Concluding their 2023 season with a Horizon League Championship title, Norse softball began their spring season over the weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina.
After fighting a three-game match against defending champion Oakland last year, the Norse came out victorious in a 2-1 final. Making history, the team acquired the first ever conference championship since joining NCAA Division I, and made the school’s first ever NCAA DI national appearance.
Senior Sydni Barnes commented on the team’s spirit and how crucial the close-knit relationship is to the overall success. “The main foundation for our team is built off of communication and support,” Barnes said.
Upon being ranked sixth in the 2023 pre-season poll, the Norse overcame adversity and went on to have a 13-9 record for the conference season. Head Coach Kathryn Gleason weighed in on this early ranking and how it did not affect the team’s end goal.
“We ended up taking a little fire to that and realized that we know who we are and what we can accomplish,” said Gleason.
Beginning her journey with the Norse in 2015, Coach Gleason has gone on to lead the program with almost 30 years of coaching experience and 146 victories at NKU alone, making it the second-most in school history. Also named Horizon League Coach of the Year for the 2023 season, Gleason gave insight into the upcoming season and how the team will approach it.
“Our main focus that we have instituted within the last few weeks is a failure recovery system, the idea of staying positive and moving on to the next play really benefits us in the long run,” said Gleason.
The Norse’s regular season Horizon League conference play begins on March 15 against Oakland with several notable Power Five schools on the schedule: Michigan, Louisville and University of Kentucky.
Returning for her fifth year, pitcher Lauryn Hicks has gone on to claim several accolades including: All-Conference First Team, NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete, 18 strikeouts within a game (NKU DI record), Horizon League Pitcher of the Week and several more.
Hicks stated that the great support from her teammates and positive mindset really influences how the team performs, “Our team dynamic is really strong, making us like a family. I know that my teammates will always have my back.”
Tied for first place in the 2024 Under Armour Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Norse share this spot with Oakland. Earning the most votes in the poll with five first-place choices, NKU went on to receive 75 points overall.
With 18 total players returning from the 2023 season and six new freshmen, Coach Gleason expressed what she likes to see from her players, “I love to see the constant energy along with the competition and fun that they all have with each other.”
For their first tournament of the year, the Norse finished with two wins out of the five games played. These included notable scores of 8-0 against Queens University of Charlotte and 8-5 against DePaul.
The team will return to play on Feb. 16 at the Wofford Invitational in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Live updates and stats for the games can be found on the NKU softball website.
