The softball season opened April 12 with a celebration as team members finally got to compete in their new stadium.

It was also a strong opening to the season with a 17-3 win against Chagrin

Team captain Maya Greller, who plays left field, said that since the stadium opened, the team has played with more confidence.

 “This has been our best season in years,” she told the Beachcomber in early May. “We’re on track to possibly win the conference and, off the field, we get along so well. [It’s] truly a perfect senior season.” 

On May 12 they did indeed secure the CVC Championship for the first time in decades with an 11-6 record (7-1 in conference play).

Sophomore Chengyu Li is proud of what the team accomplished this season.

“It was a hard season and I think that I and the entire team really developed and stepped up to the challenge, which resulted in us winning CVCs,” she said.

Unfortunately, their hopes for a playoff run was cut short.

“We were paired up against a very strong team right out of CVCs, so there will be no playoffs,” Li said. “However, we are working hard in preparation for next season.”

Athletic Director Ryan Peters feels that the new stadium does seem to have made a positive difference as the team has attracted more fans.

“The support that we garnered from the community for the grand opening, and the support for girls sport was a breath of fresh air,” Peters said.  “It  was very exciting to see that there’s so much support for our program.”

“After opening this stadium our participation numbers went up,” he added. 

Peters explained that the team has gone several years without a stadium. 

“[It] took a little longer than I wanted,” he said.

Prior to 2020 they used a field with portable bleachers. The construction process on the new stadium began in 2020. It would have been ready last year, but the grass needed a full grow season before it was ready to play on.

Greller is happy to be playing in the new stadium.

“[Our new stadium is] gorgeous, and a huge step for equality in Beachwood sports, but admittedly a little late,” she said.

She is optimistic about the future of Bison softball.

“I can only hope this season becomes a catalyst for our brilliant underclassmen,” Greller said. “The more we show that female athletics at this school matters, the better we’ll be.”