The game goes on: Trine softball players enjoy summer with Habaneros

For two members of Trine University’s softball team, play didn’t end with the national championship in June.

Alexis Michon and Emma Lee spent the rest of the summer with the Mankato (Minnesota) Habaneros, part of Northwoods League Softball (NWLS), a collegiate softball league that just completed its second season.

The NWLS grew out of the Northwoods League, which has sponsored collegiate baseball teams for 30 years.

The teams, which include players from all levels of college athletics, are designed to develop players for college, Olympic and professional play. Similar to minor league baseball teams, they play in a fun, family-oriented environment.

Season one

This was Emma’s second season with the Habaneros.

“I first learned about the Northwoods League’s plans to launch a softball division while I was still in high school, and I knew immediately it was something I wanted to be part of,” she said.

She applied to be part of the league, and though the Madison Night Mares were near her hometown of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, she opted instead for the Habaneros.

“While I had the option to play in Madison, I was drawn to the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and experience something new by living and playing in Mankato,” she said.

Her first season provided a variety of new experiences for Emma: living with a host family, playing for coaches she had never met, joining a roster of unfamiliar teammates and adjusting to life in a new state on her own.

“Shortly after the summer began, I fell in love with the team’s culture and the supportive community around us,” she said. “Being invited back to play again this past summer felt like a true blessing.”

The Habaneros won the league’s first championship, giving Emma a springboard into her championship season with Trine softball this past spring.

‘Just playing softball’

Emma invited Alexis to join the team earlier this year, knowing that Alexis wanted to keep playing after she completed her Trine career this spring.

“I wanted to have a fun summer of just playing softball and not having to worry about anything else,” said Alexis, who will complete her elementary education/special education degree in December after student teaching this fall. “It felt really good that Justine (Schultz, our coach) and the rest of the team wanted me to play up there, especially with the competition being higher.”

The players didn’t get much of a break between seasons. Trine won the NCAA Division III national championship on June 5 and the Habaneros’ 42-game season began six days later.

“Being part of multiple championship-driven cultures back-to-back is such a unique experience — it pushes you to bring your best every single day,” Emma commented. “The support I received from the fans in Mankato and the warm welcome from my new teammates made the transition seamless.”

Back at the plate

For Alexis, the biggest transition was getting used to batting and playing the infield as opposed to only pitching at Trine.

“But this felt like home to me; being able to play the field and hit again is something I have wanted to do for a long time,” she said. “My favorite part of the season was probably just being able to come to the field and not worry about anything but playing. And if I have to be honest, hitting a home run off an Oklahoma pitcher was also a favorite.”

Emma said she loved playing for the Habaneros because she was able compete alongside talented players from every NCAA division.

“Over the summer, your teammates truly become your second family, and you share the grind together day in and day out,” she said. “Compared to the intensity and structure of playing at Trine, the summer atmosphere is a bit more laid-back, which makes it a fun balance of high-level competition and enjoying the game.”

An emotional end

Though the Habaneros did not repeat their championship run, the season still featured many highlights for the Trine players.

Emma made the July 21 ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 sports plays with a diving catch into the outfield fence that prevented a Minot Honeybees home run.

The two shared a special moment as Emma stepped in to catch for Alexis when she pitched the final out of her career.

“I hadn’t caught in a game since I was a kid, but I called her pitches, and she finished her career with a strikeout,” Emma said. “I’ll never forget running to the mound, hugging her for what felt like forever, and telling her how proud I was. It was such a special, full-circle moment.”

Alexis said that now she is focusing on student teaching and “figuring out adult life without softball.”

“I have been playing softball year-round since I was 10, so after 13 years of straight softball, it’s hard to adjust without it,” she said. “Softball has truly changed my life forever and definitely for the better.”

“After transitioning to the Habaneros, I realized that softball can be fun anywhere you play it, as long as you are playing with the right people. I absolutely loved playing for the Habaneros, and meeting girls that I will be friends with for the rest of my life. The experience was nothing but perfect.”

Meanwhile, Emma is looking forward to pursuing another championship at Trine.

“The culture we’ve built at Trine is truly something special and a big reason for our success, so I can’t wait to kick off fall ball and get to work,” she said.