First pitch upcoming for Trotters

Despite difficulties last year, Trotter head coach Larry Rivinius is hoping to gain some ground this softball season.

After winning just three games during the regular season, the eighth-place Trotters were still just one win away from making it to divisionals. That win would never come, however, as Plains fell in the play-in game, which kept them out of the post-season tournament.

“We kind of struggled last year,” Rivinius said. “I had a tremendous bunch of kids even though we were inexperienced. They really worked hard and they played hard. That’s all I ask from them and that’s what I expect this year.”

According to Rivinius a combination of inexperience and youth, kept the Trotters from having much success against their more seasoned opponents. Although, they have yet to play a game, things are already looking up for Plains-Hot Srings.

The Trotters have nearly twice the turnout they had a year ago, as their roster is currently at 17 players with the potential for more, compared to 10 from last season. Rivinius is hopeful that two girls with eligibility concerns and one still recovering form an appendectomy will swell his ranks to an even 20 by seasons end.

Higher numbers will help the Trotters compete this year and develop their talent for the future. Rivinius is looking forward to fielding both a varsity and junior varsity team, a luxury he didn’t have last season.

“We had youngsters we had to play last year [on varsity] because we simply had nobody else,” he said. “Hopefully this year we can teach them in a junior varsity setting, which I would think would be much less pressure for them.”

As painful as their growing pains were, the Trotters will cash in on last years costly inexperience by learning from a slew of varsity innings.

Specifically, Rivinius felt his two returning pitchers, who benefited from throwing in the offseason will be primed to put up some good numbers this season.

Sophomore Aspen Rude, and Junior Karlina Hurt will supply a powerful one two punch in the pitching rotation.

Joining those returning players, will be a number of newcomers and a crop of talented freshman who will push the upper classmen each day at practice. Rivinius has six first year softball players, and although this will most likely be a learning experience for them, they should contribute on junior varsity and may be called upon to play to varsity.

The good news for the Trotters, is that they did not graduate a single senior last year, and will be returning their entire roster from last year.

A tight early season schedule will be the first obstacle in Plains way, as they have only ten practices before their season opener, March 26 at Mission. Rivinius will miss three starters in the contest, who, because of other obligations, have missed a practice or two.

“We’re stressing the real basic stuff to start with because I have a relatively young team again,” Rivinius said. “We’re pretty optimistic, I think we have some real opportunity for us to improve on last year.”