Seniors lead softball to unprecedented heights
Engineers hope to repeat or beat last season’s success
On April 11, after defeating Eastern Connecticut State University, the seniors on the MIT softball team celebrated their 100th win together. The following Saturday, MIT defeated Springfield College twice in a doubleheader (6–3, 5–1), which coincided with softball’s senior day, highlighting the impact that the seniors, Jasmin Joseph ’18, Zoe Hinton ’18, Amanda Lee ’18, and Katherine Shade ’18, have made on the program.
Before the Class of 2018 came to MIT, the majority of the Institute’s softball records were held by the 1984 team. In the years since 1984, MIT softball had very few winning seasons, often losing more than double the number of games won.
The tide turned in 2015, when these four seniors entered the program. In the 2015 season, the team won 29 games and lost only 10, breaking the program record for the most wins in a season. The next year, 2016, the Engineers shattered their previous win record with 34 wins. The team also broke the record for most runs scored in a season (195) and most hits in a season (379). In their 2016 season, after winning the NCAA Tournament Regional and Super Regional Championships for the first time in program history, MIT softball advanced to its first ever NCAA Division III Softball National Championship where the Engineers finished in fifth place. That season, Joseph set the record for most runs in a single season (42) and most hits in a single season (70). Lee set the record for most runs batted in in a season (35). Joseph also holds the record for career stolen bases (50).
To the seniors, being on the team is about much more than just stats. In an interview with The Tech, Joseph, the team captain, said, “I found some of my best friends on the softball team. It’s exciting and rejuvenating to be a part of a whole-body experience that I feel that MIT softball is. It has helped me look outside myself and into the larger picture of what it means to be a teammate and an athlete and how to interact with people in world.” She continued, “l love the game, but more than that, I love the people who play the game,” emphasizing the positive impact of community on the team and at MIT.
The Engineers are looking forward to a promising season, having won 23 games already, with many more in sight. They have 10 more games this season before the post-season begins. Their next home game is a doubleheader Tuesday, April 24 at 4 and 6 p.m.