Although they'll be playing an "all-exhibition" schedule in 2023, Wayland Baptist softball takes the field for the first time in history this weekend.
"My goal is to be in every game we play," coach Enrique Villa said as he looked over his 12-game, month-long schedule, all road contests. "We want to compete so these kids feel good about what we're doing and feel good about the progress we're making so that going into the first (official) year (in 2024), once we add some pieces, they know it's going to be better."
Villa takes the Pioneers to Hobbs, N.M., to debut against University of the Southwest in single games set for 4 p.m. (Central) Friday and noon Saturday. No live streaming is planned, although live stat links are accessible at
www.wbuathletics.com.
USW is a long-standing program with 22 players, compared to Wayland's 14-player roster, half of whom are freshmen with six locals who played for Villa when he coached at Plainview High School. Next season – between returners and current high schoolers who have already committed to Wayland – Villa expects to sport close to a 33-player roster.
Villa said this year's Pioneers – who are practicing on a field next to their future home field, a newly-constructed, city-owned facility in Runningwater Draw Regional Park behind the YMCA – have impressed him with how far they've come.
"We've progressed well. We spent a lot of the fall working on mostly fundamental stuff, making sure we were swinging the bat often and making sure pitchers were getting time. We started to implement more team stuff in the spring, putting a lot of emphasis on making sure we get that part of it right. We want to make sure everybody understands the team concept and that everybody has roles to play."
The coach said that has entailed "working on building trust with the kids and vice versa. I feel like we're in a pretty good place. The kids are getting along well and there's more trust with their coach. I've seen a lot of improvement not only on the softball side but with work habits."
A big part of the Villa's plans will be junior pitcher
Clarissa Rejino, a native of Muleshoe who transferred to Wayland from Murray State (Okla.). Rejino is the projected starter all season, the coach said.
"I have one pitcher who I feel can go deep into a game, that's Clarissa," the coach said. "I have a couple other girls who can throw strikes and give us an inning or two."
Looking at this weekend's opening opponent, Southwest has a 10-game head start on WBU, having already faced the Sooner Athletic Conference's Oklahoma-Panhandle State and Southwestern Assemblies of God University, along with Sul Ross St.
Southwest will be Wayland's lone NAIA opponent this season; the others are junior colleges: Midland, Clarendon, Howard, Cisco and Frank Phillips. The Pioneers' season wraps up March 25.
"We'll find out a lot these 12 games," Villa said. "We'll get out there and compete and put our best foot forward and work together."
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