The Cougars finished strong last year with a 13-5 AAC record and 33-23 overall. The team hopes to meet and surpass their 2014 season trip to the NCAA regionals in Waco. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
The Cougars have set their sights on making their upcoming season fit in with their already prolific eight years of winning-season records. Softball has not had a losing season since 2006, and the team isn’t ready to break that streak any time soon.
This season’s schedule includes 26 home games to be played at Cougar Softball Stadium along with four tournaments, two of which will be played at home. The Cougars start off the season with the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational running Feb. 13 through 15, where they will be hosting Stephen F. Austin State University, McNeese State University and Northern Iowa University, among others.
Head coach Kyla Holas helped develop a schedule that includes seven teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last year, giving the Cougars a shot at gaining more recognition. The team will also go up against region rivals Texas A&M and Sam Houston State.
With nine new members of the team, four of whom are freshmen, fifth-year senior outfielder Sydney Gerbracht says that chemistry isn’t something that is lacking among the new teammates.
“We’ve done a really good job so far having our team mesh, and as long as we continue to do those things I think we’ll be successful,” Gerbracht said.
“I think we have not only great softball players, but really great people this year.”
Gerbracht has seen the Cougars continually develop from year to year as she came to UH five years ago, leading into her fifth and final year with the familial team.
“Everybody always wishes the other person well; we don’t have anybody going head-to-head in a bad kind of competition,” Gerbracht said.
“Everyone’s competitive, but we also lift each other up, so it’s a good atmosphere.”
Junior outfielder Katie St. Pierre said she feels that so many new additions to the team give the older teammates a sense of leadership.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m the role model but I’m definitely a leader on the team,” St. Pierre said. “The coaches look to me as being a leader and taking the new people under my wing.”
Entering her 15th season as head coach, Holas says that practicing key things for offense and defense is ultimately going to make a difference in whether the Cougars win or lose.
“We kind of have some absolutes in each part of our game,” Holas said. “On offense, we always work on one, swing the bat; two, swing at strikes; and three, be on time (with the swings), so that’s kind of our things that we’re really spending a lot of time on.”
While the team still has some things to work on, including base running and consistency according to Holas, she says that the main priority is trying to get the right team together for the upcoming season.
“I think as a whole there’s something about every single one of our kids that we’re like what they’re doing,” Holas said. “We’re just trying to make sure that we find the right nine right now.”
