Central travels to Georgia for NFCA Leadoff Classic
PELLA—Even for a program accustomed to power-packed schedules, the 2022 season opens with a jolt for the Central College softball team at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia this weekend.
The invitation-only 24-team tourney, now held in alternate years, features many of the top NCAA Division III squads. Central opens against NCAA tourney regular Alma College (Mich.) at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) Friday before meeting Randolph-Macon College (Va.) at 5:30 p.m. (ET) at the South Commons Complex in Columbus.
Saturday it’s a first-ever meeting for the Dutch with Manhattanville College (N.Y.) at 2:30 p.m. (ET) before taking on Salisbury University (Md.) at 4:30 p.m. (ET). And Sunday, Central tackles defending Division III champion Virginia Wesleyan University, ranked No. 2 in the NFCA preseason coaches’ poll, at 1:30 p.m. (ET). before closing with Emory University (Ga.) at 3:30 p.m. (ET).
Broadcasts/webcasts–Audio webcasts of all six games with KRLS radio sports director Trevor Castle can be accessed through kniakrls.com. The direct link for Friday and Sunday’s games is rdo.to/KRLS3 with Saturday’s games at rdo.to/KRLS. Saturday’s games will also be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1). A video stream will be available at https://watch.yourgamecam.com/. Viewers should choose “Softball,” “Facility,” “South Commons” and the field number under “Channel.”
Recurring role—This is the ninth edition of the Leadoff Classic, first held in 2001, and Central has appeared in each. It’s a challenging opening weekend but one that NFCA Hall of Fame coach George Wares relishes.
“We’re excited about it,” he said. “You’d rather have some other games first but we’re playing six of the better teams in the country right away and that’s pretty difficult but, on the other side, it’s an opportunity.”
The Dutch posted a surprising 4-1 mark and tied for second at the most recent Leadoff tourney in Tucson, Arizona in 2020 but the event turned out to mark the end of the season as the remaining games were canceled due to the global pandemic. Central’s overall record in the tourney is 29-18. Wares said perspective is important for his young squad to maintain in a tourney stacked with elite opponents.
“We were 4-1 two years ago but we’ve also gone 2-4 and 1-5 and managed to survive those seasons,” Wares said. “As coaches we have to understand that we’ve got to keep communicating to our players that we’ve been through this before. So it’s a balance of pushing to get better and knowing the games count but also realizing you’re at a stage of your season where you’ve got to look for improvement. Sometimes that may be a win and sometimes it might not be.”
Returning starters—Central has five returning position starters and two returning starting pitchers from a 20-14 club that finished 15-9 in American Rivers play in a pandemic-adjusted schedule. Right fielder Franie Burnett (sophomore, Ankeny, Centennial HS) was a first-team all-conference pick and a second-team NFCA Division III All-Midwest Region choice in her rookie season. Central sat out the NCAA tournament for just the fourth time in the past 34 years. The Dutch have claimed four Division III championships. Wares is the winningest coach in Division III history with a 1,178-409-3 (.741) record over 37 seasons.
