Courtesy of Brian Beard

Over Spring Break, the softball team headed south to central Florida where it got off to a hot start.

The Polar Bears played 14 games in ten days, finishing with an 11–3 record—the team’s most successful start since going 13–3 in 2018. The winning streak included several big wins against Keuka College (11–2), SUNY Brockport (11–0) and Carleton College (11–5). With NESCAC play beginning this weekend against Trinity College (9–6), the team is excited to carry the energy from its strong start into conference games.

“I think what we’ve done in Florida is a good start, and it’s encouraging to see what we can do,” catcher Sydney Lang ’25 said. “We have to take that as encouragement, but then stay focused going forward with teams that are more equal matchups for us.

Leading up to the season, the team focused heavily on fostering a positive culture on and off the field, which Lang believes contributed to its early success.

“[Our goal was] making sure we were a close team. We were teammates on the field, but also friends off, which sounds really corny, but I feel like we did a really good job of getting to know one another and hanging out a lot. It makes it easier to fight for one another, and you want to win for one another,” Lang said.

Entering this season bolstered by new talent, the team expected its defense to be strong but were positively surprised by its hitting prowess in Florida. Strong players in the first-year and sophomore class have been key to the team’s success, including Ava Biasotti ’26, Maddie Current ’26, Kathleen Hester ’27 and Elise Sicilano ’27, who earned last week’s NESCAC Player of the Week award. Anika Ewert ’26, this week’s NESCAC Player of the Week, led Bowdoin’s offense, scoring three runs against Keuka and Brockport.

Head Coach Ryan Sullivan praised Ewert’s humble nature despite her talented play.

“You would never know how good she is if you talk to her. She’s just very relaxed and humble and just does her thing and does it incredibly well.… It’s really a marvelous trait she has,” Ryan Sullivan said.

Ryan Sullivan elaborated on the promise of an underclassman-heavy team.

“With [a younger team] there is always excitement but also the unknown. I think for us coming into the year, we wanted to be able to play at a consistent level, game in and game out….  I think having such a young team, we were able to establish some of those characteristics early, which was really important and impressive to see,” he said.

In past seasons, the team has struggled defensively, but with Pickard Field renovations complete, the Polar Bears are able to play outside nearly every day. The new open space allows the coaches and players to be more creative in the drills they run at practice and more accurately simulate game-like situations than previously possible when practicing in Farley Field House at this point in the season.

Shea Sullivan ’23 commented on the impact of the team’s new facility.

“It’s an absolutely immense factor on our performance.… In the past we [went] to Florida, and it’s our first time outside, and we are lucky to have Farley, but you just simply can’t replicate a lot inside that you can do outside,” Shea Sullivan said.

The team’s energy is high as it heads to Hartford, Conn. to kick off conference play this weekend.

“I think the nerves have definitely settled … and this is who we are. We are a very good team, and we can play very well,” Shea Sullivan said.

The Polar Bears are also looking ahead to the rest of the season with high hopes. Last season, the team fell to Colby College in the NESCAC quarterfinals. However, with underclassmen leading the team to spring break victories, Bowdoin is confident in its ability to make it all the way to the NESCAC championship.

“We have a really talented and hardworking team. My personal goal …  is to win the NESCAC [championship], which … I think is really attainable this year,” Lang said.