Feature | Versatility, depth, and toughness necessary for Saluki Softball to go even further in 2025
02/06/2025 | 3:45:00 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill. -Â After winning back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference tournaments, SIU softball experienced a bigger roster shift than in recent memory. Mainly due to a decorated core class graduating following the 2024 campaign, and a couple of transfers sprinkled in, about half of the roster offers fresh faces for Saluki fans to grow accustomed to. Like every season, a new set of freshmen were brought in, but head coach Jen Sewell and her staff were intentional in their process of using their transfer portal to adequately supplement the roster due to some of the departures.Â
"I just think we had to focus. We knew what we were going to get with the freshmen recruiting class and how talented they were, but we went after some transfers pretty strategically to fill some spots, and I think we did that," Sewell said. "But you know, when you turn over 50% mostly in graduation, you have to sort of build back that team chemistry, and that's, you know, teaching culture. That's what we've been working on most of the offseason."Â
12 newcomers, including seven freshmen and five transfers, will don maroon for the first time in 2025. One of the new Dawgs to watch this season is freshman pitcher Kaytee Dahlstrom. She hails from Meridian, Calif., and wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the West Coast while still getting the qualities she loves about where she grew up. Dahlstrom found that in Carbondale, and she says even though she's a naturally shy person, she has made a smooth transition since becoming a Saluki.Â
"When I came here I immediately fell in love because of how small it is and it just reminded me of my hometown and since I was going so far, I kind of wanted to feel like I was still at home. The community is just super nice, everyone's super nice and I just loved it," she said.Â
Dahlstrom was named to Softball America's Freshman Watch List and is one fifth of a revamped Southern pitching staff. With two other first-year pitchers, Emma Gipson and Jordyn Stuessy, and senior transfer McKenzie Newcomb, Kiana McDowell will be the only returner to the Charlotte West circle, and she only logged 7.1 IP in 2024. McDowell has been instrumental in aiding these new Saluki arms with adjusting and being prepared for the upcoming season. Â
"She {McDowell} has helped like all of us freshman pitchers a lot…if we have questions, she'll answer them immediately…she knows every single question that we ask," Dahlstrom said. "The little things we don't really know and obviously the older girls do, so they just give us a heads up before, like what we're going to be doing, and just so we're prepared for practice…especially Kiana since she's a sophomore pitcher. She helped us in the weight room, in the bullpen, just everything. They just are so good to us."Â
Numerous returning Salukis are assuming leadership roles this season, including junior catcher Anna Carder, who is one of eight captains for SIU in 2025. The Southern backstop has always been a source of energy for her team, but Carder says she enjoys the position of being someone her teammates can look toward, and she cherishes the opportunity.Â
"I've been a much more vocal leader than in the past years. I've always been very vocal. But I think this year definitely, just like trying to step up and be more mature," she said.Â
Carder explained how the different roles she's had so far in her collegiate career have prepared her for this season. In her freshman year, she was learning and acquiring a base understanding of her capabilities. With the Groff twins entering the fray in her sophomore year, she accepted more of a reserve role with grace for the betterment of her team. This year, Carder is primed for an increase in playing time and in being a reliable and trustworthy resource for her teammates.Â
"I really enjoy it, and I really appreciate that these girls trust me to be a leader and I'm glad that I can be a vocal leader for them," she said. "But I try my best to help out, I try to be there for Avery always, who's my little freshman catcher with me…I'm just going to try to be the best leader that I can."
