Last weekend’s annual Concordia Kickoff Classic has officially launched the beginning of  softball season. To dodge the rain, the tournament that was set to be hosted at Great Park, was  scattered to surrounding universities so each team could compete while staying dry.  

Finishing 3-2, the Green and Gold fought for wins over San Francisco State, Western Oregon and  Stanislaus State. Last weekend set the tone for the rest of the season as the NFCA DII nationally  ranked No.14 Golden Eagles swung for the fences.  

Senior pitcher Katlin Entrup was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year and is the two-time DII CCA  First Team All-West Region. Entrup managed 21 total strikeouts last weekend. She currently tallies a total 255 strikeouts since beginning her Golden Eagles career as a sophomore transfer.  

During the fall preseason, the Golden Eagles had time to prepare for their lengthy conference  season and sharpen their skills. "Preseason training and preparation is always super tedious," said  Entrup, "Every rep counts. All the little hours at the field or in the cage all add up." 

Senior pitcher Cortney Koelmans is a four-year Golden Eagle and has helped Concordia to their  PacWest Championships during her time here. "During the fall, we worked on getting stronger  through practice, lifting and conditioning," said Koelmans. "We also worked on building  connections within our team to gel as a unit on the field." 

Senior outfielder Kaia Nisby earned the team three runs this weekend. ”I think what sets this  team apart from our competition is not only our work ethic but also our love for the game," said  Nisby. "Even if we have a day off, I will end up seeing a majority of the team putting in extra  work." 

With their sights set on a National Championship, the Golden Eagles will strive to make this the year they finish recognized as the best in the nation. 

Koelmans said, "Winning a National Championship has always been a huge goal for us and with  the talent that we have, we are always pushing each other to work harder and do better to help us  get closer to achieving this goal." 

"This team has the hunger to win a National Championship this season and I think we have the  ability, talent and work ethic to do so," said Entrup. 

With a large crew of seniors on the team, this will be many of these all-star athletes' last season  as Golden Eagles. "Getting to play the game I love with some of the most amazing players and  coaching staff is something I will never take for granted," said Koelmans. 

"With every pitch and every game I am able to compete in, I am truly just looking forward to  giving my all and making memories with my teammates," said Entrup.

There is plenty of time to catch the Golden Eagles taking the field with conference games until the end of April. Visit cuigoldeneagles.com and mark your calendars with the full season schedule.  For the inside scoop and season updates, follow @cuisoftball on Instagram. 

Tags: women's athletics, sports

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