The softball team will compete in its first district game against Marcus at Marcus High School on March 5 at 7:15 p.m.

“Marcus is one of our biggest rivals,” team manager Haley Butker said. “We’re trying to start the season off on a good note and beat Marcus because it will really set a tone for the season [ahead].”

To prepare for the upcoming game, the Lady Hawks main focus has been on refining defense and having a plan.

“We have a lot of newcomers that are in different spots,” head coach Chelsea Herndon said. “Making sure that they’re feeling comfortable and then also having a plan at the plate [is important].”

Improving team chemistry has also been a focal point for the season. Third basemen Allie Lovett said they have been playing little games at practice to get more comfortable with one another and increase trust.

“[We hope to have] better energy and always be cheering on all of our teammates,” Lovett said. “[We don’t want] to be zoning off and not celebrating our teammates’ victories.”

This past weekend concluded the teams’ non-district season. Coming out with eight wins, four losses and two ties, Herndon said it was something to learn from. 

“Softball is a game of failure,” Herndon said. “Learning how to handle that is a big part of our year. We’ve had a couple of good games, and we’ve had a couple of bad games. But, what we take from that is learning from what we’ve made mistakes on and getting better from that.”

The team placed fifth in the district last year and first in the year prior. Last season, the Lady Hawks won their first district game against Marcus, 8-1.

“We’re still trying to find the balance of how to play well together, but we’re getting there and learning about each other,” Butker said. “We’re definitely going to start putting our trust into each other more and not second guess each other.”