The other softball coaches in the Missouri Valley might view Creighton as the most talented team in the league. To Brent Vigness, the Bluejays are the most motivated.

Vigness’ Bluejays, the three-time defending Valley champs, will open the season favored to win the league for an unprecedented fourth straight season.

They’ll begin their season in Tempe, Ariz., next week, when they’ll play six games over four days, starting Thursday. The Jays will meet San Diego State in their first game.

Yet Vigness said the long offseason hasn’t eased the sting the Bluejays felt last spring after getting snubbed for an at-large NCAA invitation. Creighton missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2006 despite its 35-16 record and regular-season Valley title. The Bluejays came up one win short of an automatic NCAA berth when they were upset by Bradley 2-0 in the conference final.

“This is a very driven group,” Vigness said. “They were really, really disappointed in how the season ended last year. That’s definitely going to be in the back of their minds this season.”

Star pitcher Tara Oltman might be the hungriest CU player, and that doesn’t figure to bode well for Valley hitters. Oltman, the only three-time pitcher of the year in conference history, was a third-team NFCA All-America pick in 2009 — the first CU player to earn that honor in 18 years. The senior from Cortland, Neb., already holds a number of school and league pitching records, and she still has another season in the circle. She’s one of 50 college standouts selected to the USA Softball national player of the year watch list.

“Last year was so frustrating, I don’t know of any other way to describe it,” she said. “This year I think we’re really going to be out to prove to people that we shouldn’t have been left out of the tournament.”

Oltman broke the CU record for innings pitched in 2008 and 2009. But that might be one mark that’s safe in 2010, because Vigness has a staff that looks capable of easing Oltman’s workload.

Sophomore’s Kylie Hovinga and Alexa Mackevicius will compete for starts this season, and the Bluejays also added freshman Sammy Snygg from Ankeny, Iowa. Snygg, a three-time Iowa Gatorade player of the year, broke career state records with 49 home runs and 2,208 strikeouts.

CU will have to overcome the loss of four-year starters Bailey Dawson at shortstop and center fielder Jessica Wakasugi.

But the Jays return a cast of veterans, led by 2009 Valley player of the year Renae Sinkler — a senior first baseman who had a league-best 13 homers and a school-record .492 on-base percentage last year.

Other experienced upperclassmen include junior Liz McKewon and seniors Michelle Koch, Michelle Graner, Jessi Jadlowski and Sara Loeffelholz. Sophomore catcher Lauren Larson was thrust into a starting role midway through 2009.

Sophomore Jennifer Bohle, a Northwest Missouri State transfer and an Omaha Westside graduate, is expected to take over at shortstop. Plus, Snygg likely will get a chance to contribute offensively this season when she isn’t pitching.

“You always want your seniors to lead the way on a team, and we have six seniors who are a strong, motivated group,” Vigness said. “Those seniors have set some lofty goals, and I know they’re going to do everything they can to reach them.”

Contact the writer:

444-1207, chad.purcell@owh.com

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