The mental aspect of any game can play a bigger role than any physical aspect.

Coming off of three straight losses last weekend at the Big 4 Fall Tournament, the ISU softball team recognized their need for a shift in mental focus.

“I think we need to change our mentality,” said senior shortstop Lexi Slater. “I think we need to come together more and come out with fire and actually want to win games.” 

Slater and the rest of the ISU softball team will have the opportunity to adjust their mental toughness this weekend as the team matches up against Iowa Central Community College. 

ICCC being a community college and having a roster only filled with freshmen and sophomores means it does not have the credentials of universities such as Iowa, Northern Iowa and Drake. However, Iowa State still recognizes the concentration that it needs to have going into this weekend’s double-header. 

“We just need everyone to come out and do their job,” said coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “We can’t entertain anything else that’s going on besides, ‘What’s your role?’ and ‘What are you supposed to be doing at that given time?'”

One specific role that nearly all of the players have to fill is that of being a consistent hitter. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, ground balls were the only constant last weekend in the final three games of the Big 4 Fall Tournament, preventing the team from adding runs onto the board.

Even those who excelled last weekend in the batter’s box can recognize the continued focused needed to produce hits, runs and wins. 

One of the ISU stand-outs from the hitting perspective thus far is freshman Nychole Antillon. Antillon, a native of Orange, Calif., went 2-for-3 in the Cyclones’ final game against Drake on Oct. 5. 

Even so, Antillon still persists on developing her skills at the plate.

“I want to improve my hitting,” Antillon said. “Making more solid contact and line drives rather than ground balls.”

From a fielding standpoint, an emphasis has been placed on more focused communication, particularly amongst the middle infielders.

Senior Maddie Reese, who previously played a variety of positions including third base, catcher and left field, recently took over at second base for Sara Davison, who graduated last spring.

Reese has not been the only one who has had to make adjustments. Lexi Slater, who had been matched up with Davison for her first three years on the team, now has to adapt to the change in positioning to her left.

“It’s different,” Slater said. “I’ve only played with one second baseman [Davison] in my entire career. So, there’s a lot to get used to.”

Slater, over her years at shortstop, has come to recognize the chemistry that needs to exist in order to have a successful infield presence.

“We have to read each other,” Slater said. “The big thing will be finding the communication without communicating. Short and second always have tendencies to go along with what the other one does without talking. Right now, we are not at that point yet.”

In addition to veteran players being allocated in different positions, an even larger area of mental focus is needed concerning the eight newcomers to the team, especially the six freshmen. 

Thus far, the freshmen have already had a substantial impact on both the offensive and defensive sides of the Cyclones’ game. 

Four of the six freshmen earned at least one start last weekend, and all six saw the field in one way or another, whether it was pinch-hitting or pinch-running.

“I definitely think we have a good core that is younger,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I think that they’ll continue to get better and better.”

That being said, adjustments still need to be made going forward, given that nearly half of the starting line-up consists of first-year players.

“We’re just now learning to play with each other,” Slater said. “It’s definitely weird for me ’cause I have freshmen to my right, freshmen to my left and a transfer behind me. But it’s working and it can only get better from here.”

Iowa State will begin the opening half of a double-header against Iowa Central at 11:00 a.m. on Oct. 12 at Cyclone Sports Complex.