By James Fay
Hood women’s softball looks to start this season with a grand slam.
The Blazers came in at number seven in the MAC coach’s preseason poll. After a 16-24 season in 2023, Coach Terry Burdette and the Blazers are looking to turn it around this season and climb to the top of the MAC.
“I’m very excited and can’t wait to get started and get outside more,” Burdette said. “We need to prioritize practice every day, improve every day, taking care of the little things, and improve our defense.”
The Blazers have many veteran players coming back this season, such as senior pitcher Jordan Long and junior pitcher Rebecca Gottleib, as well as junior first baseman Jocelyn Pfleiger.
They have also brought in some new faces, such as freshmen Hannah Cohen, Sara Munson and Robin Charlton who look to make a huge impact on the defensive side of the ball.
The Blazers are focused on key elements that will keep them motivated. “I think that we have great team chemistry and that we can pick each other up when we are down,” Long said.
“Just to get in that rhythm to keep going,” Gottleib added.
It’s not going to be easy for the Blazers, Burdette said. “It’s a tough league, very competitive, lot of great coaches, there’s no single dominant team in the MAC Commonwealth in softball,” Burdette said. “Every game is a dog fight; every game is important.”
The Blazers struggled early on last year with injuries. This year, they look to change that. “I think we have great potential,” Burdette said. “That’s a big priority is getting ready for the season and staying healthy.”
The Blazers open their season on Feb. 29 as they travel to Catholic University to take on the Cardinals at 1 p.m.
Be the first to comment