The Trevian softball team is now 8-9 and has played well in all three conference matchups. Even though the Trevians are improving every game and are well on their way to another successful year, early in the season, the team faced heavy adversity.
Throughout the early stages of the 2024 season, nothing was going right for the Trevians. As a team, New Trier High School struggled to stay healthy and dealt with some early season injuries to their key upperclassmen. With the amount of injuries to junior and senior team leaders, early in the season, inexperienced underclassmen played a larger role than anticipated and were asked to play a variety of positions.
To make matters worse, the Trevians faced their most difficult opponents in the early part of the season. Ilana Styles, a sophomore, recalls the amount of overwhelming talent that they played.
“Our season started off with the most difficult matchups that we would face this season,” Styles said. “They were very good at hitting with overpowering pitching.”
Due to injuries, tough matchups and inexperience through the lineup, the Trevians started 0-3 with three blowout losses to teams that were healthier and therefore deeper then New Trier.
Playing their best softball midway through the season, the now healthy and inspired Trevians still attribute their recent success to early season adversity. Head coach Rose Wysocki credited the players’ toughness early in the season.
“We proved to be very resilient and flexible,” Wysocki said. “We became a stronger team and asked individuals to put aside their own wants for the betterment of the team.”
When speaking with Styles, she shared that underclassmen had no choice but to answer the call early in the season due to the culture instilled in every Trevian player
“The New Trier Softball organization teaches me and my teammates to leave the jersey in a better place than you found it…and to put the team before oneself,” Styles said.
As of now, New Trier is 8-9 and improving both individually and as a team every game. After graduating two of the Trevians’ best pitchers last year, Wysocki is impressed with her current pitching staff.
“Our pitchers, Addy Varca, Trinity Andelin, and Lyla Andelin have all stepped up,” Wysocki said. “Last season we graduated our two main pitchers who threw for us the last four years, so each of these girls has been asked to step into that role.”
Along with pitching, New Trier has also played stellar defense thanks to star defensive players like sophomore center fielder Campbell Bach.
“[Bach] in center field is an incredibly fundamentally sound player who we can count on,” Wysocki said.
When speaking with Coach Wysocki about team goals for the remainder of the season, she made it abundantly clear that although winning games is a top priority, her main goal is to see the New Trier Trevians grow “both as a team and as individuals.” After facing early adversity that tested the mental and physical strength of the Trevians, it is clear that New Trier is well on its way to accomplishing both goals.
The Trevians face off against Glenbrook South High School at 4:45 p.m. today, May 2, at home.