Sam Wilbur – Staff Writer 

The Dordt University softball team started off their 2024 season on February 2-3, hosting Midland, Buena Vista, Culver Stockton, Doane, Northwestern, William Penn, and Kansas Wesleyan in the American State Bank Sports Complex. The Defenders are coming off from their best season, with two seniors earning All-American status—pitcher Abby Kramer and designated player Ella Koster. In the previous season, the team finished third in the GPAC conference with a 35-13 record.  

A Dome Classic will be hosted every weekend during the month of February. There are a lot of teams in the five-state area that travel to Sioux Center to participate. 

“It’s a good way to get some early practice, as well as some non-conference games under our belt,” said Jeff Zomer, head softball coach.  

No teams from the same conference play each other. Coach Zomer reaches out to each team months before the tournaments are scheduled to take place, inviting them to play.  

“These dome games are very beneficial to us when preparing for the season. Being able to play in the dome allows us to figure things out as to who plays well together,” said Emma Groen, a senior player.  

In the first matchup against Kansas Wesleyan, the Defenders started out hot. Junior outfielder Brooke Rule scored a home run, taking the lead 1-0. The flames fizzled for the Defenders, scoreless for the remainder of the game. It was close until the sixth inning, when Kansas Wesleyan scored 2 runs, beating Dordt 3-1.  

“We went from a senior dominated team last year to a fairly young team this year. It’s crazy how the team dynamic can change from year-to-year” Zomer said.  

The second matchup against William Penn was a tight battle. After the first inning, William Penn was up two, then Dordt answered with a run scored by junior catcher and outfielder Aurora Tyson, with an Run Batted In (RBI) from Rule. Dordt was able to tie the game by a hit from junior outfielder Brooklyn Coxx. In the seventh inning, Dordt took the lead by 2, but was unable to keep it as William Penn pushed back and edged out the Defenders with a score of 7-6.  

The last game for the Defenders put them up against Buena Vista, where the Defenders won 10-2 in the sixth inning.  

There are many key players to look out for this season. Seniors Emma Groen, Taylor Knaack, and Karli Olsen are key players on and off the field. Along with these veterans, Freshman Chloe Kreuz also looks to make an impact.   

“Chloe has done some nice things for our program, and I am excited to see what she can do,” Zomer said. 

Being a part of a team and building a positive team atmosphere is what this years’ seniors want to accomplish.  

“The biggest goal I want to achieve this season is not stats wise. Rather, it is not taking anything for granted and being present and having the opportunity to be together,” said Karli Olsen, a senior player.  

Many of the seniors on the team are role models for younger players, as they have shown younger girls what it means to be a Christian athlete.  

“Taylor Knaack is one of the first people that welcomed me to the team. She helped me through drills, showed me what to do, and has helped me transition from high school to college sports,” Kreuz said.  

The Defenders are currently 1-6.  

“In scheduling the games and the teams that were invited and the teams that could come on certain weekends, we have played some incredibly tough teams. Don’t let our record define us,” Zomer said. 

Dome Classic games will continue throughout the rest of the February, with new teams almost every weekend.