With 12 freshmen and five sophomores the Pioneer softball team is by all accounts a young team much the same as they were a year ago.

Last Tuesday the Pioneers had their 2010 home opener and did not disappoint fans that were hoping for a turnaround from the 2009 season when the team went winless in the WIAC. Platteville swept Beloit college winning game one 7-2 and game two 12-4.

Perhaps the brightest spot for Platteville this season is in the pitching department where sophomores Courtney Ryan and Renee Schuttler were leaned on last year as freshmen. Those two have an entire season of experience and new team-ace freshman Melissa Anderson, has not missed a beat since putting on the orange and blue. She has compiled a 5-4 record with a 2.44 ERA, 33 strikeouts and just four walks in nine appearances so far this season.

The hitting core isn ’t too shabby for the Pioneers either. With sophomores like Jordan Johnson, Megan Pozezinski and Chantal McReynolds the Pioneers look to be a sound offensive team this year.

Platteville however has some impressive freshmen carrying a great deal of the offensive load. Meagan Bye, a freshmen third baseman, is batting .278 with 3 home runs and 15 RBIs and had a walk-off grand slam of sorts in game two of the Beloit double-header as she knocked in the last four runs needed to put the mercy rule into effect in the sixth inning.

With seniors Whitney Foltz and Mandy Cerqua as the team leaders and talented sophomores like Ryan, Johnson and McReynolds and productive freshmen such as Anderson, Bye and Brittany Caley, the Pioneers have a young and talented nucleus that should be able to turn the Platteville softball program around over the next few years.

The Pioneers may not win the WIAC this year, but look for a much improved team when you come to the UWP softball complex to watch this young and exciting team play.

Platteville is home against UW-Whitewater for a double header at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 and will also host a twin bill against Cornell at Noon on Sunday, April 11.