Winter sports have come to an end, say hello spring sports! Softball is one of many spring sports that start this season. The coach for Junior Varsity is Kristen Griffith and Varsity’s coach is Danielle Locke. Tryouts were held from March 1 to March 4. Neither the JV nor V had to make cuts, and there are a lot more people playing now than in previous years. 

“We did not make cuts this year and we have 13 girls on varsity this school year,” Locke explained.

“I expect a good JV season! We have 13 girls that are going to do great and learn a lot along the way,” Griffith stated.

The JV team is working hard and the girls are putting everything they got into learning new skills and growing as school athletes. Both Locke and Griffith are working hard to make this year’s softball season fun and energetic for the JV and V girls while also making sure they help each other out to get stronger and to win many games. 

“I’m actually so excited to start the season. There’s so many great and amazing players on the JV team and I just know we’re going to have a great time together. Being surrounded by players who are greater than me makes me really excited to play because I’ll be able to learn so many new things from them. The support I get from new teammates means a lot to me and I’m grateful to start my freshman year with them,” Freshman and JV softball player Keilani Gamero commented. 

Although the softball season just started there’s already been so much effort both teams have put into this sport. Their growth is being recognized by the coaches, and the girls are going to do so well this season. 

Despite all of their successes, both coaches and players experience obstacles throughout their run. 

“It can be difficult, since we are a weather dependent sport, we have to be flexible with times and location of practices. Practice plans often change daily based on the weather. It can also be a challenge because I am not at Oakdale High School so I have to adapt practices to my work schedule, which is different from the OHS schedule,” Locke notes.

Softball has impacted many of these girls’ lives for the better. Oakdale’s Softball teams are so supportive of one another and most girls are becoming very close because of the program. 

“This is a season of rebuilding for our program,” added senior and varsity player Gabrielle Nelson. “Over the past three years, we have really struggled to field both a junior varsity (JV) and varsity (V) team. Due to low numbers, we were only able to field both a JV and a V team my sophomore year. In terms of varsity specifically, we have seven seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen. Individually, we are all talented, yet our focus this season is to work together, love each other, and play for each other (not ourselves). If we can learn that individually we are good, but together we are even better, this season will be nothing short of fun and full of accomplishments.”

The first game for both JV and Varsity is quickly approaching. . The JV team’s first game is on March 23, and the team plays North Hagerstown twice. The varsity team’s first game is on March 22nd against Williamsport at Oakdale!