Bruins softball is back, and they’ve hit the ground sprinting as they continue the tradition of success that has become synonymous with the athletics program at Salt Lake Community College.
The Bruins currently have a 26-5 record, ranking No. 10 in the country through March 30. Their success so far has been nothing short of a group effort, with great play coming from all over the lineup. Boasting a blazing .448 batting average and a .529 on-base percentage – both of which lead the nation – coupled with outstanding pitching performance, the Bruins softball team has created a brand of softball that is fun to watch.
Sophomore Bailey Marvin currently leads the team in home runs and was named the Scenic West Athletic Conference’s player of the week after an outstanding four-game series against Utah State University Eastern. But while her individual play on the plate has been outstanding, Marvin said she remains focused on the team aspect.
“[I’m] making sure that I am being good for the team,” Marvin said. “Not just for myself.”
Sophomore pitcher Tiffany Hermansen is currently pitching 5-0 on the season and was recognized for her performance in the series against USU Eastern, earning SWAC pitcher of the week. Hermansen talked about the “Bruin standard” that everyone on the team holds themselves to.
“It’s all these little things that you would never expect a different team to do,” said Hermansen. “You’re never walking; you’re always jogging. We’re always loud. We’re always cheering each other on. [We’re] never low-energy. Just little stuff like that separates us from other schools.”
Cyndee Bennett, head coach of the team since 2013, acknowledged that she and the rest of the coaching staff need to hold the players to that same standard as the season progresses.
“[The players] kind of know what they’re getting into, doing their research, and coming [into the program],” said Bennett. “So, our job is just to hold them to that standard that they expected coming in.”
Last year was a successful season for the Bruins, but they fell short against the College of Southern Idaho in the Region 18 championship game. Coach Bennett said she plans to learn from last year and hold players accountable to control the parts of the game that they can control.
“Our big theme is one pitch at a time, and that’s all that matters,” said Bennett. “[It] doesn’t matter who did what this weekend or what happened last weekend; all that matters is that first pitch.”
The Bruins’ next home stand takes place at Taylorsville Redwood campus on April 12 and 13, in a rematch of last year’s Region 18 championship game against the College of Southern Idaho. Visit the SLCC Athletics website for more information about upcoming games.
