Softball is number one in our region this year, a jump from last year’s third place and Softball is in fourteen places in all of Arizona. Softball got a bunch of freshmen playing this year along with players from last year. The team has been focusing on helping each other and working together to build up trust and friendships between everybody. Junior, Ella Jackman commented “ I always like talking to them, encouraging them and just making sure that I’m here. If they need anything or anyone to talk to”. Couch Harder claims “we have a program mantra…”Ubuntu” – For us, it means “I am because of you. We are because of us.”  We do our best as a program to be inclusive of everyone. We have told the girls to be the teammate you want your teammates to be to you. If you treat all of your teammates the way you want all of your teammates to treat you, we are going to be in great shape and “Ubuntu” just happens and falls into place.”

 Jackman has been playing since her freshman year. Jackman has helped with the new players this year. Jackman exclaims “It’s been great. We have really good freshmen this year and we’ve kind of just welcomed them in and just really been there for them if they need anything”. Jackman added “and they’ve really adapted to the team”.  Jackman has been with this team for three years so improvements are important to her. Jackman commented “ Our confidence is really great and we’ve been having like really good energy and our wins have been really good. We’ve been having a really good winning steak at home” .

The team has been on a four game winning streak and the team has been wanting to keep that streak alive. Jackman claims “ it’s been pretty good. I just think that with the help of our coaches and like the push and drive is really helpful and honestly just being there for each other and kind of just keeping up the positive energy is really helpful”. Coach Natha Harder commented “ Obviously handling “wins” is much easier than the losses. Winning is great, but sometimes it can hide problems that need to be addressed. Softball is a very hard sport, so we try to reflect quickly on the losses, flush it, and move on. We talk a lot about reflect on what we need to and what you need to as an individual player, but don’t walk out of the gate of the field with it. Leave it behind you and move on and get better the next day”.

The team has been on a great winning streak and they are going to keep that streak going. All eyes now turn to their next couples of games to keep the wins going and to remain the first in our region.