Softball swings away into season; athletes trained for tryouts

 As softball starts back up, players’ pre-season training has closed. Tryouts were held on March 1, students focused down to make the team.

     Last year, the season was delayed due to Covid, but this year athletes are ready to get back into action. 

    Senior, Maggie Mullin mentions the reason she plays softball is to “be with teammates and play the game. I just love the sport.” The athlete says she’s not nervous about trying out, “just very excited.” 

     Mullin has been playing since she was 5, and her main position is pitcher. To prepare for the season, the senior “plays outside on a club team and practices 3 times a week.” Before tryouts, the main thing she wants to work on is her “self confidence, because that is where I struggle most.”

     Along with Mullin, junior Carmen Santoro also tried out and is a pitcher. Santoro has also been playing since she was 5, and “has been practicing pitching in the off season.” She said the one thing she needs to work on more is “hitting, for better form.” 

     As Santoro has been on the team before, she says her favorite part of practice is “chatting with my friends and warming up together.” The pitcher says she “enjoys being a part of a team, and can’t wait for this season to start.” 

     Another player that mentioned she needs to work on hitting is sophomore, Faith Nevin. She explains that she’s “practicing things and making sure I need to work on things I wasn’t too sure I would be good at.” 

     Regarding tryouts, Nevin says she “is not nervous because I practice all year round on my travel team.” The softball player mentions she “is excited for the season to start so we can start bonding as a team.”

     Another sophomore, Mackenzie Dunaway, is excited for tryouts because “as a freshman I made varsity, so I will continue to work to earn my spot.” Dunaway has been training by “practicing in [her] backyard and workouts with [her] travel team.”

     She explains from last year that her favorite part of practice is the “non-running part.” The sophomore says “before tryouts I want to work on my form more and go over my positions.” As Dunaway plans third and outfield, she “studies the plays” to be prepared.