Missouri Southern State University’s softball team tied head coach Hallie Blackney’s personal record of 41 wins in a season Friday when it swept Newman University at the Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
When the University of Central Oklahoma came to town Saturday, it gave her a new career high and the most wins for the program in a single season since the 2001 campaign by sweeping the Bronchos as well, totaling 43 wins with two games left on the regular season schedule.
But those last two games may be the biggest of the season for MSSU, promising hot action sports fans this weekend.
The Lions will face off with archrival Pittsburg State University — squaring up two of the best teams in the country and the top two teams in the MIAA.
Not only is a conference title on the line, but PSU was No. 2 in the last NCAA rankings by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and MSSU was 12th. The Lions are likely to improve when the new rankings come out Tuesday.
“When you’re in the thick of it, I don’t know. We strive, from August until now, we’ve talked about being consistent the entire time,” Blackney said. “We have really good player leadership on this team. The seniors have a ton of experience, and they’ve been able to bring the underclassmen up to where they’re at.”
The players have to produce on the field in the game. But how many of those 43 wins and how much of that “consistency” Blackney talked about is actually due to what she does?
“I feel like she’s definitely guided us with the consistency piece,” MSSU’s sophomore left fielder Bailey Dillon said. “She shows up every day. She gives us 100%, so it makes us want to give 100% back for her and work hard.”
Senior first baseman and an offensive leader Katie Gray added that even when the players don’t show up to a practice ready to go, Blackney is consistent in how she holds everyone accountable.
The 2001 season was the first year after Lipira left the head coaching gig at Southern and Ron Faubion stepped in. That was a 52-win season under Faubion. This year’s 43 wins ranks sixth all-time for the program. The other four seasons with more than 43 wins all came while Lipira was at the helm.
To be able to set the best mark in the last 25 seasons, Blackney says it’s about player leadership.
“At the end of the day, when you have a great team, it’s because you have a player-led team, and that’s what this is,” she said.
MSSU is now 43-7 on the season and it has been steady over the course of the season. There hasn’t really been a lull or some crazy hot streak. They’ve been steady most of the season.
MSSU lost three games in February, two in March and two more in April. Now it enters May, the most important month of all.
The MIAA regular season conference title is on the line this weekend when the Lions head to Pittsburg to face the Gorillas (45-4, 17-3 MIAA). The Lions are 18-4 in MIAA games.
The Gorillas go to Missouri Western State University on Tuesday for a doubleheader before facing the Lions. If they sweep the Griffons (26-17, 7-13 MIAA), the Lions would have to sweep the Gorillas on Saturday to claim the title.
If PSU happens to lose a game or two, the door would be open for MSSU to win the conference without having to sweep PSU. Even after Saturday, the MIAA Tournament in Emporia, Kansas, comes the next week and then the NCAA Tournament follows that — something both the Gorillas and Lions will have their eyes set on.
When it comes down to that player leadership, it seems to come somewhat easy for Blackney’s group.
“Really just working together and having each other’s backs I think is the biggest factor in that. And having fun. That’s one thing that we focus on is just having fun and being with each other,” Gray said.
Dillon said the consistency started in the preseason and hasn’t stopped.