Clemson’s softball team is heading to its first Super Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before heading there, infielder Cammy Pereira and outfielder McKenzie Clark took time to preview the challenge that awaits against No. 7 seed Oklahoma State.
Following a weekend in McWhorter Stadium allowing no runs for all three games, the Tigers (42-15) are looking ahead at their Super Regional opponent this weekend. Although this is the team’s first-ever time appearing in a Super Regional, Clemson is going into this weekend just like they have every other game and ready to take it one game at a time.
“We took regionals one step at a time,” Pereira stated before departing to Oklahoma on Tuesday. “We talked about that over and over again, just one step at a time, and that’s really what you have to do because there is no one that we can look at and see as an easy opponent. So, right now, focusing on Super Regionals, obviously we know that two wins gets us through, but nobody has ever been here before. Nobody knows what to expect, so we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
Even though the team is staying focused on the task at hand, it does not mean that they are not taking in the moment ahead of them and realizing just how exciting it is being in the Super Regional, especially for a program only in its third year.
“Just to think about winning it all or just going there in general, it just brings goosebumps to me,” Clark said. “It’s super exciting, but you can’t look too far ahead. You have to kind of play where your feet are at, but it’s just all excitement from me.”
While using their excitement as momentum heading into this weekend, the Tigers also understand the strong opponent they are facing while also balancing how to handle the nerves that come along with playing at such high stakes.
“No matter who your opponent is, it is just all about the heart and the fight to get through it,” Pereira said. “It is not always about the name on your jersey. It’s just about the heart that your team has, so we try not to focus too much on the specifics of the team. We know what we need to know.”
The Tigers are set to face Oklahoma State beginning Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Game 2 will be Friday at 6 p.m. with an if-necessary game slated for Saturday.
