By Chris Parker
Lockwood softball is looking to climb over .500 for the first time since 2014.
“We have 12 girls out this season with eight returning starters,” Lockwood head coach Bobbi Abbiatti said. “Every player will have an important role on this team. Each year this group improves on their wins. We plan to be over .500 this year. Our schedule is a very challenging schedule since we are the smallest school in our conference, which provides us with some very challenging games. Therefore, our record doesn’t always show our talent due to the larger, more competitive schools that we play.”
Three players who earned postseason honors in Brecklyn Brummett (senior), Shae Gray (junior) and Gatlyn Clawson (junior) return for the Tigers.
Brummett will be the starting centerfielder. She will be joined in the outfield by Payton Wilson (junior), Bre Dotson (senior) and Lexi Farmer (sophomore).
Clawson and Adrien Neill (junior) will be the team’s pitchers. Clawson will play third base when not pitching. Neill will be at first base when not pitching.
Kelsey Daniel (junior) will play a corner infield spot. Grace Wilson saw time at both middle infield positions last year. She will play shortstop more consistently this season. Mekenzie Weimer (sophomore) will play second base and see some time pitching.
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Kalsee Garoutte (senior) and foreign exchange student Papichaya (Plearn) Bunyakida will be newcomers to the team.
“This group of girls have improved in so many ways. They are no longer the underclassmen but are the upperclassmen with two years of varsity experience,” Abbiatti said. “Our team is developing many areas of strengths. We have vastly improved in our ability to read situations both defensively and in our base running. As a team, we need to become more disciplined at the plate and make sure that we are consistently getting the ball in play to allow our base runners more opportunities.”
Lockwood opens the season at the Purdy Tournament Mar. 17-18.
“We would like to be seen and remembered as a team that doesn’t quit and plays until the end of each game,” Abbiatti said. “We want to be the team that you can’t count out even when we are behind. We always have high expectations in practice and in games. Consistency and drive in practice are what will win us ball games.”
