Linfield softball super regionals preview
Talent only takes a team so far — but the secret sauce to a winning team is the intangibles: culture, camaraderie, and love of teammates. For Linfield’s softball team, who will be playing Illinois Wesleyan Thursday and Friday for the opportunity to play in the DIII national softball tournament, the keeper of the ’Cat torch is graduate student Tyler Worden.
Worden is the epitome of ultimate team player. Last season as a senior she found herself the number three pitcher on the team behind Taya Kelly and freshman Tyler McNeley. At the end of the year she had to decide whether to return as a player or just focus on her graduate studies in sports leadership.
Head coach Jackson Vaughan said he and Worden had as chat at the end of last season about returning. He invited to her to come out for the team but said there were not guarantees of here role with the squad.
The ‘Cats also brought in a couple of freshman pitchers and the returning McNeley would be the obvious choice as the starter.
“I knew I wanted to go into the master’s program. I just wasn’t sure what else I was going to do when I was here. Softball, honestly, was more of a question than school,” Worden said.
As she wrestled with what was next for her on the softball diamond, Worden said “I think it was a chance to learn even more about myself and to be with people I really enjoy being around.
“It came down would I regret it more not playing that if I did. So, it was like, I’m going to go for it — only a certain amount of people get this opportunity, so why not?” she said.
Vaughan is certainly glad she made the choice to return to the Wildcats. She picked up the slack in the circle allowing McNeley the chance to take a rest every so often. In the process Worden racked up a 11-3 record with a 3.14 era.
But more than that she was a positive force on the team that was dominated by nine seniors.
While she maintains she wasn’t coaching and officially she wasn’t, but it was Worden who had the “Don’t worry, we’ll get it done” attitude.
“That bleeds over to everybody. I just try to be a constant because with softball there’s a lot of ebb and flows of the game. I think if you can remain in a good mindset and keep your energy high the whole time that’s going to help your team keep going,” she said.
The Wildcats will likely need Worden’s positive attitude in the best of three series against the Titans that began after publication deadline Thursday at Del Smith Stadium.
The two squads have played similar scores against common opponents. Illinois Wesleyan played Chapman University in a pair of preseason contests, losing 3-2, and winning 3-0.
The Wildcats drooped the Panthers last weekend to earn the right to host the super regional contact this weekend, by a 5-3 margin.
The Titans, with their 37-7 record, will have additional motivation since Illinois Wesleyan will host the softball national tournament the following week. The visitors are on a 25-game win streak and went undefeated through league and regional play.
With the home-field advantage, counters with as 45-5 record and a 10-game win streak as well as the pitching of McNeley, the number one team batting average led by Claire Seats .474
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