UNI softball looking to avoid ‘hype anxiety’ in MVC tournament

CEDAR FALLS — It’s been a record-setting season for Northern Iowa softball.

The Panthers (31-13, 22-2 MVC) broke school records for consecutive wins (16), single-season conference wins (22) and single-season home runs (65) en route to a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.

“Our team was able to overcome a lot of different adversities throughout the year,” Panthers Coach Ryan Jacobs said. “Nothing huge, but just when they were faced with a challenge or something came up that was unexpected I’ve always really liked how they responded to those situations this year.

“Their resume speaks for itself. Hopefully we can continue to keep the right mindset that even when things don’t go our way, confidence isn’t something that we need to worry about.”

Even with that resume, UNI’s chances of an at-large bid to an NCAA regional are far from a sure thing. The Panthers need two wins at this weekend’s MVC tournament to secure their spot.

As the tournament’s presumptive favorite, pressure can naturally come with those expectations, but Jacobs pointed toward something else that caught his attention.

“(Against Iowa) we hadn’t been in that environment pretty much all year long where there was a big crowd. We kind of got what I would say is ‘hype anxiety,’” Jacobs said. “We hadn’t been in those situations. We wanted to perform well. We didn’t perform like we had been and I think it was just because of the atmosphere. Saw it a little last year in the conference championship and regionals where we weren’t bad, but we weren’t the same team that played loose and free.

“We’ve got to find a way that we can get them in front of those situations more often throughout the year.”

When it comes to being immune to more raucous environments and crowds, sophomore catcher Emmy Wells said it’s important to keep focus on what’s happening within the fences.

Beyond the mental approach that will be key for the Panthers this weekend, Jacobs and Wells described how the team’s ability to hit for power provoked midseason adjustments from their conference peers that they’re still working to respond to.

“I think that as the season went on we had to be a little bit more selective. Teams started trying to get us to get ourselves out,” Wells said. “Those are the adjustments we just have to keep making to be successful.”

UNI opens the MVC tournament in the semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m. The Panthers will play either Loyola-Chicago, Bradley or Drake.

All-conference

The MVC announced its postseason awards on Wednesday and six Panthers were recognized.

Catcher Wells, utility fielder Mya Dodge, second baseman Taylor Hogan and pitcher Kailyn Packward were each named to the all-conference first team.

Wells — who led the conference in home runs (19), RBIs (51), slugging percentage (. 857) and OPS (1.300) — also was named the conference’s player of the year and defensive player of the year while Dodge was named freshman of the year.

Outfielder Madison Parks and pitcher Samantha Heyer were named to the All-MVC second team.

Jacobs and assistants Monica Wright and Garrett Furnal were named Staff of the Year. It’s the fifth time Jacobs and his staff have earned the honor.