The Bellevue College women’s softball team has been tearing up the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges league all season–their efforts have earned them the first place position in the NWAACC north division. The team has been playing some great softball led by Head Coach Leah Francis and is aiming to continue this level of play into the NWAACC championship, “This team worked really hard all season starting in fall ball all the way through now, to prepare themselves and get ready for play, and this is a great accomplishment for a great team.”
The team has put together a great season so far with a 35-5 record during the season and is preparing to keep it going for the NWAACC tournament. Sophomore right fielder Autumn Isaacson has a reason for why she thinks the team has done well this year, “We all get along both on and off the field which helps us, and it helps us understand how we all act on the field, so it is easy to improve.” Autumn is one of the teams leading hitters with a .488 batting average. Freshmen catcher Brittany Jacobsen has caught close to every game for Bellevue College and leads the team with 55 runs batted in over the season. She left her thoughts on how it felt to be first place in the NWAACC north division: “It feels great, especially as a freshmen coming in. We have a reputation for coming in every year and taking first, so it is nice to continue doing just that.” Continuing the tradition of excellence, is a goal that everybody on the team, players and coaches alike, all strive for collectively.
While the team works well together, there are a few members on the team that have been recognized as team leaders. One of which is first basemen Cassidy Dewaele for being inspirational and a great team player. Another is Miranda Granger for her defensive play, ability to get her team focused when they need to be and her work with the freshmen; the freshmen pitchers have really stepped up their game. Jacobsen believed there is a full core of leaders on the team: “Pretty much the entire sophomore class. Every sophomore has something that they bring to the team that helps lead the team.” Sophomore Miranda Granger has a more overview look on the leaders of the team, “Our team is full of leaders.” While it is obvious that the team is well led by their coaching staff, there are also great leaders from within the team that boost their level of play.
The team now heads onto the NWAACC championships with only one goal in mind: to take home the gold. Granger is confident in her team’s chances to capture the title, “I think our defense is the best in the NWAACC right now, and offensively I think we pretty much crush anyone we come across.”
The team now leaves for Portland, Ore. for the championships. Coach Francis has this to say to the students of Bellevue College: “Go ahead and follow us online if you can’t make it down to the games in Portland, and know that this is another great group of young student athletes who really embrace what it means to be a student athlete and embrace what it really means to be a member of the Bellevue College Softball team. I think they do a great job of representing the school and this program.”
