When the Cyclone softball team's bats were hot, they were unstoppable. The team proved their skills with big wins, a record over .500 and several individual honors.

Right from the start, the Cyclones posted impressive victories paired with narrow losses. They boasted a five-game win streak and ended the season with a tight 5-4 loss in the region playoffs. The team batting average was .331 with a .389 on-base percentage and 20 home runs. Overall, the Cyclones finished 26-19 and 11-3 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference for second place.

"This was a talented group. When the Moraine Valley bats got hot, we were a team that couldn't be beat. I was told we were one of the scariest region-seeded teams because of our bats and depth of our pitching," said first-year Assistant Coach Megan Quinn, who temporarily took over for Head Coach Ari Bulthuis, who was on maternity leave.

Several players contributed to the squad's success. Sophomore infielder and pitcher Brooklynn Sedlak (Shepard) had quite a season, batting .368 with 37 RBIs, 37 runs, 53 hits, 11 doubles, five triples and two home runs. On the mound, she threw a 4.37, collecting 51 strikeouts. She earned All-Conference first team infield and All-region third team honors. Her sister, freshman outfielder Londynn Sedlak (Shepard), led the offense with a .421 batting average with 24 RBIs, 35 runs, 53 hits, seven doubles, three triples and three home runs. She earned All-Conference first team outfield and All-region second team honors. "Those two are phenomenal athletes. They are consistent with the bat on the ball," Quinn noted.

Also making an impact this spring were sophomore infielder Keira Clancy (Oak Forest), who was All-Conference first team infield; sophomore outfielder Jill Zodrow (Lockport), All-Conference first team outfield; freshman pitcher/infielder Haley Tracy (Sandburg), All-Conference second team pitcher; and sophomore catcher Estelle Loth (Sandburg), All-Conference honorable mention. Loth and Tracy also collected monster stats at the plate. Loth averaged .410 with 31 RBIs, 27 runs, 15 doubles and four home runs while Tracy averaged .385 with 38 RBIs, 23 runs, 13 doubles and four home runs. Tracy also earned a 3.36 ERA with 36 strikeouts and a 4-3 record on the mound.

"Jill was the 'no fly-zone queen' because anything in the air, she was going to catch. Haley had a solid bat, and Essie dependably caught almost every game," Quinn said. "Our one through nine lineup was reliable. It was such a strong group."

Although the Cyclones narrowly fell to an always tough Kankakee Community College in the region playoffs, they stole one game from the Cavaliers earlier in the season, which they hadn't accomplished in a few years. They also had a massive victory over a strong Triton College and just missed out on earning a conference championship.

"They never quit or gave up. I preached to chip away every inning and to win the inning. Just play inning to inning. We were never out of games," Quinn explained. "We had great defense and pitching. They went through a lot, and I'm proud of them. They always found a way to come back. They were workhorses."

Despite the core of sophomores graduating and transferring, most of the team's freshmen are expected to return. Meanwhile, coaches are focusing heavily on recruiting with the hopes of building on the spring's success.