Wright State’s season ended with a doubleheader split against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday, but Head Coach Lynn Curylo is already thinking ahead.
“The biggest focus right now is we’re looking for ways to come back and stay healthy,” said Curylo. “We just had way too many injuries this season. The girls are already back in the weight room and working on getting stronger.”
Injuries derailed the pitching staff and ended senior captain Lindsay Barrett’s season after only 31 at bats. But Curylo guided the Raiders to a 23-31 finish in a competitive Horizon League.
“Under the circumstances—we had a lot of injuries this year—they remained as tough as they possibly could,” said Curylo. “A really good thing was that we had a lot of players step up and take advantage of the opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had if the injuries hadn’t occurred.”
Two players who stepped up were sophomores Krystian DeWitt and Kristi Boreing. DeWitt compiled a 16-26 record on the mound in 263.2 innings of work, while Boreing led the team in batting average, plate appearances, runs, hits, doubles, triples and slugging percentage.
Curylo wasn’t surprised when both players made the Horizon League Second Team.
“Our pitcher Krystian DeWitt was pretty much the one we had to rely on because we had another pitcher that was out,” said Curylo. “She gave it everything she could every single day. She threw a lot of innings this season and never complained. [She] always went out there and competed hard, and gave us a chance.”
“Kristy did a great job at the plate this year for us,” said Curylo. “She improved big-time from last year. She was our lead-off batter, and regardless of who we were playing, she competed and did whatever she could to get on [base].”
Another player who shined was freshman outfielder Jess Gorman.
She didn’t put up huge numbers at the plate, but her solid hitting and defense earned her a spot on the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.
“She’s a special individual,” said Curylo. “She was going through a lot this season and for her to be able to go out there and perform the way she did, it just was really impressive. Her dedication to the team and her commitment to wanting to play well showed how strong she is, and she’s definitely going to be someone that we’re going to rely on in the future.”
Rain cancelled the Raiders season finale on Sunday, but that Saturday split gave Curylo hope. With players like DeWitt, Boreing and Gorman, the Raiders have a strong foundation going into next season.
“The split at UIC showed our youth and definitely showed that we’re going to be a stronger team next year,” said Curylo. “With the kids that we have coming in, I think there’s definitely going to be a difference and a change in how we end it.”
