The Oswego State softball team is gearing up for another season and is prepared to make it all the way. It will not be long before the Lakers are at Laker Softball Field once again to work toward a SUNYAC Championship.

The Lakers’ last season placed fourth in the SUNYAC last year, going 19-15 overall and a record of 11-7 in conference play. The Lakers did fall short of a title, losing to SUNY Geneseo in the first round. The Lakers are hoping to continue their success and go further this season.

“[We want to] win SUNYAC,” said head coach Abby Martin on the team’s goals for the season. “We went two and out last year, and it was kind of disappointing, to be honest. Our goals were set much higher than that, and we’re good enough that we should absolutely win the conference. That’s 100 percent the goal and to get into the NCAA Tournament. That’s an experience that nobody really has in this program so that would be really special.”

Catcher Claire Hewitt, a senior on the team, said she also thinks Oswego State is good enough to win the SUNYAC title.

“Our goal this year is to win the SUNYAC title,” Hewitt said. “Being a senior coming here, the team wasn’t so great. We don’t have a good past, so we’ve been building it up, and it would just be really great to see after four years of hard work just getting that SUNYAC title. … [I plan to] do what I can, build my teammates up, just keep working hard pushing each other every single day and getting one percent better every day.”

Hewitt said she has seen a lot of excitement from the team in the first couple practices and workouts on the season.

“I feel like everyone is just in it this year,” Hewitt said. “We have just a really good attitude, and they are excited just to be here, and this is the best I have seen our team so far. Especially in pre-season, we were just mashing the ball, so it’s never been like that before.”

Hewitt said her time on the softball team has been a welcomed part of her experience at Oswego State.

“I don’t think I would enjoy college at all without softball. This team has just brought me my best friends and really good times,” Hewitt said. “Even the hard times … you look back at them [and] they were OK because [of] the people you’re surrounded with.”

Senior pitcher Angela Frampton said she will do her part to help the team reach and win the SUNYAC.

“I want to be the best that I can be,” Frampton said. “Last year, as soon as we came back from Florida, I was injured and so I couldn’t play as well as I wanted to. I want to just play to the best of my abilities this entire year. … I just want to give it my all because it’s my last season.” 

Frampton said she has seen significant improvement from the team and she is happy to be in a leadership role so far this year.

“If [the freshmen and transfers] have trouble with something, they feel comfortable to come ask me about it. Or if in the middle of practice some say, ‘Hey, can you watch me do this? I want to see if I’m doing it right,’ … and they trust my opinion on that,” Frampton said.

Her brief time here at Oswego has been challenging but rewarding.

“I am in a really difficult program. I’m a chemistry major, so coming to practice is definitely my break, and even though we’re working hard, it’s a break from my really hard classes, and I can just come here and relax and hang out with friends,” Frampton said.

Oswego State will head down to Florida to start its season and will be back home here after spring break to start conference play. 

Graphic by: Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian