Morningside softball looks ahead to kicking off GPAC conference play

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - It is officially Spring, which means spring sports are officially underway.

The start of the season means teams are busy finding their own team chemistry as they gear up for conference play. That includes the Morningside softball team under the guidance of new head coach Brooke Pruner. Pruner has spent the past six seasons as an assistant coach for the Mustangs, but is now taking the reins from Jessica Jones-Sitzmann, the winningest coach in Morningside sports history.

The Mustangs have spent the start of the season on the road but have found their grove starting out with a 13-6 overall record as they now begin GPAC conference play on Saturday at Concordia.

Pruner says the team saw a few ranked opponents early on which has allowed them to see where they stand heading into conference play.

“We’re in a good spot. Really found each other as a team as far as building connections and things like that. We have a wide spread of ages in our in our lineup and in our group. So they’re starting to learn what their roles are, and how they can support each other and how they best push the team forward and things like that,” said Pruner.

Pruner says the team is a very experienced group with seven total seniors on the team, three of them being fifth-years. But regardless of age, each player steps up with confidence, which has helped this team build trust.

“The experience is great, because I just know that every position out on that field... all of them, I’m confident in all their abilities and can trust them. And I think that’s great, just that we can trust each other out there, offensively and defensively,” said Taylor Richter, Morningside senior shortstop.

The Mustangs ended last season in the GPAC softball tournament Midland pod championship. They’re hoping to continue their momentum and have a strong start to GPAC conference play.

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