Tatjana Matthews saw plenty of things she plans to work on with the Mississippi University for Women’s softball team.
But The W’s first-year head coach saw plenty of things to build on following her team’s season-opening loss. After falling to Millsaps College 12-1 last Sunday, The W regrouped for a 7-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader.
“We were a different team from Game 1 to Game 2,” Matthews said. “You like to say you make minor adjustments between games, and you do. We had to make major adjustments and they did. If they can make major adjustment in that short amount of time, we can make minor adjustment in the long run.
“The fact that we showed fight with this young of a program speaks volumes to what kind of young ladies we have.”
The W (1-1) will try to build on that momentum at noon today when it plays host to Huntingdon in a doubleheader at Don Usher Field.
The W had its games against Concordia-Alabama on Tuesday postponed due to rain. On Friday, rain canceled games against Blue Mountain College and Talladega in Blue Mountain.
Today’s games were scheduled for Saturday but were moved in an effort to avoid the rain.
Matthews hopes the teams can avoid inclement weather today. She admitted the conditions weren’t favorable for the doubleheader against Millsaps, but she said the Owls will need to play better defense in any conditions. After making too many mistakes in the opener, Matthews said she challenged her players to put the nerves of the first game behind them and to play like they were capable. Needless to say she was pleased with the transformation.
“We got knocked down by Millsaps,” Matthews said. “We could have given up. … We had our break and we came back and not only did we come back to fight hard we actually beat them.
Matthews said she referenced former boxer James “Buster” Douglas in her pre-game speech in an attempt to highlight the kind of fight she wanted her players to show. Douglas was a huge underdog when he challenge Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship. At the time, Tyson was dominant and feared and few gave Douglas a chance. Tyson even knocked Douglas down, but Douglas regrouped and beat Tyson in one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Matthews said the Owls showed similar heart and perseverance in bouncing back from the loss in Game 1. She said that bodes well for the rest of the season and the future, especially with such a young team.
“They worked together for each other,’ Matthews said. “They played for the we, not the me.”
In the first two games, former Neshoba Central standout Katlyn Duke and Bailee Watts had two hits and two RBIs.
Hopper, a former standout at Caledonia High School, helped The W bounced back from a 12-1 loss to Millsaps College in its first game. She scattered nine hits in a complete-game effort in the 7-2 win. She walked four and didn’t strike out a batter.
“She did a great job,” Matthews said. “I couldn’t be happier for her to get the first win in the program.”
Matthews said the victory was even sweeter for Hopper, who went on to play at Itawamba Community College in Fulton and at Blue Mountain College, because she has had surgeries on both feet. She said a pitcher needs their feet to control the circle and that Hopper did a great job working out of trouble.
Matthews said Hopper did that by gaining confidence in her drop curveball. As a riseball pitcher, Hopper hasn’t had to rely on a pitch Matthews considers Hopper’s third or fourth best at this point. Still, she said Hopper trusted in her pitch calls to execute the pitches and to get timely outs.
“She trusted herself,” Matthews said. “Sometimes pitchers are on and all of their pitches are on. One of her best pitches, the riseball, wasn’t working in warmups. She was a little hesitant to throw it, but when I needed her to throw it she made it work.”
Matthews said Hopper’s willingness to learn a new pitch as a redshirt senior is a great sign for the younger players. She feels Hopper’s ability to control that pitch will help her control all four regions of the plate and make her and even stronger pitcher.
“I think it will help her tremendously,” Matthews said.
The W will try to get back into a routine Tuesday when it travels to Concordia for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
