The player places her cleats into the dirt of the batter’s box, digging into the ground as she prepares for the pitcher to throw the ball. Sweat runs down her forehead while the crowd turns into background noise. Everything disappears as her eyes stay on the ball.
Lots of hard work goes into playing softball, making every accomplishment feel just as important as the last. Hours of practice and preparation lead up to each game.
“The process I go through [to get ready to play] is, clear my head, [and] I think about the job at hand,” sophomore Laikyn Stevens said. “Then, I produce in any way I can, whether it’s a fly-out run batted in or a home run.”
Stevens has hit two home runs so far this season. This marks an accomplishment in her softball career.
“It felt amazing to hit two home runs,” Stevens said. “The energy and the excitement that comes with hitting home runs [is] wonderful.”
Balancing softball along with school work can grow challenging. Senior Sydney Woods hit five home runs and two grand slams so far this 2025-2026 season, fuelled by late nights and lots of training.
“I want to keep my batting average in the .500s and a higher on-base percentage, but my main goal for this season is to have fun,” Woods said. “To prepare, I’ll continue to work outside of school practices and make sure I’m healthy so I can perform at my highest level.”
Junior Palin Nichols hit six home runs and won an award for honorable mention hitter of the week from the state of Texas. She was also awarded St. Michael’s Player of the Week from Christus Health after facing a back injury during the beginning of the school year.
“Hitting my home runs came as no surprise to me because I worked really hard in the offseason coming back from my back injury,” Nichols said. “I honestly was not expecting to get any awards for my accomplishments, but I am so grateful that I earned the opportunity.”
Senior Preslie Clopp hit three home runs in a single game this season, shocking her original opinion about her abilities, but helping her grow her confidence in playing.
“Before the game, I warmed up and listened to music and talked to my teammates,” Clopp said. “Hitting three home runs in one game felt really good. I didn’t really think it could happen.”
This achievement encourages her to further push herself to become better for herself and her team.
“I have a lot of goals for this season, a couple of them being a high batting average and doubling my RBIs from last year,” Clopp said. “I will prepare myself by putting in hard work on and off the field.”
