Softball season started last week for the Newman Jets and continues through May.
Head Softball Coach Janice Esses is hard at work conditioning her team to build upon the successes of last season.
She said the goals she has laid out for the team this year are to return to the post-conference tournament and to compete every day during practice and in games.
In order to make sure these goals are met, Esses has been working with the team over defensive play, practicing on the field early before games, consistent contact on the plate and not leaving runners in scoring positions stranded on base.
“With more effective and consistent contact, scoring will become more prevalent,” said Esses.
She added, “We need to keep working on preventing stolen bases and keeping runners out of scoring position.”
Senior Taylor Mannis hopes her team will win the post-conference tournament this year.
Mannis said, “I personally want to work on my mentality when I step in the box and bat. As a team we are focusing on little things like when we get a runner to third that we make sure she can score. We are also working on defensive hitting and situational hitting to score more runs.”
Due to a change in the conference structure, the softball team will travel slightly more than last year.
Esses said she is thankful the two farthest trips to Laredo and San Antonio in Texas are now combined into one trip.
Esses and her team are looking forward to a solid season thanks to the strong preparation from the previous fall semester.