Sewell referenced the differences in how her pitching staff will be deployed in 2025 due to her and new pitching coach Laurin Watts wanting to ease their pitchers in, but also speaking to the depth the team has acquired. Â
"I think early on we're going to pitch a lot by committee. The sport…it's kind of heading to where baseball is. You have an opener and a middle and a closer type, and I think you're going to see that out of us a lot, especially because the pitch counts just aren't very high at this point in the season. You don't have to be ready to go 100 pitches in February. You got to be ready to go 100 pitches closer to April," Sewell said. Â
Being behind the plate, Carter is significant in the process of making the pitching staff comfortable. She enjoys learning who's throwing to her and is willing to do whatever she can to help them.Â
"My role as the catcher is to be there for my pitchers, and that's what I've tried to do…Each one is different, you have to get to know them, understand how each of them works, the best way to talk to them, and things like that. And so that's just what I've been trying to do this year is get to know them the best I can, like what they need from me, and how I could be the best for them," she said. "And they all bring different things to the table…I think they'll all do good, it's a very deep staff this year."Â
Lineup-wise, there are some known commodities, such as Carder and Pre-Season All-MVC selections Jackie Lis and Emma Austin, but there will be some moving parts, specifically early in the season, as Sewell assesses the best plan forward for the team, both offensively and defensively. Having a good balance of lefties and righties, there are vast possibilities as to how the order can materialize. The coaching staff will use a combination of numbers and intuitiveness to play the best lineup on a given day and gain different situational advantages. Â
"I think there were some big holes to fill at the corners and in the outfield...but I think there are a lot of spots up for grabs, and there's great depth down to the freshmen. So we're going to use the early games to kind of get everybody into that feeling and see how it shakes," Sewell said. "There were times in the fall when we could almost play two completely different teams, and that's a good problem to have. So barring any major injuries, I'd like to see everybody go out there and get their chance. It always shakes itself out in a way, and especially in big games, you'll find out who's got it and who's ready to step up."Â
The non-conference schedule features heavy competition for the Dawgs with the likes of Mississippi State, Auburn, Missouri, and others, especially early in the season. After playing in the NCAA Regionals the previous two seasons, Sewell wants her team to be as prepared as possible for the environments in their encounters late in the season. Returning players got the experience of playing in the postseason and the takeaways are shared with newcomers so the team can be ready to reach that point again and surpass it. These conversations are hard to set an expectation and standard so the team is ready for these key moments with the season on the line.Â
"I think the best thing with our program is we talk a lot about it, we don't try to guess what that process is like. So, you know, just being in a regional versus making a regional final, is a big step for a high mid major. But I think it all also gave a lot of our returning roster a taste of what it's like and how close you can be," she explained. "And when you make that regional final, you're one or two games away, and that makes people sort of salivate over, 'what can I do next? How can we push the program farther?' And that has to come from the players. That's not something that a coach can walk out and tell you to do." Â
Dahlstrom is excited for the occasion of playing for SIU, knowing its prestige, and adding to the history of Saluki Softball.
"I think it's super cool that I got the opportunity to be able to play for a really good softball program…and I'm super excited to see what we can do this season," she said.Â
The freshman pitcher says she has been working on building strength in the offseason to adjust to pitching at the collegiate level.Â
"I definitely feel like I gave 110% in the weight room just so I could get stronger, and I knew that would help my pitching, especially like going into college, you kind of need a little bit more than what you need in high school and travel ball and all that," Dahlstrom said. "So I really focused on weight training and really, like listening to all the critiques my pitching coach has given me through fall and stuff like that."Â
For Carder, entering her third season, she has been attempting to improve how she views things and being confident in her preparation so the work she does off the field can translate to her production on the field.Â
