Coming off a one-win season a year ago, the only way to go is up for the Warrenton softball team.
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Coming off a one-win season a year ago, the only way to go is up for the Warrenton softball team.
Without overstating the obvious, though, senior Audrey Skillman said the program has only one direction to go: up.
That trajectory has already begun, as the number of girls in the program has steadily grown heading into this season.
“I remember the last couple of years, I’d walk in, and there were very few girls there,” Skillman said. “We’d have summer workouts with three, four girls. This year, there were 17 or 18. It was great to see everybody there, working.”
That work should be a season-long process, Coach Chad Berrey said, beginning with the team’s season-opening participation in the Union Tournament on August 28-29.
While many players are returning, the more the program works together, the more cohesion there will be, and the coach said he hopes that cohesion will lead to on-field success.
“We’re blessed that we have 25 kids in the program and one manager; she’s very important for us, as well,” Berrey said. “We had a rough season last year but, with the numbers of girls we have returning, we’re really looking to flip the script. The girls are going to work hard with the idea of playing our best ball by district time in October.”
Junior Brylen Shoults (.272 average, one home run, 11 RBI), senior Paige Campbell and Skillman were the trio Berrey mentioned as being a part of a core group of importance to lead the team in terms of statistics this season.
As for who will step up and lead the team, the coach said he’s going to see who emerges.
On team goals, Berrey said the Warriors should shoot for the moon. Even though the team’s last GAC North championship was a share of the title in 2022, that’s a good goal to have during the program’s resurgence.
“That’s the first goal, every single year we come in, to win conference,” Berrey said. “I know that’s going to be tough. St. Charles and St. Charles West have a combined team and Winfield’s always tough. Orchard Farm is always great, too. We want to go out and keep improving.”
With a conference championship being a yearly goal, Berrey said that, without putting any pressure on the team, there is another level of success he’d like to see.
“I think a .500 season would be ideal,” Berrey said. “It’s going to be a step-by-step process (to improve), and I think those (.500 mark and the goal of a conference title) are good things for this team to shoot for.”
The great thing for Shoults and her teammates, as she sees it, is the freedom to have fun, play as a team and see just what the Warriors can accomplish.
“I mean, the only way to go is up, right?” Shoults said. “We have a great group of girls here, and we’re working really hard and working really well together. I think we’re going to have fun this season and just see what we can accomplish together.”
