A tough early schedule is paying off for the Grand View softball team. The Vikings lead the Midwest Collegiate Conference race with a record of 13-5 but coach Lou Yacanich junior’s team entered league play with a record of 2-15.

He says they played some highly-ranked teams early on in a southern trip and he says that helped them. Yacanich says he likes to challenge his team with a tough schedule and says the players did not lose confidence despite the lack of early success.

Yacanich says they work hard in the offseason and he says they try to play the toughest teams they can to challenge the players. He says it’s not a lot of fun in that early season scheduled when you suffer loses, but he hopes the players believe in the overall plan.

The Vikings return to action at home on Wednesday against Mount Mercy.