Regional loss still lingers with Eagles

It’s been around 30 years since the Menominee Indian softball team has won a regional game.

The second-seeded Eagles suffered their worst loss of the season last year at home in the regional semifinal, 8-1, to Bonduel, which has lingered in the minds of the returning players.

“The ones that are back with us this year, I know they are still thinking about it,” Menominee Indian head coach Bob Smith said. “They are still thinking about it because I won’t let them forget it.”

Smith still sees a regional victory as a milestone for the program and hopes the team realizes that the goal is attainable this season.

He might change his approach, though.

“I stressed the importance of winning the regional last year because it hasn’t been done in 30 years,” Smith said. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on them, and I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

The Eagles lost Central Wisconsin Conference-10 Player of the Year Joan Waukau to graduation, making catcher one of the largest holes to fill this season.

Smith said it might take the first few games to find a permanent replacement for Waukau.

Helping him through the process will be senior pitcher Kelsey Corn, who had grown close to Waukau in their years of playing together.

“It really hurt to lose my catcher, someone that understood me and was able to catch for me all the time throughout when I was young,” Corn said. “It was really hard for me, but this year, I’m trying to get other girls to catch for me and get them familiar with it.”

Smith said that Corn could have been player of the year had it not been for Waukau.

Smith has few worries about his pitching staff. Senior Taylor Mahkimetas is the team’s second pitcher, and Liz Corn can also pitch some innings for the Eagles.

Mental mistakes in the field will be the biggest concern for the Eagles this season, but with six returning starters from last year’s 16-5 team, the transition should be relatively smooth, Smith said.

Seniors and second-team all-conference selections Ania Smith and Mahkimetas will man first base and shortstop, respectively, and sophomore Liz Corn returns at second base.

The squad has the coach looking forward a run for the conference crown.

“I think they are determined to win it this time,” Corn said. “I think we are going to do good.”