Departing seniors pave way for bright future for softball
Veteran leadership is something the 2013 softball team certainly didn't lack, and it led them to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004.
The bulk of that leadership came from the seniors: pitcher Kara Dornbos and outfielders Macy Merchant, Brogan Darwin and Summer Knoop.
Sophomore third baseman Trista Cox was quick to say the four will be irreplaceable.
"The seniors set a big stage for us and they're four very irreplaceable people," she said. "The heart that they played with all season long, from the start to the end, they lead by example. We have great class of juniors, but like I said, the four seniors are irreplaceable."
Head coach Margo Jonker was also quick to say how players come and go from a team, but, as people, the four departing seniors won't soon be replaced.
"They are irreplaceable as people," she said. "Position-wise, as players, we will move on. But, you can never replace the people."
Dornbos finished her college career with a record of 53-45 and five saves with an ERA of 2.29.
In her four seasons, Dornbos finished fifth in appearances (119), fifth in wins (53), fifth in saves (5), third in complete games (67), sixth in shutouts (21), third in innings pitched (631), sixth in strikeouts (351) in program history and has the single-season record for appearances in a season with 36 in 2012.
And she saved her best for the postseason, leading the Chippewas to back-to-back Mid-American Conference championship games in 2012 and 2013, when CMU took home the MAC title.
"It's huge to have someone in the circle like that," Jonker said. "Kara has a lot of records."
Merchant was named to the All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Tournament Team in 2013, and she finished her senior season with an astounding .408 batting average, good for third best single-season average in program history.
She won't only be missed as a leadoff hitter. She'll be equally as missed for her presence in center field as a defender.
Her speed and route to the ball made sure base runners would stop before taking the extra base. Her name, along with Dornbos', can be found numerous times in the program's record books for her offensive prowess at the plate and on the bases.
"First team all-conference, stolen bases and a great defensive player," Jonker said of Merchant.
Knoop might not be all over the record books, but her only career home run will resonate in the program for quite sometime.
The utility player showed her power in game two of the MAC tournament, as her home run was the difference in a 1-0 win against Kent State.
"We moved summer from third to outfield and then to right field, and she was willing to play any position we asked," Jonker said. "Whatever the team needed, she was willing to attempt to do."
Darwin, a fifth-year senior, was bright spot for the team in the NCAA regional, hitting .429. She wasn't a starter to begin the season, but she made her impact as the starting left fielder to end the season.
"She was on the bench for the first part of the year and managed that really well," Jonker said. "She had a great attitude, and I was very impressed."
The four seniors helped set an example of winning that the junior class and under will try to copy next season as the team makes a run for another MAC title.
"(The seniors) set a huge stage," Jonker said. "We're going to miss who they are as people ... you'll never replace the people. Eve"
