Micah Schroder ’20, second baseman for the softball team, was named to the All-Ivy second team after a stellar season. She was one of several members of the softball team honored by the Ivy League. The team went 16-5 in the Ivy League in the regular season to secure first in the Ivy League, and will host Harvard University in the Ivy League Championship Series this upcoming weekend.
How did you become involved in softball?
MS: I originally played volleyball and my sister, who was a year older, had played softball until she was six. When I turned nine, she still liked the sport and I thought I’d give it a shot since volleyball was getting kind of old. So I was kind of following her footsteps.
What made you choose Dartmouth?
MS: I had a friend looking at Dartmouth back in eighth grade, and that’s when I started looking more at Dartmouth myself. I was able to visit campus for the first time my freshman year for a camp, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The community was really welcoming. That first time I stepped on campus I felt really at home, and I knew it was a place I really wanted to be at for my four years of college regardless of whether I played softball or not.
What has your experience been like with the softball team?
MS: It’s been a really rewarding experience. Our coach tries to emphasize that the program not only develops better players but also better people. During the short time I’ve been in the program, I’ve definitely become a better person, and I’m really thankful for that. That’s been the most rewarding thing about being on this team.
How would you summarize the season?
MS: We’ve been really resilient and hard-working. We didn’t have the best start to the season, but we didn’t get down on ourselves. Even with some of the series in the Ivies, we remained really resilient and would chip away even when we were down. We’ve been working hard during practice, and it’s really paid off this season.
What’s the feeling like winning Ivies?
MS: We’re really excited. But we don’t want to be co-champions of the year, we want to be the champions. Right now, we’re still taking it one game at a time. We want to deal with Harvard first before celebrating.
What’s the team mindset going into Harvard?
MS: We have a little payback to give to Harvard for losing the series earlier on in the season, which will definitely help during the series. It’s definitely still one pitch at a time, one inning at a time.
What’s overall team chemistry like?
MS: We have a new leadership structure this year that’s been working really well, like a tiered structure. That dictates a lot of team chemistry. What’s unique about our team is that everyone genuinely enjoys being around each other, whether we’re playing softball or not. We all love each other and care about each other, and are always looking out for each other on and off the field. We are truly a family and carry that throughout our everyday life.
What’s your favorite moment of the season?
MS: My favorite moment of the season was beating [the University of New Hampshire] not only once, but twice. That was a really defining moment for the team and the season. We’ve been really resilient, and having the rough start we had, beating UNH out of spring break really just spoke about just how much will we had on the team. That also spoke to the fact that it’s not just one player who has had a defining moment, but it’s the whole team who has worked together to have a good season.
How have you grown as a softball player from freshman year to sophomore year?
MS: My mindset has grown. During freshman year, I was really trying to adjust to a different speed and really trying to be perfect. I realized this year that you can’t always be perfect, and you just have let certain plays go and move on. It’s been more of a mindset change than a technique change for me.
What are your goals or expectations for next year?
MS: Team goal is always to win a title. We have a good program and are humble, but we expect to win Ivies each year. Being gritty is always another main focus, not letting anything defeat us.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
