SFU loses to UBC for the first time in history on the softball pitch
The third of March 2013 will forever be a day of joy for the University of British Columbia’s softball program. It marks their first ever victory over the Clan in a competitive softball outing.
The Clan, on the other hand, will be able to look on some positives as well, taking a rather long-term approach to this out- of-conference outing. The team is continuing their development to reach past achievements and is still working on some key areas. This defeat was a loss to history more than anything else.
Certainly a classic in all athletic disciplines, the Thun- derbirds versus Clan games are more than just any other matchup. The Clan begin their conference games with a 4–9 record.
After impressing in a 4–2 win over the Sea Warriors, wrapping up their out-of-conference tour of Hawaii, the Clan seemed to be in good shape to continue their dominance over their arch rivals, the Thunderbirds.
Playing with only a few of their starters though, the Clan seemed out of luck. Offensively, “we just couldn’t get on track,” said Coach Mike Rennie. As it was the last test for the Clan be- fore their conference schedule begins, “it was a good opportu- nity to get some people some playing time.”
As the team prepares for another finish at the top, it is possible to argue that, based on statistics; they have a good chance this year.
It comes down to the coach’s record — he has guided the team to four national titles, three of them in the past 10 years, in his 18 years with the program. It took him only four years to develop a title-winning side. After the turn of the cen- tury, three more titles followed, of which the last was in 2010.
This could mean that the softball team is part of another transformation into a champi- onship-winning side. But how far have they come, and how far do they still have to go?
Thus far, since his first year at the helm, it has taken Ren- nie a maximum of five years to build a championship winning side. On paper, title or no title, 2013 is going to be a big year for Clan Softball team.
