The Ferris softball team is currently in the dog days of preseason preparing for the 2020 season.
The group is buzzing with potential and excitement. Preparation is key, and before they can showcase their talent on the field, they have to take care of a few things first.
“In preseason we are doing multiple things,” Ferris junior outfielder Paige Kortz said. “We lift, condition, and practice both offense and defense. Everyone is extremely motivated this season which is great to see as a upperclassman. Although preseason can be difficult to get through to the time crunch, the entire team is trudging through.”
The Bulldogs work for two to three hours a day on their game. This includes pitching, fielding, catching and a lot of live scrimmaging.
However, when the Bulldogs are not in the sports complex working as a team to refine those skills and form that “on the field” chemistry. They are constantly working on the “off the field” chemistry, which in the sports world can be just as important.
“As a team we do a lot of team bonding and we make the most of what we do,” Kortz said.
“Although we don’t have a large amount of free time in preseason, we still manage to hang out with other teammates. But for the most part, we never get a break from each other. But that is not because we are forced to, but because we love being around each other.”
Head Coach Kristin Janes is the one who is most looking forward to this 2020 campaign. Entering her third season, she is confident that they have the pieces and has a feeling that this could be their year in the GLIAC.
“I am really excited we are still somewhat young, but we also have quite a few veterans coming back,” Janes said. “Three senior pitchers, three sophomore pitchers and then a freshman, but we have some experience returning on the mound. Two juniors that are projected to be returning starters, and a very influential junior transfer, four sophomores that are returning starters and a good batch of freshman.”
They have two more weeks of preseason to prepare for the season. They start the year Saturday, Feb. 15, in Louisville, Ky., playing back-to-back double headers against The Bellarmine Knights and The Findlay Oilers.