CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- It was this time last year SIU softball had to play the waiting game to see if they'd get an at-large bid to the 2019 NCAA tournament. The Salukis were one of the last teams to get in.
"Last year was by far the most anxiety I've ever had as a coach but it was also the most joy I've ever had," SIU Softball Coach Kerri Blaylock said.
"I watched yesterday, I pulled up old videos and watched the kids again because it was such a happy time and wonderful time for our program. I was reminiscing yesterday thinking about it."
"I remember sitting there that night and we were watching the show and you see the Tennessee regional go by and we weren't there, you see the Ole Miss regional go by and we weren't there and I think there was one more that passed and I was like if we weren't in any of those we probably won't make it," SIU junior Jenny Jansen said.
"Sixteen came up and it was Northwestern and I was oh we have a shot. It was Louisville, Northwestern, Detroit-Mercy and I was like oh my gosh, 64 out of 64, oh my gosh, there's no way, it's fine we're done, whatever, and it came up, I was shocked. How do you put Southern Illinois in the sixty-fourth spot, I think they were trying to cause us anxiety. If I could relive that day every day I think I'd have a pretty good life."
"I remember grabbing Claire (Miller) because she was right next to me and didn't let go, so if you go back and saw the videos they took, I'm strangling Claire in the corner and I didn't even make it to the team huddle, it was just me and Claire but all that enjoyment is insane because sitting there not knowing if you are getting into the tournament would bring the most joy because when you are sitting there knowing you are in, you're just waiting, you know it's obvious it's going to happen but when you are not sure you are going to and see your name up there it's so much fun," SIU senior Maddy Vermejan said.
At 15-6 and on a 9 game winning streak, this year's team caught fire and had a shot to returning to the NCAA Tournament.
"Hundred percent believe so, just the way we played together and how confident we walked onto that field after we got those five losses at the beginning of the season I could see in everyone's eyes we wanted to win and everyone was there for the right reasons, everyone had so much passion in the sport of softball that they didn't want to stop playing."
"I've never had a team start 0-5 and never had a team win 15 out of 16," Coach Blaylock said.
"I think things were on the horizon for us but one thing we know is we did something no SIU team did and they can be very, very proud of that."
