This upcoming weekend, Illinois will face Iowa in its last four-game series of the regular season. Both teams are going into game one with an overall record of 23-17, yet that doesn’t faze the Illini. With their boasting midwest saying of “our corn is better,” Illinois is prepared to bring its lighthearted attitude of enthusiasm and coherence, along with having a keen focus, into play. 

“We’re just hungry,” said junior Kailee Powell. “We want to win. We obviously didn’t get the outcome that we wanted from Ohio State, and then going into this final weekend of the regular season, we’re really just hungry for another win.”

As certain games did not go the way the team intended, the Illini have their mind set on applying offensive and defensive adjustments to adapt to the other team’s performance. With 44 games played in the regular season, which is less than normal, the team emphasizes making every single game count. 

Illinois is aware of its competitiveness; it’s a matter of whether the Illini can find that last-second focus to produce successful outcomes, whether it be seeing the ball travel into their gloves, making that smooth throw in the field or flicking the wrist and having that last-second snap of the fingertips in the pitcher’s circle. A challenge that the Illini have faced in previous games is finding that focus to deal with each play, one moment at a time. 

“As a team, we know our defensive capabilities,” Powell said. “We see each other in practice all the time, and we’re making great plays and doing great things. But it seems like if there is an issue or an error, it mainly just boils down to the last-second focus and the fine details of our mistakes. If you’re getting the ball and you’re worried about the throw, you have to worry about the ball first and then the throw.”

There always are improvements that could be made to reach a higher competitive excellence. In the process, the Illini have learned to fight for every win, especially since they are not going to be handed to them. Powell mentioned that no matter who they’re playing against, expectations cannot inhibit their performance, especially if the opposing team has a lower record; there is continuous energy and work that is needed to be put into these last four games in order to win.

“We are getting to the end of the season, and if we want to make the NCAA, ultimately what we need are wins, especially with our limited games in the Big Ten,” Powell said. “It’s (also) just about going out there, having fun and really just using the cheers that we do as a way to stay relaxed and get into the team instead of tapping into your own frustrations (while also) staying focused and playing mellow. Our mental goal as a team is to get to that level of arousal that we need to get to in order to be successful.”

To notch those wins, the Illini must find motivation within each other to reach their highest potential. Over the course of the season, Illinois has pivoted on the mental game of softball and leaving everything off the field.

As they come to the end of the regular season, their drive to win for the seniors who may never play softball again strengthens. This year, the Illini had to face personal obstacles while combating the hindrance that COVID-19 brought with it. Yet, the team continued to push through, using each other as an incentive to finish out the season strong. 

“I think it really hit us that this is the last series, at least in the regular season, that we will have this team,” Powell said. “We knew this going into every new year that you only get this team once. But once it reaches the end of the season is when it really hits you. So, as a team, just realizing that we should do it for (the seniors). If we just all pitch in and do our own job, we can go out with a bang. Even if we don’t get an outcome that we want, as long as we’re satisfied with the effort and energy that we put onto the field, that’s success.”

In creating this cohesive relationship among teammates, the Illini are primed to use this passion and determination to close out their last four-game series with triumph. Illinois has gone through 40 games thus far, each week reinforcing its successful performances while also learning new quality skills, talents and techniques.

With an eye on success, the Illinois softball team strives to end their regular season victorious. Game one on Friday will begin at 7 p.m. central time and can be watched on the Big Ten Network.

“I would tell (Iowa) to be ready,” Powell said. “We’re going into this weekend with complete focus, and we know exactly what we need to do. We didn’t get the outcomes at Ohio State, but we’re not going to let life or softball or anything control our outcome. We are going to be the ones to decide it.”

@allendeauguste

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