SOFTBALL ON THE ROAD: Trip reveals how much culture is helping Jax State win big
KENNESAW, Ga. — With college athletes having so much more freedom these days to make money off their sport and transfer without penalty, how do programs based on old-school, traditional values survive? Jacksonville State softball seems to make it work as well as anyone.
In Julie Boland's first season as head coach last year, the Gamecocks won 37 games — their most in eight years. This year, Jax State already has 32 victories, and there's still about four weeks left of the season. They're dominating the CUSA regular season this year with 16 wins in 18 league games.
With only nine conference games left, they have a three-game lead on second-place Liberty, which was the prohibitive preseason favorite. Jax State doesn’t have the best softball facilities in the conference or lots of money to bring in the best talent. But only three players have transferred to other programs in the past two years.
One of those moved on before Boland was appointed the head coach. Of the 22 players on the current roster, 18 came straight out of high school, which is the most in CUSA, according to an examination of online rosters. That includes all four seniors: outfielder Morgan Nowakowski, catcher Makalyn Kyser, pitcher Jaliyah Holmes and second baseman Ashley Phillips.
This is hardly new. In the past 30 years, Jax State has won 10 regular-season conference championships and eight more tournament titles, and it's hard to imagine this school getting this much success without such steady roster retention. So, what's the secret to the Gamecocks’ success?
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