Softball team to compete in exhibition tournament in Traverse City
The softball team will get a glimpse of what the year has in store as it takes part in a four-team invitational in Traverse City this weekend.
“This is a tournament mostly about bonding,” said junior shortstop Molly Coldren. “It’s a weekend to see where everyone stands and just to get the younger kids, the freshmen, used to playing collegiate ball.”
The tournament kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday as the Chippewas take on Notre Dame at Traverse City West High School.
Michigan and Western Michigan are the other teams competing in the tournament, each of which will play five innings against Notre Dame Saturday. From there, the teams will be seeded for Sunday’s matchups.
“I remember being really nervous my freshman year because we played Michigan first,” Coldren said. “We play really well and it’s just a lot of fun to play high competition early.”
In 2009, the team was an offensive powerhouse in Traverse City, but came up short. They opened the tournament with a 15-0 victory over Grand Rapids Community College, in which pitchers Kari Seddon and Courtney King combined for a one-hitter.
In the second game, the Chippewas and Wolverines each went scoreless, and in the third CMU put their rival Western Michigan away 7-1.
The team blew GRCC away again on day two with a 16-5 victory, before being knocked out of the championship 8-0 by Michigan.
Roster
CMU, which finished 27-19 in 2009, will be coached by Margo Jonker, in her 32nd year with the program. Jonker signed a four-year contract extension over the summer, keeping her at CMU through the 2014 season.
The team will be without seniors Christina Novak, Katie Greenman, Amber Olejniczak and Jill Schulz this season, but welcome back eight returning starters, including both starting pitchers and six position players.