"This game is just so mental. And last year was kind of hard for me…I put a lot of pressure on myself. But this year, I'm really focusing on just having a better attitude, just trying to change my mentality on things, and having confidence in myself, because I know my ability and I know that I can do well. Every single day at practice, you're working and you're working to get better. But if you don't have a good mentality, and if you don't have a good attitude, then all that work isn't really going to show," she said.Â
The Salukis' goals remain high for 2025, even with the turnover that has taken place in 2025. Whether it's gaining muscle in the weight room or growing resilience within, it will be necessary to take this team where they want to go.Â
"I think each of them, whether they've experienced it before or not, have to understand just how tough it is and how much you really have to dig deep. It's going to take everything you've ever given to a season to run that deep," Sewell said. "And we talk about just toughness: physical toughness, mental toughness, emotional toughness…'How far are you willing to go if this is our end goal?'" Â
Feature written by Howard Woodard
"I just think we had to focus. We knew what we were going to get with the freshmen recruiting class and how talented they were, but we went after some transfers pretty strategically to fill some spots, and I think we did that," Sewell said. "But you know, when you turn over 50% mostly in graduation, you have to sort of build back that team chemistry, and that's, you know, teaching culture. That's what we've been working on most of the offseason."Â
12 newcomers, including seven freshmen and five transfers, will don maroon for the first time in 2025. One of the new Dawgs to watch this season is freshman pitcher Kaytee Dahlstrom. She hails from Meridian, Calif., and wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the West Coast while still getting the qualities she loves about where she grew up. Dahlstrom found that in Carbondale, and she says even though she's a naturally shy person, she has made a smooth transition since becoming a Saluki.Â
"When I came here I immediately fell in love because of how small it is and it just reminded me of my hometown and since I was going so far, I kind of wanted to feel like I was still at home. The community is just super nice, everyone's super nice and I just loved it," she said.Â
Dahlstrom was named to Softball America's Freshman Watch List and is one fifth of a revamped Southern pitching staff. With two other first-year pitchers, Emma Gipson and Jordyn Stuessy, and senior transfer McKenzie Newcomb, Kiana McDowell will be the only returner to the Charlotte West circle, and she only logged 7.1 IP in 2024. McDowell has been instrumental in aiding these new Saluki arms with adjusting and being prepared for the upcoming season. Â
"She {McDowell} has helped like all of us freshman pitchers a lot…if we have questions, she'll answer them immediately…she knows every single question that we ask," Dahlstrom said. "The little things we don't really know and obviously the older girls do, so they just give us a heads up before, like what we're going to be doing, and just so we're prepared for practice…especially Kiana since she's a sophomore pitcher. She helped us in the weight room, in the bullpen, just everything. They just are so good to us."Â
Numerous returning Salukis are assuming leadership roles this season, including junior catcher Anna Carder, who is one of eight captains for SIU in 2025. The Southern backstop has always been a source of energy for her team, but Carder says she enjoys the position of being someone her teammates can look toward, and she cherishes the opportunity.Â
"I've been a much more vocal leader than in the past years. I've always been very vocal. But I think this year definitely, just like trying to step up and be more mature," she said.Â
Carder explained how the different roles she's had so far in her collegiate career have prepared her for this season. In her freshman year, she was learning and acquiring a base understanding of her capabilities. With the Groff twins entering the fray in her sophomore year, she accepted more of a reserve role with grace for the betterment of her team. This year, Carder is primed for an increase in playing time and in being a reliable and trustworthy resource for her teammates.Â
"I really enjoy it, and I really appreciate that these girls trust me to be a leader and I'm glad that I can be a vocal leader for them," she said. "But I try my best to help out, I try to be there for Avery always, who's my little freshman catcher with me…I'm just going to try to be the best leader that I can."
