William Penn softball coach Mike Christner has had to be extra patient this year but he likes the potential of his young team. After leading Penn to the NAIA national tournament a year ago and a school record 51 victories the Lady Statesmen are 17-13 this season heading into a key Midwest Classic Conference series with Waldorf this weekend. He says the team is young and has to learn to come out and play every day and not take a day off.

Penn’s record is a little deceiving. They are 12-4 since returning from a trip to Florida and Georgia. He says they played tough, but didn’t get the victories. He says it was a learning experience for the freshmen.

Penn and Waldorf will hook up a in a four game set beginning Saturday in Oskaloosa and Christner says they are two of the teams that expect to be in the thick of the conference race. The Lady Statesmen are 4-0 in the MCC. Waldorf is 3-1.