Trotters to face defending state champs
PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS pitcher Jessica Thompson delivers a pitch during a divisional contest at last year at Libby High School. (photo courtesy of John Blodgett/Western News)
The Plains-Hot Springs softball team will experience two early tests as their team prepares to start the 2018 season playing Thompson Falls and the MHSA Class B-C defending state champions Florence in the first week of the season.
The Trotters, who were so close last season to an MHSA Class B-C state berth, will get another chance to try again and according to Plains Hot-Springs assistant coach David Thompson, they want to start 2018 with an aggressive approach.
“We want to get out there and be aggressive,” Thompson said. “We want to be swinging our bats and we don’t want to back off of anything. We want to make routine plays and have everyone doing their jobs. We just want them to get into the mode that they want their jobs and in every play.”
After falling one run short of qualifying for the MSHA Class B-C state softball tournament with a 12-11 loss to Loyola in Divisionals, the Trotters have entered this season intent on qualifying for that State bid.
“I really think (our team) is motivated, excited and ready to go after a State berth again,” Thompson said. “Right now, it doesn’t feel like last season was that long ago and our girls are ready to go out there and are motivated to keep improving.”
Plains-Hot Springs will travel to play the defending MHSA Class B-C Florence teamThursday at 4 p.m. and will face some of the top-caliber pitchers in MHSA facing all-state pitcher Brianna Hoffman.
Thompson said he felt facing Hoffman will be a good experience for his Trotters early on.
“It’s going to be good because it’s early and no one is going to be where they are going to be at the end of the year,” Thompson said. “Florence will have good pitching and it will wake us up to what we need to be ready for. We have to put the bat on the ball. It will be competitive every night and that’s what it will be like when you are in Class B-C. We are going to play a lot of tough schools and it’ll be a different competition every night. It will just be fun.”
Thompson expects every night to be a challenge.
“The competition will be pretty good and the last three out of the four top teams came from our division which shows our division was competitive last year,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the goal for his team this year is to keep the game within striking distance to allow an opportunity to secure a victory.
“We don’t want to give up unearned runs and we want to be as stingy as we can be on defense,” Thompson said. “We can keep the games close if we are solid on defense and aggressive on offense. We are excited to get things started and get things going. We’ll just have to see what happens at the start of the season.”