OMAHA, Neb. –– This weekend's Senior Day will take on an additional meaning for Omaha Softball head coach
Mike Heard.
"It's the first class I recruited here out of high school. They've been huge for the program," said Heard, who was hired prior to the 2022 season. "They've been the centerpiece of building it and getting it where it's at. It's kind of hard to see them go."
Over the past four seasons, Omaha has won 73.3 percent of its games, compiling a 142-53 overall record. The Mavericks have reached the NCAA tournament each of the last three years and currently hold a two-game lead in the Summit League standings.
On Sunday, seven seniors will be honored at Connie Claussen Field during the series finale against South Dakota State.
Six of this year's seniors have been fixtures in the starting lineup this spring. That includes left fielder Ava Rongisch and center fielder Marra Cramer, who have been four-year starters in the outfield, as both have more than 170 career starts.
While both are defensive stalwarts, they are also enjoying their best seasons at the plate. Cramer is batting .333 with seven homers and 30 RBI, while Rongisch is batting .329. Over the past 14 games, she has hit four homers with 16 RBI.
Heard said he hasn't seen a letdown in work ethic during Rongisch and Cramer's final spring as Mavericks.
"When you have one year left, it may be easy to coast a little bit. But for them, it's been the opposite. They wanted to make sure they went out the right way," Heard said. "They've continued to get better."
Rongisch, who went to high school at Millard West and played with many of her current teammates in club ball, said there's a comfort level playing side by side with Cramer for four seasons.
"She knows what she can get to and I know what I can get to," Rongisch said. "I think our years of experience really helped us this year. I personally have had goals set, and I think Marra has, too. That's built up over the past four years."
This senior class also includes a pair who transferred to Omaha after the 2025 season and have been starters on the left side of the infield. They have batted second and third all season for a lineup that is batting .326 as a team.
Taylor Sedlacek, who was a high school all-stater at Bennington before playing three seasons at Wichita State, has settled into Omaha's shortstop role. Sedlacek leads the team in home runs with 13 to go along with 39 RBI and a .368 batting average. She also leads the Summit League with a .821 slugging percentage.
Sedlacek said the transition to Omaha for her final season has been a smooth one.
"I grew up with a ton of these girls, so being able to come back and finish my career here has been a full-circle moment and a good close to my career," Sedlacek said.
Heard said he's seen this spring what has made Sedlacek such a good college player.
"She's worked hard on her defense. And offensively, she's exactly what we thought we would be getting there. She's very disciplined at the plate. She draws a lot of walks, she's on base all the time and brings a power threat."
Sedlacek added that Bailey Sample, who transferred from Bradley, has brought "a lot of energy" to this year's team. Sample is hitting .392 in her debut season with the Mavericks while starting at third base.
"They've bought in to how we do things and the culture," Heard said of the transfer duo. "Both of them couldn't have worked out better."
In the circle, Alexis Wiggins is having her best collegiate season. After compiling a 7-6 record last season in her first year with Omaha, Wiggins is 11-1 with a 2.95 ERA this season.
Heard said that Wiggins has improved her command and game presence this season.
In addition to Senior Day on Sunday, part of Omaha's past success also will be celebrated Saturday when the Mavericks recognize their 2001 NCAA Division II national championship team.
