NSU Softball will start up its new season on Feb. 1 as the team takes on Webber International at home. After just missing out on the regional tournament last season, the team will be playing with extra motivation this season as they look to qualify for regionals.
Head Coach Lesa Bonee’ anxiously waits for the season to begin, so she can partake in what she loves to do: coaching. She believes that February will provide the team with a measurement on where they are and what they’ll need to do to achieve their goals.
“We’re excited. February is going to be a big test for us. I mean, we play 25 games in the month of February. I think that will be good, because the student-athletes right out of the gate are going to see what they have to do to get to postseason,” said Bonee’.
Junior utility player, Laura Saladrigas, posted the highest batting average in the conference last season and was an Honorable Mention All-American. She is excited for the opening game.
“It’s like Christmas,” she said.
Saladrigas is hungry to qualify for the regional tournament.
“It definitely puts a fire under our butts. We want it even more this year, because we just missed it last year by a hair. My freshman year we went, and it was a great experience. Not being able to go last year and not being able to play more games with the seniors we lost last year was heartbreaking,” she said.
With the graduations of Lexi Sarradet and Devin Higginbotham, senior pitcher, Sara DeMuth, is going to be the workhorse of the rotation. DeMuth said she is up to the task and curious to see how she’s improved. She wants the team to continue to grow and give it its all on every play.
“I want us to be able to come together as a team and improve on the stuff we fell short with last year,” said DeMuth. “Just play solid ball, not make errors, not have the mental mistakes. Just put up a fight every game. As long as we fight till the end, that’s all you can ask for.”
NSU fans will have several opportunities to see this new-look team. DeMuth and the rest of the team would greatly appreciate the support.
“It would be awesome [to have the support],” she said. “We play under pressure, so the more people here cheering us on, wanting to see us perform, the better we’re going to do.”
