowing their way through the regular season and into the championship game of the league tournament. After a tough loss in the final game, they anxiously awaited the following Monday morning to know if they would receive an invitation to compete in the NCAA Division II tournament.
Bond, however, was confident in his team. "I was certain that we had earned a spot in the regional tournament. I guess there is always a question until the final decisions are made, but we had a great year and had a better record than anyone in the conference. I think the RMAC run definitely helped us get an NCAA bid to regionals." When the invitation was extended, the women were thrilled to be packing their bags for South Dakota for one last chance at a championship title after a killer season, and winning record.
Despite a tough 1-0 first-round loss to Winona State in the NCAA tournament, the Lady Cougars rebounded with a 5-2 win over Colorado Mesa. Their second loss came later that day in a semi-final rematch against Winona State in the semi-final, taking them out of the rest of the championship competition. The women were disappointed to see their momentous season come to such a halting end, but all players were grateful for the opportunity to compete so fiercely in their first season, ending with a 34-29 record.
The CCU women ended their first season with the record for most wins in a season and the first NCAA Regional victory for any team in CCU history. Not a bad start for a first-year program. Bond summed up the year well, commenting, "I can't say enough about these young ladies. This has been a coach's dream. I have enjoyed coaching more this year than any other. The girls have made it easy to withstand the crazy schedule that the softball season brings. None of us wanted the season to end."