EudoraNews.com

Heading into their second week of practice, the Eudora high softball team is anxious and confident for the beginning of the 2000 softball season.

Third-year coach Gretchen Freeland is faced with the task of continuing the team's yearly improvement. Freeland sees no indication of this year's squad coming up short of expectation.

"In my first year, three years ago, we won two games, and then last year we won 10 games," Freeland. "So we're looking to improving even more this year, and we should."

Junior short stop Roshena Niedens makes a throw to first base during infield practice. Eudora opens the season on March 28 against Pleasant Ridge.

Freeland emphasized the pitching staff as the backbone for Eudora this year.

Freeland is expecting outstanding performance and leadership from the pitching staff this year, as main pitchers were lost to graduation.

Senior Nicole Hickman and junior Melanie Smith lead the pitching staff, which will be expected to carry Eudora throughout most of the spring.

"We're definitely looking towards our seniors and our pitchers for leadership," Freeland said. "We've got four seniors this year and their experience will help us out a lot. We'll look to Nicole Hickman, Nicole Campbell, and Shena Niedens for a lot of leadership."

Smith doesn't see the team's talent as the only reason for potential success this spring.

"We've all been working really hard this offseason," Smith said. "I've really tried to improve my pitching, and I've been working on a few new pitches to incorporate this year."

Although the team's strength will most likely be from the mound, Smith also believes Eudora will pick up the pace at the plate as the season progresses.

"I know our pitching will be really strong," Smith said. "Nicole and I have been pitching since our freshman year, but I also think our hitting will be strong."

According to Freeland, hitting is the area in which Eudora has lost the most from last year. Freeland is looking to the upperclassmen to pick up the slack in the hitting department.

"We lost a lot of our run production from last year, and it is going to be one of our main goals to score more this year, and the younger players are going to have to produce," Freeland said.

Freeland is not worried about the team being prepared for the start of the season due not only to their hard offseason work, but also to the tremendous weather during the first two weeks of practice. Freeland stated that in years past, the softball team started most of the preseason indoors due to bad weather. Being able to begin practice on the diamond instead of a gymnasium has given the team more opportunities to concentrate on simple fundamentals.

"From the looks of the team we should have a pretty solid infield, and our pitchers are going to be strong as we expected," Freeland said. "We're looking for some great things this year."

Also bringing excitement to the season this year is the addition of several teams to Eudora's conference, and the chance to play host to the sub-State playoffs.

"I just found out that we get to host sub-State this year, and that should be a lot of fun to try and win that at home," Smith said.

The softball season begins with a March 28 contest against Pleasant Ridge.