OLIVER KIMOKEO | sports editor

Déjà vu does not come around often for Cougar softball. After suffering last season through their first losing campaign since 1994, the Cougars have been looking for a sign that their losing was just an aberration and in no way a permanent institution for the program. The Cougars found the evidence needed on Feb. 25 to give themselves an indication that triumphant times are just around the corner.

APU defeated the NAIA's No. 5-ranked Simon Fraser with a dominating score of 7-0. Eight years earlier, the Cougars defeated the Clan, 7-0, in a national semifinal en route to their only appearance in the NAIA Championship. Through just two games in the series, the Cougars have outscored Simon Fraser, one of the best NAIA softball teams, 14-0. The Clan have had a rich winning tradition and have won three NAIA championships in the last 10 years.

"I was calling this the biggest game of our season," head coach Carrie Webber said. "This was going to be our launching point. If we can make a strong appearance against the No. 5 team in the nation, then we feel we can do anything right now."

The strong start of a 6-3 record is a welcome accomplishment for APU considering that the Cougars started 3-7 through their first 10 games last season. In the seven-team conference of GSAC softball, there are five teams which ranked in the preseason NAIA top 25 poll including No. 2 California Baptist and No. 3 Point Loma Nazarene. APU is not of those five teams, yet, but coach Webber knows that her team will be able to compete hard with the tougher teams of GSAC.

"My prediction is that we will be very competitive in the GSAC this year," Webber said. "Regardless of our win-loss record, we will be a very consistent team. If we do a lose a game, it will by a run or two and it won't be by 12. We have a good shot as anyone in the GSAC this year."

Junior pitcher Camille Hundley pitched a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts and held the Clan to just five hits.

"I threw mostly inside all day and the drops, screws and rise are working good," Hundley said.

The Cougars' offensive attack started early as APU put together six of their seven runs in the first three innings. After freshman second baseman Cassie Treischel advanced to second base off a left-field single and a wild pitch, a right field-single from junior catcher Natalie Mickelson enabled Trieschel to walk across home plate and put the first run on the board in the first inning. The Cougars led 1-0 at the conclusion of the first inning.

APU added three runs in the second inning off two singles and an error. Sophomore first baseman Erin Halma, designated player Rebekah Weisser, and Hundley were the three Cougars who ran through the four bases.

In the third inning, a right-field single from Rebekah Weisser batted in senior shortstop Bethany Weisser and Halma. Before the game, Coach Webber had an intuition that the Cougars were playing big offensively.

"I was very confident that we would come in and score runs today," Webber said. "I did not know it was going to be seven runs but I knew we were going to score. The girls put in a lot of time and hard work last week. I knew it was going to be a good day."

Hitting is a focal point of the Webber coaching philosophy and she wants to make the Cougars know how to swing the bats.

"We focus a lot on hitting," Webber said. "In the fall, we focused about 80 percent on hitting. We brought in a new hitting system. It took awhile to teach it to them, to get them to buy into it, and understand it. My hats are off to the girls because they have made leaps and bounds. Even through the last three or four weeks, they have made improvement."

Webber believes that the swing is the key to a successful at-bat.

"We have all have the same philosophy of hitting," Webber said. "It's taking their swings and making it an efficient, powerful swing. It's not just about them being powerful hitters or contact hitters. We believe that everyone has the ability to be powerful and consistent when they are up to bat."

After limiting the Clan to no runs, the Cougars earned their third shutout of the season. It's a positive indication for the team that their defense is improving because they only earned one shutout last season. Webber is not taking defensive fundamentals for granted in light of the focus on offense.

"Defense has been a little rough in the beginning," Webber said. "The girls are really stepping up. They are starting to understand and getting comfortable in their positions. They are just now starting to excel in those positions. Our defense will be picking up more and more as we go along the season."

Hundley said the spirit of the team has been rising as her teammates get more familiar with Webber's coaching style.

"The team is coming along great," Hundley said. "We have great coaching this year and we have better commodore."

The Cougars have two more non-conference games before GSAC and will host No. 11 Lee in a game scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Cougar Softball Field on Monday, March 3. On the next day, the Cougars will open their GSAC schedule against Hope International, a team they have defeated 45 of the last 46 games since 1994.