The start of spring signals the start of the softball season.

After going 8-14 last season, the girls have higher expectations heading into the new year.

“I think there’s a lot of potential for us and if we put in the work I see a lot of W’s ahead of us,” senior outfielder Megan Garrity said.

Having the ability to develop is key for any team’s recipe for success.

However, potential only gets you so far.

“As a team we need to work on our offense,” senior outfielder Delaney Huddleston said. “We’re in a tough conference with a lot of talented pitchers. A key to staying in the game is to be able to put some points on the board and challenge other teams’ defenses.”

Another key to staying in games is having great leadership.

This goes for the players all the way through to the coaching staff.

“Our coaches have us develop team and individual goals at the beginning of the season,” senior Hannah Levy said. “This helps us to be held accountable.”

Accountability may be seen in games but it all starts in practice.

The grind of doing the same routine over and over again helps prosper good habits.

“This year our practices got shortened from three hours to two hours so they’ve been a lot more intense than previous years,” Huddleston said. “We usually work on hitting for 30-45 minutes then we split up into our positions. In the last 25 minutes, we come together and do situational plays.”

Everybody knows practice makes perfect, as it is one of the most commonly used sports cliches in the world today.

A silver lining that emerges from the countless hours spent practicing are the growing bonds within the team.

“Everyone gets along; this chemistry shows when we are able to communicate on the field,” Levy said.

Forming strong relationships with your teammates is something that makes sports worthwhile.

What’s most enjoyable about softball though, is up for debate.

“I enjoy the defensive part of the game the most,” Huddleston said. “I also enjoy being part of a team. It leaves you with a lot of memories throughout high school.”

Softball is the fifth most popular sport for women to participate in, according to infoplease.com.

While some people hide from that fact, the Lady Vikings seem to embrace it.

“Softball gets overlooked a lot,” Garrity said. “Sports like baseball gets perks over us, little things such as lights. It’s crazy.”

Playing a sport like softball has adversities within itself but pairing that with keeping your grades up to par can cause migraines.

“It’s probably the hardest to manage school work with softball,” Levy said. “I had to make sure to keep up with my classes while also dedicating large amounts of time to softball.”

The season is a long grind, consisting of 28 games excluding the playoffs.

Many moments shine over the course of the year, but one moment shines a little brighter for Huddleston.

“One thing I hope to accomplish is going far in the postseason,” she said. “Last year we won regionals and got knocked out first round of sectionals. I also hope we do better in conference play than we have in previous years.”