There’s no question what the goal has been for the Utah softball team this year. The phrase comes up in nearly every interview, and it encompasses everything the team strives for.
The goal? The postseason.
“At the beginning of the year, we talked about the goals we wanted to accomplish as a team,” said first baseman Bridget Castro . “Our main goal was to make the postseason.”
Qualifying for the postseason is more achievable now than ever thanks to the success the Utes are having on the field, but the goal has remained constant since day one. Before the regular season even began, Hannah Flippen and company already knew what they had to do.
“I’m really excited to do things we’ve never done before and go postseason,” said second baseman Hannah Flippen earlier this year.
Flippen’s prediction may just become reality for Utah, as it is in a prime position to “go postseason” after winning its fifth-straight conference series last weekend.
Utah just recently moved into ESPN.com’s top 25 rankings at No. 24, the first time in team history that the Utes have cracked ESPN.com’s poll. But this is just one of the many firsts for Utah that Flippen was hoping to be a part of early on.
While the ranking is big news for Utah, the players have their focus on the bigger picture — the postseason. The Utes are riding high right now with 33 wins to their name, but the process of getting to the postseason didn’t exactly start the way the Utes would have hoped.
Despite having to square off against the consensus top-two teams in the conference in Oregon and UCLA, Utah kept its poise and didn’t let the early-season losses affect its long-term goals.
“None of our goals have changed or are unreachable at this point,” said Utah head coach Amy Hogue following Utah’s 0-6 start in conference play.
She was right. Since she made that remark, Utah has not lost a conference series and has won six games against ranked opponents. The Utes are in the middle of their best stretch of softball in recent memory, and they can thank their perseverance for that.
“We just never give up,” said senior Marissa Mendenhall . “We just keep on fighting. We never back down, and we find ways to win.”
Utah is sitting in a good position to qualify for one of the NCAA Regionals, which start on May 15. If the Utes qualify, the other teams in their region might want to watch out for Utah, winners of 12 of its last 15 games.
“It’s a great time for us to peak,” said outfielder Heather Bowen .
Much of the team’s progress this season can be credited to the leadership that Katie Donovan and Hannah Flippen both bring to the team.
“[Donovan and Flippen] are two of the best leaders and mentors that I’ve ever been involved with,” Bowen said. “They push us in every aspect of our games, and I look up to them.”
As any gracious leader would be expected to do, the captains pointed right back at their teammates.
“Everybody is making some sort of contribution,” Flippen said. “We just keep making big wins as a team.”
Whoever is making plays, it’s clear this Utah softball team is a special one. As the players bask in the national spotlight, the season continues to wind down, and the Utes hope they will be left standing when the NCAA Regionals are announced.
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