The grass is freshly clipped, the weather is a beautiful 75 degrees and the teams are fired up… for fall softball? Yes, it may not be the regular spring season, but the atmosphere for the Mount Olive at UNC Wilmington softball game Sept. 24 proved the game was far from meaningless for the Seahawks.

A team cannot be solely based on how it looks in the offseason, but UNCW looks like a formidable opponent already. The Seahawks’ scrimmage against Mount Olive two Saturdays ago showed the team has character due to a large, experienced group of upperclassmen that led the way to a 5-2 victory.

UNCW started off slow, though, allowing Mount Olive to grab an early 1-0 lead. The Seahawks rallied to tie the game when senior Kelsey Eddinger hit an RBI double. Fellow senior Katie Houmard also added a double and a two-run homerun that put the Seahawks on top for good.

UNCW coach Kelly Van Houten was pleased with the grit the Seahawks showed in the comeback win. After the game, she stressed the team’s ability to come back and hitting late to win as the pivotal aspects.

It may only be one preseason game, but every building starts with a foundation. An early win does a lot for a team loaded with upperclassmen. Van Houten said she was excited for the spring season because her seven seniors bring energy to the field and show the younger players where to go. The Mount Olive game was a coming out party according to the fourth-year UNCW coach, as the senior class were responsible for almost all of the runs.

Van Houten expressed confidence in the group. “It’s the best fall start since I’ve been here,” she said. Considering this is her fourth year as head coach, this means these are her seniors. She coached this group of seniors since they were freshmen, so this senior class has an special meaning to Van Houten.

This can only add fuel to the fire in the softball team’s drive to succeed this year. The regular season hasn’t even started, but so far, so good for the Seahawks.