Trotters softball roster full of promising players
Junior infielder Taylor Saner, catching and throwing during infield practice this past week in Plains. (Tracy Scott Valley Press)
There are some folks who have coaching in their blood, who thrive on the competition and the challenge of molding a team into a winner.
So, it was no major surprise when it was announced last season that long-time baseball coach Jon Zigler was taking the helm of the Plains High fastpitch softball team toward the end of the season and is now the full-time coach of the Trotters.
Zigler took over toward the end of the 2024 season with the Trotters suffering through what became an 0-13 overall record.
Zigler, who most recently led the Plains American Legion team a year ago, will lead a young, but promising group of softball players as the 2025 season gets underway.
The Trotters roster for this year includes one senior, five juniors, two freshmen and seven eighth graders.
“My coaching goals for the season are the same as my coaching goals for every team that I’ve ever coached in the past,” Zigler said. “Go and compete for a State championship. Ambitious? Yes. We also realize that it takes achieving many smaller goals to accomplish the ultimate goal”.
And, he added, “I expect this team to compete to the best of their ability while developing and refining their game”.
Among those smaller goals are improving the offense overall and shoring up the outfield defense which was at times shaky last season.
And, Zigler added, improving all around will be an important point of focus.
“We are working hard on improving our offense and outfield defense,” he said. “I’m thinking that our infield defense and catching should be fairly solid.”.
Zigler acknowledged attaining the lofty goals will take hard work given the strength of the 11-team Western BC conference.
“We run the gauntlet to start the season with our first five opponents being perennial State contenders. Three Forks, Ennis, Florence, MAC (Mission) and Thompson Falls are in that group. We will see what we’re made of pretty early this season”.
The Trotters first game against Three Forks is scheduled for this Friday (Mar 28) in Plains. They travel to Ennis the next day to take on the Lady Mustangs.