Softball’s league season is coming to an end as they head into NCS, where they are hoping to make it as far as they can. With their season closing, players look back on the bigger roles that they took on for the team this year and how they hope to continue taking on more responsibility next year with the majority of their upperclassmen graduating.

As many of the players are graduating, it’s important for the underclassmen to take on the responsibility of integrating the new freshmen players. Sophomore Maya Hammerman has taken on this role, “I’ve helped mentor the new freshmen and help them improve their abilities, and next year I want to be captain pitch.”

When some of the seniors got sick and injured during the season, sophomore Lucy Wilson explained that, “When the catcher is sick I take her role and I step up to play.”

With the team’s main starter, senior Lyla Marcus, going off to college, the team will have to find someone to help fill her position on the team next year. Wilson explained that with five seniors graduating at the end of the year, “I have to take on their roles and be a pitcher and other positions.”

There will be opportunities for many more players to take on bigger roles next year, like Wilson who moved up to start playing catcher and hopes to pitch next year. The only current upperclassmen that will be on the team next year is junior Kylie Dowdall, so she is hoping to be the main leader of the team.

Dowdall, who got injured this season, explained, “I was out for an injury, but I set a big role for softball because I taught everyone how to not get hurt and how to have fun while playing.” She added on to this by saying that next year, “after the injury I’m going to come back, have fun, and mentor the new freshman.”

The team finished second in league, with a 6-3 record, and they are planning to build on this success and bring it into next year’s season with their new team leaders.