Column: Softball’s Recent Woes

  After a 17-game losing streak, the faltering Roos managed a win against a Summit League rival. 

  Games being cut short due to run spread losses and nine shut-out losses punctuated Kansas City’s losing streak.

  The Roos snapped the losing cycle against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks eight to zero, a team that is arguably worse than Kansas City. They managed to lose the next two games of the series. 

  Over the course of the 2023 season, the Roos won an astonishing six wins with 32 losses, and a conference record of one win and eight losses. 

  Kansas City hasn’t been a competitive team all year and has managed to recess over the course of the season, falling short in every aspect of the game. 

  The most glaring problem with the Roos is pitching. Their pitching unit has a high ceiling for development. The lack of experience played a major role in this team’s chances to be competitive, with four of the five pitchers being underclassmen.

  Currently, Kansas City holds the worst ERA (Earned Runs Allowed) in the Summit League with an average of 6.53 runs a game. Not to mention that the Roos and North Dakota hold the lead for the most pitching errors by a wide margin with 237 (Fighting Hawks) and 236 (Roos). The next closest team is St.Thomas with 207.  

  Pitching isn’t the only problem that they have dealt with. Kansas City also lacks batting consistency. The Roos’ plate performance has been struggling, having the second-worst batting average at .228. The worst batting average belongs to the Fighting Hawks with .227.

  This season may seem lost, but this is a good development for their young pitching core that has the potential to become a force in the Summit League, as the pitchers become more experienced upperclassmen. 

  Next, the Roos play on April 22 against Western Illinois for a three-game stand.  

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