MVNU got the season under way with the team’s annual spring trip to the Orlando Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla. The Lady Cougars had a successful trip against quality NAIA and NCAA Division III competition as they finished with a 7-3 mark.

MVNU won its first four games upon returning north to improve to 11-3 as the Lady Cougars’ winning streak grew to eight straight games. This landed the team in the No. 3 spot in the NAIA Region IX rankings as MVNU threatened to make an appearance in the NAIA national poll for the first time ever.

However, after going 5-5 over the next 10 games, the Lady Cougars then dropped 10 of the team’s next 14 contests as MVNU’s record stood at 20-18 with three regular-season games remaining. Two of the team’s losses came at the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament, though, where the team finished fourth. Seven other losses came to teams who qualified for the NAIA Region IX Tournament, and six of the losses were by one run.

The Lady Cougars closed the regular season in fine fashion as MVNU knocked off eventual NAIA Region IX champion Walsh University 6-3 on the Lady Cavaliers’ home field for one of only four losses that Walsh suffered at home. MVNU also swept an American Mideast Conference South Division doubleheader at Urbana University to earn the third and final spot in the NAIA Region IX Tournament and end the season for the defending AMC South Division champion Blue Knights.

In the NAIA Region IX Tournament, the Lady Cougars dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Ohio Dominican University in the first round - the fifth one-run loss in five games to the Lady Panthers in 2008.

However, MVNU bounced back to eliminate Point Park (Pa.) University, the University of Rio Grande, and Notre Dame College to advance all the way back to the championship game of the tournament. The three wins were also the first for the program in NAIA Region IX Tournament.

The Lady Cougars saw their season come to an end in the NAIA Region IX Tournament championship game as Walsh rallied from a 3-0 deficit to post a 4-3 walk-off win. However, despite coming up just short of reaching the NAIA National Tournament, MVNU had earned a lot of respect and gained valuable experience for the future.

“I am very proud of the way that we ended out season,” said MVNU head coach Jeana Howald, who improved to 426-326 in 19 seasons at her alma mater. “We never gave up in the region tournament and played with a lot of energy and heart. The team really came together when it mattered the most. No one expected us to get as far as we did, and we received so many positive comments from opposing coaches, teams, and parents as well as from the umpires for the way that we competed and represented ourselves and MVNU. This team can feel very good about their season.”

As a team, the Lady Cougars set two new school records that really helped them to the success that they achieved. The MVNU pitching staff compiled 216 strikeouts to easily eclipse the old record of 179 that had stood since 1989. The team also set a new record for best fielding percentage at .954 to top the old mark of .952 set in 2003.

Individually, several players put together outstanding seasons. Kristin Eyerman (left), a right-handed pitcher and the team’s lone senior, finished with a 14-8 overall record with a 2.67 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 157.1 innings of work. She finished her career ranked second in school history in strikeouts (359) and innings pitched (549.0), third in wins (45), fourth in games started (76), and fifth in complete games (65). Among her many honors during the season, she was named the AMC South Division Pitcher of the Year and selected to the NAIA Region IX Team and the NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American Team.

Sophomore shortstop Tasha Konkle anchored the Lady Cougars’ defense as she committed just seven errors in 186 chances as she was selected as the AMC South Division First Team shortstop and named to the NAIA Region IX Team. She batted .252 with three doubles, 13 RBI, 25 runs scored, and six stolen bases.

Sophomore catcher Caitlin Murphy had another solid year behind the plate as she caught all 314.1 innings for MVNU and threw out 24 of the 46 runners who tried to steal on her while picking off six others. She did not allow a passed ball all year and committed just five errors in 302 chances as she was named to the AMC South Division Second Team and the NAIA Region IX Team. She also batted .262 with six doubles, three triples, two home runs, 20 RBI, and 20 runs scored.

Sophomore outfielder Leslie Banichar put together an outstanding offensive season as she batted .357 with seven doubles, four triples, 31 RBI, 31 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. She was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick and an NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

Junior right-hander Candace White gave the Lady Cougars a solid one-two punch on the mound as she posted a 12-11 record with a 2.02 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 148.2 innings in her first season since transferring to MVNU. She also tossed all four of the team’s shutouts on the season.

Sophomore designated player Staci Graham had a solid season as she batted .313 with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, 12 runs scored, and 27 RBI. She was selected to the NCCAA All-American First Team and the AMC South Division Second Team.

Freshman second baseman Kristin Kurelic put together a stellar rookie campaign as she batted .370 with three doubles, six RBI, 22 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. She also committed just seven errors in 184 chances in the field. She was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick, a member of the AMC South Division All-Freshmen Team, and an NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

Sophomore outfielder Lauretta Wallace had a breakout season as she batted .280 with 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 20 RBI, and 22 runs scored as she started all 46 games. Junior outfielder Whitney Clark also started all 46 games and batted .240 with one double, five RBI, and 16 runs scored.

Junior third baseman Karly Clay batted .215 with four doubles, 15 RBI, and 10 runs scored while starting all 46 games, and junior first baseman Kylie Rupert batted .189 with five doubles, seven RBI, and five runs scored in 34 starts. Sophomore first baseman Michelle Gastin batted .412 in 15 games with one double, nine RBI, and two runs scored before being sidelined by an injury, and junior Laura Morris contributed as a pinch hitter in 11 games. Sophomore Colleen Potter and freshmen Liz Misich and Amanda Montgomery also contributed to the team’s depth, while Graham and freshman lefty Stephanie Burlew combined for 8.1 innings of work on the mound.

With the experienced gained by this year’s team and everyone but Eyerman eligible to return in 2009, the future is bright for the Lady Cougars’ softball program.