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In the last 10 years, Pleasant Hope softball has won a state championship, and has been to the final four three times on top of that. But this year, the Pirates season looks a lot different.
“It was a long year and a half I could say that,” said Katelyn Stewart, a senior on the Pirates softball team.
Pleasant Hope hasn’t had softball since 2017 after an inevitable change in schedules.
“We joined a new conference and they all played in the spring, so we were just like okay, you’re going to have to play in the spring with us,” said Pirates head coach Kevin McVey.
A change that hasn’t been easy to get used to.
“We had held off for as long as we could. We played in the fall for so long, and for me, fall is softball,” McVey said.
“I don’t think any of us were very happy about it because the competition is very different, playing weather is much different, the atmosphere, but I think we’re making the most out of it,” Stewart said.
A different season, with different competition.
“It’s a different ball game in the spring than it is in the fall. In the fall we always played big 4-A schools, now we’re playing schools the same size as us, a little smaller,” said Pirates senior Abby Henson.
And the change brought some positive outcomes too. Like, being able to play another fall sport.
“To take my mind off how bad I wanted to play I actually played volleyball for the first time in my senior year and just test it out,” Stewart said.
And the girls that played volleyball can now play softball too.
“This is the most girls we’ve had in a long time. We didn’t think we were going to have enough jerseys,” said Stewart.
Now that they’ve played in both the fall and the spring, they’re not sure which they prefer.
“Once we got into the season, we were just playing. It doesn’t matter if it was fall, spring whatever. We were just glad to be playing softball,” said McVey.
Now they’re looking forward to their first post season in a year and a half.
“I think we’re all excited to see how far we go, and where we go,” said Stewart.
“Right now the way we’re playing, we have a real good chance to make it to state, so that’s what we’re shooting for,” McVey said.
