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For the first time in a long time, there will be a new look on the bench to Blazer softball this season. Rachael Click takes over as head coach while long-time leader Denny Johnson stays right at home, beginning a new role as assistant coach.

Click joins the Blazers fresh off two seasons as an assistant at Jacksonville University, but she is no stranger to the MIAC, having spent four years playing for rival Gustavus, leading the Gusties to a MIAC championship in her senior season. That year, Click was named MIAC Player of the Year, leading the Gusties to a NCAA Regional title and berth in the NCAA Championships.

She inherits a team that just narrowly missed out on the conference tournament last season, finishing in fifth place and just one game shy of a spot in the top-four with a 10-12 league record and a 18-16 mark overall.

“The team kind of has a bad taste in their mouth from last year,” Click said. “They had such a great start to the season, and didn't end up getting the results that they wanted. So I think that that's the goal in everyone's mind, to compete for a spot in the playoffs.”

To accomplish the goal of being in the playoff mix at the end of the season, Click hopes to instill the mindset of appreciating progress, and all the achievement along the way.


“If you can celebrate improvement and the process, then the wins are going to come,” she said. “If we have a game where we didn't have any walks – and maybe we lost the game – but we've been having issues with walks all season. Then we want to enjoy that accomplishment.”

As the Blazers take their steps along the way, they will be led by All-Conference returnees Lexi Alm and Rachel Nelson, as the pair shoulders the load for a youthful team that features 13 underclassmen, without a senior.

Equally anchoring the line-up and the staff, respectively, Alm and Nelson were each among the MIAC leaders last season. Alm was in the top-five of the MIAC in four different categories, which included a league best .770 slugging percentage on the strength of eight home runs and a .434 batting average. Likewise, Nelson was third in the league in ERA (1.78), and fourth in strikeouts (88).

The Blazers may have gotten the individual success, and posted a winning record, but not getting the payoff with the postseason was just extra motivation heading into this season. A season that will feature a new head coach and a renewed attitude to finish off where they came up short last year.


“In the offseason, they were really focused, working hard with weights and conditioning. And they're taking this season seriously, that we have something to prove and teams shouldn't overlook us, and we want to give people a run for their money.”

The Blazers open their season this weekend, with a doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire at 9 a.m., Mar. 2 in the Rosemount Dome.