Trailblazer Softball Setting Standards for Future Success

GODFREY, IL — As students return to Lewis and Clark Community College this fall, the Trailblazer softball team is already laying the foundation for its spring campaign.

Under the direction of Athletic Director and Head Coach Cody Zippmann, the team is entering its final week of offseason installation before a six-week interleague slate and a seven-game fall World Series.

"Right now, we're wrapping up the first three weeks of our fall offseason," Zippmann said. "This is the program's install phase before kicking off a six-week interleague play that will culminate with a fall seven-game World Series."

The Trailblazers are also in the midst of a coaching transition, though Zippmann said the program remains focused on its standards.

"As far as a transition to a new coach, it's simply not on our minds," Zippmann said. "They all know someone is coming, but they also know that individual will be held to the same standards the rest of the coaching staff at LC is held. Student-athlete or staff, we are all held to the athletic standards of character, commitment, and a high compete level."

That commitment has stood out early in the fall.

"Ninety percent of a person's success today is being the individual that always shows up," Zippmann said. "This area has impressed me the most with the 22 softball student-athletes. You don't always get that right out of the gate."

For Zippmann, raising the program's competitive level is the top priority.

"For too long, Trailblazer softball and most of Trailblazer athletics have been looked down upon as teams that represent the lower half of the standings," he said. "No student-athlete who becomes a Trailblazer will experience that moving forward. As far as my softball student-athletes, they are going to learn how to compete at a high level in everything they do."

The roster features improved depth and leadership heading into the season, with five captains, three sophomores and two freshmen, guiding the group. Zippmann noted that sophomores Jordan Watsek, Wrigley Releford and Jasmine Turner have already set a tone for accountability and growth.

With 22 players on the roster, including a five-pitcher staff, Zippmann said the team's balance will allow them to compete across the board. The team has also invested heavily in team-building activities across the athletic department, giving student-athletes opportunities to connect outside of practice.

Looking ahead to the spring, Zippmann said the key will be learning how to manage mistakes and play with composure.

"The key is when things go wrong, don't turn the fan on high," Zippmann said. "Find your outs and play the game using all seven innings. If our team can begin the season with this mental mindset, we are going to surprise a lot of people."

For Zippmann, the bigger picture extends well beyond the 2025 season.

"They are the beginning of a new era of Trailblazer softball," he said. "Everything they do will set the standards for years to come. When this program wins its first national title, that group will look back to the 2025-26 Trailblazers and tip their caps to the women who provided them a new direction."

Written by Alexandra Dunn, Athletics Social Media Coordinator