Outlaws softball gets set for spring

About this time a year ago, Sisters High School girls softball coach Tom Mauldin was waiting outside the final varsity basketball practice. He was recruiting.

"I had no choice ... but to seek out some prospects. We barely had 20 players signed up, and that's just not enough to field complete varsity and junior varsity teams," said Mauldin. "With low numbers, you're really limited in what you can do and sometimes that is to have enough players just to field a team."

The coach picked up three recruits, and the rest is history. The varsity squad went on to post the best record in school history. While nine wins may not seem like a lot, the Outlaws finished third in the Sky-Em League and qualified for a playoff game for the first time in school history.

Now, less than a week prior the first official day of practice (February 18), there are 30 prospects signed up for the varsity and junior varsity teams.

"That is a very good feeling - to know interest in the sport is growing," said the second-year Outlaw coach. "In my 20 years of coaching high school softball, I'd never seen a shortage of players. Even with the last-minute basketball recruits, we only had 23 for the program, and that's a very minimum amount."

Mauldin said the girls answered the challenge in a positive manner.

"We asked them to develop versatility, knowing that our lineup was an illness or injury away from a major change."

It's that versatility and a large turnout that has the coach brimming with optimism as the March 10 season opener approaches. In that list of 30 signups are seven returning seniors, six juniors, five sophomores and a dozen freshmen.

"That's a good mix of experience and youth for the coaching staff to have to work with," said Mauldin. "It's going to make for a very workable depth chart. It's going to create a lot of competition. It's not just the numbers, but realistically we have 16 or 17 true varsity prospects."

Topping the Outlaw prospect list are returning first-team all-Sky-Em League players Sam Stoneback (pitcher/infielder) and Jenna Sneva (shortstop) and honorable mention all-Sky-Em League players J.J. Ashley (third) and Jenny Kaiser (outfield).

Also returning are seniors Ashley Huber, Jessi Heath, Cassie Huber, Brenna Mooney and Hillary Renz (infield/pitcher). Junior Kiana Jimeniz will join the team when basketball ends, as will Kaiser and Huber. Senior Camille Pedersen returns after spending the 2007 season as a foreign exchange student in Finland. She was a starter in 2006.

The only starters gone from the 2007 team are first baseman Courtney Overstreet and catcher Becky Bremer.

Although there is a lot of experience returning, Mauldin noted that several of the freshmen have indicated they want varsity spots.

Mauldin said goals for this year's team would be improved team defense, team speed and quickness, better execution in the short game and more discipline in the batter's box.

"We want players adjusting before they get into the batter's box this year, being better prepared to put the ball in play. We do that and we'll have a competitive season," he said.