Morgan Friend
WINCHESTER, Ind. – The 2016 season is about possibilities for the Winchester girls softball team.
“We expect to compete in every game we play this year,” Winchester Head Coach Andrew Soultz said. “Our goals are to win the most games in program history, win the county tournament and compete for a conference championship.”
“We have a good group of returning players and also some very talented players who are new to our team,” he continued. “If we continue to compete everyday in practice and bring that competitiveness on game days, a lot of things are possible.”
The top returning players for the Golden Falcons from last year’s 5-20 squad that finished 2-5 in the Tri-Eastern Conference are Lindsey McCoy, Rebecca Neville, Josie Fetters, Morgan Friend and Mariah Musgrove.
“I expect these girls to provide our team with the experience and confidence that comes with being a returning starter,” Soultz said. “We should see several girls step up.”
Rebecca Neville
Friend was an All-TEC performer last season, while Neville made the honorable mention list. Friend led the squad with a .527 batting average as she had 39 hits and 13 doubles. Neville hit .333 and was second on the squad with six doubles. She also had four wins on the mound.
Hannah DeSpain, Rhamey Fetters, and Rikki Phenis are newcomers on the team.
“They are very talented,” Soultz said. “They have made some great plays in practice and have added some depth to our team.”
Winchester opens its season at Daleville on Tuesday, April 5. The Golden Falcons start play in the TEC at Union County on Tuesday, April 12.
“The conference will be very difficult to predict this year,” Soultz said. “I believe it will be a competitive conference season because every softball program in the TEC is improving and playing good softball.”
“There are a lot of talented players in the TEC, but we feel like we have enough talent to compete in every conference game,” he added. “It should be a fun season.”