After starting the season with an 0-4 record, the Middle School softball team came back to place second in their championship tournament, leading them to a final record of 7-7.

With practices starting early in the summer, the team faced some adversity and were forced to play inside due to extreme heat and humidity. “We had to have indoor practices, which was really hard to coach a sport on a field, when you can’t be on a field,” claims Coach Margaret Arnett, Assistant Coach of the Middle School BatCats. Once the players began practicing and playing on the field, however, they began improving tremendously. “It was incredible to watch their transformation,” states Arnett. 

The transformation occurred in more than just the players’ growth. After years of playing in an out-of-the-way, substandard venue at the lower school, the softball program began the season with a new stadium. According to the coaches, with the new stadium in the center of all athletic fields, there were more fans, making the games more exciting than ever. “We are so thankful to have a new stadium for all levels of the softball program to play on,” says Coach Matt Sottnick, head coach of the Middle School Softball team. “The stadium provided more noise, more excitement, and more fun for all those who participated. As a result, I feel that it added that extra spark to help the teams come together and take pride in defending their home field.” 

Sottnick is happy with the way the team came together. “If I could sum up the season, I would say that it was a lot of fun!” says Sottnick. “To see new friendships being made, players yelling at the top of their lungs to cheer their teammates on is truly uplifting because that is what sports are all about,”. Even with a rough beginning of season, the team worked hard to become the middle school softball runner-up team.