Jun. 8—GRAND FORKS — Ally Hetzel crammed the belongings from her dorm room into a vehicle last week and set forth on the 20-hour drive from Seattle to North Dakota with her father in tow.
They split the trip into two days, stopping to rest for a night in Billings, Mont.
“It was a cute little bonding experience for us,” Hetzel said. “I haven’t seen him in a while, being at college. I miss the guy, he’s my best friend.”
On Friday, just days after her journey from the West Coast, Hetzel arrived at Albrecht Field to meet her new teammates — most of whom she had only communicated with by text.
Hetzel signed with the Spitfires, Grand Forks’
new Northwoods League softball team
, during her freshman season at Washington, intent on developing over the summer.
Two of her college teammates, Ava Carroll and Tia Durst, played for the Madison Night Mares and spoke glowingly of the league.
“My goal was to go somewhere I’ve never been and just have a fun summer experience,” Hetzel said. “When Grand Forks reached out, I kind of knew that this was my place. It’s the inaugural season, you have a chance to make history, you have a chance to give back to a community that has been wanting this kind of league for a while.”
Opening Day is Tuesday, June 9. The Spitfires will take on the Minot Honeybees at 7:35 p.m.
“I’m just excited to see what it’s all about,” Hetzel said. “I’m excited to see what the community has to bring in terms of energy. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s pretty awesome. I’m excited to see that out on the field, and I’ve been told we have some pretty good antics in between innings, so it seems like people will have to come see that.”
Hetzel isn’t the only player who made a lengthy trip ahead of opening day. The Spitfires’ roster is made up of collegiate players from across the country.
The 17 players currently on the roster hail from programs like Pitt, San Diego State and Northern Colorado. Multiple levels of college softball are represented, from Division I to junior college lol programs.
“It’s really cool to hear other people’s experiences,” Hetzel said. “What they enjoy to do from their cities, how they grow up and even how they play softball. The different regions of the U.S. play softball very differently, and it has been super fun to not only get to know them as people, but to watch them take swings.”
Head coach Aaron Alvarez drove eight hours from Nebraska, where he coaches softball at York University.
“I haven’t been this excited for something new in a long time,” Alvarez said. “I’ve come to realize there’s big hype around this, a lot more than I realized. I’m excited to be a part of something that’s really groundbreaking.”
The Spitfires have multiple UND connections as well. They have two Fighting Hawks, Brooklyn Hofer and Makenna Alexander, on the roster.
Alexander just finished her sophomore year, where she batted .271 with five home runs as a utility player. She played with the Minot Honeybees last year, and though it was a tough decision not to reunite with her former teammates, the opportunity to play locally was too tempting.
“I knew I had to play in Grand Forks, because it’s going to be so cool being the first team here,” Alexander said. “It’s going to be so fun, and just being able to play on our home field at UND is going to be so cool, and all the new faces coming in. It’s just so fun to meet new people.”
Former UND pitcher Jackie Albrecht, who played for two seasons with the Honeybees, was also brought on as an assistant coach. She was an undergraduate assistant coach for the Hawks this year.
“I’m super excited to still be a part of this league,” Albrecht said. “I love the fact that it’s coming to Grand Forks. We get to play on a softball field that’s going to be totally different from the rest of the league, and I’m so excited to watch it grow. Being a part of it as a player for two years and then being able to come back and contribute to the growth of it as a coach is something that’s really special.”
Albrecht’s focus will be to work with the pitchers.
On paper, Matti Kwarta is one of the standouts. She made 12 starts and 28 appearances as San Diego State’s only left-handed pitcher, posting a 7-6 record and a 4.97 ERA across 62 innings.
“She’s a competitor, and throws hard,” Alvarez said. “A lefty with good velocity who is a competitor, that’s going to be good for us. She’s a hungry player. I want the players to be able to fuel the energy that we have, it shouldn’t have to come from me.”
North Dakota State’s Madison Wihlm is another pitcher with a strong resume. The right-hander made 27 appearances and earned a 9-6 record as a junior this season, finishing with a 4.49 ERA.
“I think we’ll be pretty strong pitching-wise,” Albrecht said. “I think we have very strong arms, and that’ll be one of our strong suits. … I really get to work with them, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and be able to learn more about coaching and pitching through them.”
In terms of position players, Alvarez believes the Spitfires have assembled a roster where “athleticism is a big staple.”
That includes players without much collegiate experience. Sofia Meer played baseball in high school before transitioning to softball for her senior year. She appeared in 11 games as a freshman for Pitt this season.
“She tried out for Pitt and made the roster,” Alvarez said. “That’s just an example of how athletic our team is going into the season.”
Some of the players, such as Meer, lack much experience facing collegiate competition. That’s what they’re hoping to gain through playing with the Spitfires.
Hetzel, for example, was a designated player for Washington this season. She played 50 games and started in 38, finishing with a .313 batting average and six home runs.
However, Hetzel was a two-time all-state catcher in high school. This summer, she’ll have the chance to get back behind the plate.
“Taking the experience that I got from (Washington) into summer ball, I’m excited to continue to grow my game,” Hetzel said. “I’m also excited to get behind the plate and learn our pitchers, get back on that front. There’s always something to know when you’re catching, because the plate points back to you — you’re the leader of the field, and that’s exactly where I like to be.”
Eight players attended the team’s first-ever practice on Friday. Players will continue to trickle in ahead of Tuesday’s opener.
“It’s going to be so cool,” Alexander said. “They’re really working on getting it sold out, and they’re doing a whole bunch of different themes throughout the season. … I think it’ll be great in Grand Forks. People are going to love it.”
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