Sewell referenced the differences in how her pitching staff will be deployed in 2025 due to her and new pitching coach Laurin Watts wanting to ease their pitchers in, but also speaking to the depth the team has acquired. Â
"I think early on we're going to pitch a lot by committee. The sport…it's kind of heading to where baseball is. You have an opener and a middle and a closer type, and I think you're going to see that out of us a lot, especially because the pitch counts just aren't very high at this point in the season. You don't have to be ready to go 100 pitches in February. You got to be ready to go 100 pitches closer to April," Sewell said. Â
Being behind the plate, Carter is significant in the process of making the pitching staff comfortable. She enjoys learning who's throwing to her and is willing to do whatever she can to help them.Â
"My role as the catcher is to be there for my pitchers, and that's what I've tried to do…Each one is different, you have to get to know them, understand how each of them works, the best way to talk to them, and things like that. And so that's just what I've been trying to do this year is get to know them the best I can, like what they need from me, and how I could be the best for them," she said. "And they all bring different things to the table…I think they'll all do good, it's a very deep staff this year."Â
Lineup-wise, there are some known commodities, such as Carder and Pre-Season All-MVC selections Jackie Lis and Emma Austin, but there will be some moving parts, specifically early in the season, as Sewell assesses the best plan forward for the team, both offensively and defensively. Having a good balance of lefties and righties, there are vast possibilities as to how the order can materialize. The coaching staff will use a combination of numbers and intuitiveness to play the best lineup on a given day and gain different situational advantages. Â
"I think there were some big holes to fill at the corners and in the outfield...but I think there are a lot of spots up for grabs, and there's great depth down to the freshmen. So we're going to use the early games to kind of get everybody into that feeling and see how it shakes," Sewell said. "There were times in the fall when we could almost play two completely different teams, and that's a good problem to have. So barring any major injuries, I'd like to see everybody go out there and get their chance. It always shakes itself out in a way, and especially in big games, you'll find out who's got it and who's ready to step up."Â
The non-conference schedule features heavy competition for the Dawgs with the likes of Mississippi State, Auburn, Missouri, and others, especially early in the season. After playing in the NCAA Regionals the previous two seasons, Sewell wants her team to be as prepared as possible for the environments in their encounters late in the season. Returning players got the experience of playing in the postseason and the takeaways are shared with newcomers so the team can be ready to reach that point again and surpass it. These conversations are hard to set an expectation and standard so the team is ready for these key moments with the season on the line.Â
"I think the best thing with our program is we talk a lot about it, we don't try to guess what that process is like. So, you know, just being in a regional versus making a regional final, is a big step for a high mid major. But I think it all also gave a lot of our returning roster a taste of what it's like and how close you can be," she explained. "And when you make that regional final, you're one or two games away, and that makes people sort of salivate over, 'what can I do next? How can we push the program farther?' And that has to come from the players. That's not something that a coach can walk out and tell you to do." Â
Dahlstrom is excited for the occasion of playing for SIU, knowing its prestige, and adding to the history of Saluki Softball.
"I think it's super cool that I got the opportunity to be able to play for a really good softball program…and I'm super excited to see what we can do this season," she said.Â
The freshman pitcher says she has been working on building strength in the offseason to adjust to pitching at the collegiate level.Â
"I definitely feel like I gave 110% in the weight room just so I could get stronger, and I knew that would help my pitching, especially like going into college, you kind of need a little bit more than what you need in high school and travel ball and all that," Dahlstrom said. "So I really focused on weight training and really, like listening to all the critiques my pitching coach has given me through fall and stuff like that."Â
For Carder, entering her third season, she has been attempting to improve how she views things and being confident in her preparation so the work she does off the field can translate to her production on the field.Â
"This game is just so mental. And last year was kind of hard for me…I put a lot of pressure on myself. But this year, I'm really focusing on just having a better attitude, just trying to change my mentality on things, and having confidence in myself, because I know my ability and I know that I can do well. Every single day at practice, you're working and you're working to get better. But if you don't have a good mentality, and if you don't have a good attitude, then all that work isn't really going to show," she said.Â
The Salukis' goals remain high for 2025, even with the turnover that has taken place in 2025. Whether it's gaining muscle in the weight room or growing resilience within, it will be necessary to take this team where they want to go.Â
"I think each of them, whether they've experienced it before or not, have to understand just how tough it is and how much you really have to dig deep. It's going to take everything you've ever given to a season to run that deep," Sewell said. "And we talk about just toughness: physical toughness, mental toughness, emotional toughness…'How far are you willing to go if this is our end goal?'" Â
Feature written by Howard Woodard
Players Mentioned
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