The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

PRESCOTT – With just two week's practice under their belts, Lady Tigers head softball coach Angie Potts is optimistic about what she expects to be a highly competitive season. "The whole league is looking good this year. There is no particular standout. I think we'll all have the ability to beat each other, depending on the day," she said.

Potts has coached with the Prescott program for fourteen years and has been head coach for eight. She is assisted by Allan Wilson. Wilson was officially hired as assistant coach for the first time last year, but has helped with the program for the last seven years, Potts said.

Twenty-four girls turned out for the Tigers softball team this year; 17 from Waitsburg and seven from Prescott.

"Experience-wise, we're a young team. There are four seniors and four juniors on the team, but only two of the seniors have experience," Potts said. "We have a lot of sophomores, but some of them got playing time on varsity last year, as freshman, so they're not inexperienced, just young," she added.

So far, Potts has 14 girls on the varsity rosters. Senior Jaidyn Brown will pitch and Jade Alleman (jr.) will catch with Lexi Brannock (jr.) as backup catcher. Chloe Pearson (fr.), Timber Frohreich (jr.), and Ruby Romero (sr.) will share time at first. Deja Williams (fr.), Brannock, and Athziry Amezcua (sr.) will cover second base.

"Athziry hasn't turned out for softball before but she has a natural ability. She could have been really good (if she had)," Potts said.

Bailey Adams (sr.) and Anna Nerf (so.) will take turns at third base and Devon Harshman (fr.) and Williams will play shortstop. Tayler Jones (so.), Ariel Sandau (so.), Jocelyn Granadas (so.), and Frohreich will cover outfield.

With no room for a J.V. coach in the school's budget, Potts said they had to cancel the two J.V. double-headers. Instead she's trying to provide J.V. playing time by tagging games onto the existing varsity matches. The first J.V. game will follow the March 15 home varsity game against Pomeroy.

"From what I'm seeing so far, we have a strong defense. The girls are working hard and hustling. We also have good leadership and communication," Potts said. "We have a young team which is both a strength and weakness. It gives us room to grow, improve, and build," she added.

Several players took a break from last Friday's practice to talk with The Times about the upcoming season.

"Everyone is really into it this year. We're out there to win. We have a lot of underclassman, so we have a lot of room to improve," Sandau.

"I think, with 24 turning out, it makes us push each other to compete," Harshman added.

"I think we're going to do pretty great. There's good communication in the outfield and I think adding Bailey to third will really help," Jones said.

The season's kickoff jamboree, scheduled for Sat., March 12 was rained out. The Lady Tigers took to the field for their first game against Pomeroy in Prescott on Tues., March 16. They play Wa-Hi at 4 p.m. in Prescott on March 16, then travel to Touchet for an 11 a.m. game on Sat., March 16.