Last season, the EHS Softball team posted a decent record of 8-7-1, improving substantially upon the girls’ one-win season the year prior. This year will once again provide an opportunity for the team to get better, but that might end up being easier said than done.

As one might guess, a good number of players from last year’s squad graduated and are now gone. This will force the team to quickly find alternatives in younger players, and junior Gretchen Nelson fears that this reliance on youth will mean trouble. “We’ll be a young team,” says Nelson, “and that inexperience will definitely be our biggest weakness.” Adding to the difficulty is the fact that Eagan, as is the case with so many other sports, will once again be facing a tough conference this year.

With that being said, there is still reason to expect good things. The team will see reliable batters Abbey Mccartney, Lydia Braun, and Leigh Sass returning, as well as Nelson as the starting pitcher, and the team’s overall speed will help it find success on the defensive end. “Our speed is going to help us a lot, and I feel like we’ll actually win even more than last year,” says Mccartney. Looking to once again improve on their record, as well as make a run in the section tournament, the girls are definitely expecting positive results this season.