Winhawk Softball Fall in State Title Game, Earn 2nd Place

Photo: Twitter/@WinhawkSB

(KWMN)- The Winhawk softball team lost in the state championship game by a score of 5-1 to Mankato West on Friday of last week.

Winhawks have now been to four state title games since 2016, winning it all in 2017 and have gone back-to-back years earning 2nd place.

As disappointing as the loss is, the Winhawk softball team can hold their heads high knowing how great of a season they had. Head Coach for Winhawk Softball, Mitch Grossell talked with the Winona Sports network and agreed when asked if this season was a success, regardless of the championship loss,

“100% correct, I couldn’t have asked anything more from these girls this season,” said Grossell.

Winhawk softball dominated all season long, boasting a record of 18-1 in the regular season and walking through sectionals. They continued that domination in the first two games of the state tournament in which they didn’t allow a single run. The script flipped on the Winhawks in the state title game, as they found themselves unable to force their baserunners across home plate. Grossell didn’t hesitate when asked what the difference maker was in the title game,

“Their 3rd baseman,” said Grossell, with a bit of a chuckle, “she made four plays, maybe five plays-she took away four doubles for sure and probably three runs and then their shortstop made that outstanding diving play up the middle [when the bases were loaded], that’s another two runs.”

Grossell said the Mankato defense was “fantastic”. It was fantastic enough on Friday to hold a Winhawks team that scored 34 runs in their five games prior, to a mere one. It’s not that the Winhawks couldn’t garner hits (they had seven total, one shy of Mankato’s eight), It was the fact that every opportunity was squandered by a vacuum glove or miraculous play.

Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce the right way.

On the bright side, the Winhawks don’t plan on being away from the state tournament for too long. Although the team is losing Grace Fricke, who’s one of seven finalists for the Minnesota State Ms. Softball Award (awarded to the state’s best softball player each year), the Winhawks will return seven of 10 starters. Most notably in the pitching staff, where the Winhawks will bring back both Makayla Steffes and Ava Hamsund. Two players that Grossell says, “Have only gotten better each year.” Not to mention sophomore Lauren Kreckow, who hasn’t even gotten a chance to pitch on this loaded staff but according to Grossell, could start anywhere in the state.

“I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t be as good as we were this year…maybe even a little bit better,” said Grossell.

It’s never easy at the high school level to have a dynasty like the Winhawks have had. Grossell credits the culture pioneered by former head coach Scott Halverson-the idea that no one wants to let the last class down and to outperform the class prior (Grossell used outperform three times to describe that idea). Grossell continued by saying none of it would be possible without the girls buying in, and that’s exactly what they’ve done, no matter the age or year, they buy in.

Grossell answered quite easily when asked what he’s most proud of with this team,

“The way we competed; they didn’t take a single game off…There wasn’t one game where we didn’t give everything we had to give that day.”