Softball 2014
Rough Start Won’t Keep Them Down
By Michael Clites
Heading into her 8th season as Taft College’s Head Softball Coach, Stephanie Walsh finds her and her team in a bit of a slump to the beginning of their season. With a current record of 0-13, Coach Walsh says that this isn’t enough to keep her team’s spirit down and expects to be a fierce competitor going into conference games.
Although the Cougars are suffering from a few injuries to their already low roster the player’s moral, along with their heads are very high. And just before the Cougars get started with conference games, they were given a bye week. When asked if this extra week off could potentially be an advantage for her team, Coach Walsh’s response was, “Absolutely I feel it can be an advantage. It gives us time to build up our confidence and go into conference knowing we can beat teams and knowing we can win.”
Conference games for Walsh and her team begin Tuesday, March 6th where the first opponent they will face is Merced College. Walsh says, “Fresno City and COS (College of the Sequoias) are the two teams that usually are the number 1 and 2 teams in our league and the rest of us are competing for 3 and 4 so the first team that’s in the way is Merced.” Coach Walsh adds, “I think it’s realistic for us to finish in the top two, we’ve got the tools and we are perfectly capable to qualify for playoffs.”
So what can TC Softball fans expect from the Cougars in conference games? “Competitiveness, lots of fight, and designed swings to slap balls out of the park,” says a proud Coach Walsh.