MORE THAN JUST A TEST
After a break of more than six months, it was finally time to say: Play Ball!
On March 23, 2025, at Düsseldorf’s Südallee, the Düsseldorf Senators’ softball team welcomed the Wesseling Vermins for two exciting exhibition games.
A Look at the Weather
Before the games could begin, worried looks turned to the sky. Heavy rain had fallen overnight, only letting up in the early morning hours.
“Our grounds crew has put an incredible amount of work into the field over the past few weeks. We were eager to see if and how the field would hold up after the night’s rainfall,” said Head Coach Frank Mohr.
Fortunately, there was no reason to worry. Both the new bullpens and the infield were in excellent condition.
“We definitely have to give huge credit to our tarp supplier, shout-out to KAMPA Planen because without the new field covers, today’s games wouldn’t have been possible.”
Strategy in Focus
With the field ready, the first of two games started at 1:00 PM.
“We deliberately chose the new format of 2×5 innings for this day to test how we can best position ourselves strategically. Looking ahead, we need to cover ten innings with our pitching staff, so this was a great opportunity to try things out.”
To keep their pitchers in top shape throughout the season, the coaching staff plans to distribute innings among all available arms – a challenging task with eight pitchers on the roster.
“We have two outstanding young talents whom we will develop step by step over the next three years, giving them selected pitching opportunities this season. Our experienced players, on the other hand, have the important role of guiding and supporting the younger ones through the coming seasons. This concept has been refined over the years and has proven to be very successful.”
Strong Pitching and Hitting Performances
“All of our pitchers did a fantastic job today, and I’m especially happy because I know how much effort they put in during the offseason,” said the head coach.
A key factor in the team’s recent progress has been the support of U.S. pitching coaches Courtney Oliva and Kerri Foster, whose vast experience continues to be an invaluable resource for the coaching staff.
“I’m endlessly grateful to Courtney and Kerri for their support. Without their help, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
The hitting coach was also very pleased, praising the players for their strong performances:
“We didn’t just hold our own against strong pitching; we also made an impact on offense. That’s a great sign and gives us a lot of confidence for the games ahead!”
Solid Defense
Though not everything went perfectly – understandably so after such a long break – the coaching staff was happy with the team’s defensive efforts.
“Mistakes happen in every game, and the ones we made today are easily fixable with time. We experimented a lot, and towards the end, we could tell that the players were losing their focus. But Karo’s double play at second base at that point in the game was definitely a highlight!”
A Worthy Opponent
A great game also requires a great opponent – and the Wesseling Vermins were exactly that. At the end of the day, the coaches had nothing but praise for their competition and refrained from discussing game results:
“We’re not talking about scores today. For both teams, this was about gaining valuable game experience, trying out new things, and getting a sense of where we stand at this early stage of the new season.
We couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to kick off the season! We wish this talented and spirited young team all the best and are already looking forward to our next matchup.”
