The 2024 season was not only successful for the MN softball team, it was record-breaking. Over the season, 22 athletes under head coach Travis Unzicker broke 15 records, consisting of 8 team records and 7 individual records.
“Many records stood out to me, but in particular, we had 359 hits this season compared to 313 that have stood since the ‘93 championship season,” Unzicker said.
Other team records broken include most runs scored in a season, most runs batted in (RBIs) in a season, best team batting average, most doubles in a season, most home runs in a season, best slugging percentage, and most wins in a season.
The record for most wins in a season stood since 1993 when 30 wins were achieved. This season, the MN softball team won 31 games to narrowly beat the record. As for individual achievements, two athletes in particular made a huge impact.
“Macey Jarose and Abby Beard made the biggest jump into our lineup and provided a huge production increase,” Unzicker said.
Jarose, a junior, and Beard, a sophomore, have both been playing softball since they were toddlers.
“I have been playing softball for as long as I can remember. I started playing around age 5 and fell in love with the game. I’ve been at Millard North for three years now, and have been on Varsity all three years,” Jarose said.
Jarose broke the individual record for the most stolen bases and runs in a season. She smashed the previous runs in a season record, raising the bar from 44 to 65 runs.
“It feels pretty surreal looking at all the records we broke because some haven’t been broken in a long time. It just goes to show that all our hard work has paid off and I’m so proud of everyone on this team!” Jarose said.
Beard broke four individual records including best batting average in a season, most hits in a season, most RBIs in a season, and best percentage on base.
“Breaking records is exciting because it gives me another challenge to keep working towards and to be better next season. As a team, we almost broke all the team records this season which is so insane,” Beard said.
These accomplishments were not by accident, as the team has been working hard on and off the field to ensure a successful season. Coaches have been training not only on physical performance but also on mentality and teamwork.
“Our coaches incorporated a program called the “W.A.N.T”, which stands for Weights, At Bats, Nutrition, and Teammate. This program was new, and I believe it helped everyone tremendously because everyone was confident in themselves and each other,” Jarose said.
After being runner-up in the state championship last year, the team set new goals with the determination to have the most successful season possible. They had been preparing since the end of the 2023 season.
“In winter and spring, the girls tracked their progress in each W.A.N.T category and read 3 books on how to be better teammates. We also increased our Mustang Mindset mental training through assistant coach Skyler Groebli,” said Unzicker.
This holistic approach was clearly instrumental in the demolition of long-standing MN softball records. Through setbacks and successes, the team was able to keep focus and attack the next challenge.
“Softball is such a fast-paced game where there’s no time to dwell on a mistake at bat. If we don’t give into the fear of failure we are more likely to play free and loose, and more importantly have fun,” said Jarose.
The team finished the season not only with 15 school records broken but also as District and Metro champions and as State Runner-ups.
“The last couple of weeks, we focused on enjoying the little things and the little moments. Doing that made things so much more enjoyable, especially during state and the constant games,” said Beard.
Even as their season came to a close, the records broken will serve as a reminder of all the team accomplished this season.