First-year assistant softball coach Brooke Reed talks about the Devilettes' 2013 season and more.

1. How did it feel to win a SWAC Tournament title during your first year as an assistant coach for MVSU?
The feeling is indescribable. Everything didn't really sink in until the day after the tournament was over and things had somewhat calmed down. Just as I told the girls leading up to the tournament, that not every player gets the opportunity to compete for a conference championship, I realized that not every coach gets that chance either. Some coaches spend their career trying to achieve the goal of winning a conference title. I have been truly blessed and fortunate to experience it my first year. Coach Smith has done a tremendous job building this program; I'm just glad that I'm able to be a part of it.

2. Did this year's success exceed your expectations?
Not at all. Even though we had a small group, it was a powerful group. Our seniors were very determined to go out with a bang and the rest of the team followed suit. I always knew that our girls had the heart and fight that it took to win the title.

3. What are some lessons you learned during your first year as a coach at Valley?
I learned quite a few things as my first year of coaching here at Valley, with the most important one being that each player is different and consequently, needs to be coached differently. Not everyone responds to the same way of teaching. As a coach, it's my job to figure out how our players respond so that they're able to play to the best of their ability.

4. With MVSU losing five seniors, what do you think are the chances of the Devilettes repeating this year's success?
The seniors that we lost can't be replaced. They did a great job on and off the field to accomplish the goals that they set in the beginning of the season. With all the newcomers that we will have, I think it will be somewhat of a challenge to repeat, but definitely possible with the talent they are bringing to the program. Once the girls learn each other and mesh together, I believe we'll be unstoppable.

5. With MVSU out of contention, who do you think will win the College World Series?
I would love to see University of Louisiana-Lafayette win it all since I'm from Louisiana. However, I believe that Oklahoma has a different kind of fire within since the recent event that took place in their state. They're motivated to give their state something to smile and be happy about.