Mount Si girls ready for action
Published 9:32 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
SNOQUALMIE – Spring is in the air. The cherry blossoms are blooming, the sun is shining a little more often, and it’s time for the Mount Si Wildcats to play some softball.
Coach Dirk Hansen is optimistic about this season for many reasons. He has seven returning letterwomen, sophomore pitcher Alison Moorehead, who pitched all of last season’s game and shows even more promise this season, and a team of girls who will “eat dirt” before giving up a base or a run.
Hansen likes to think of his team as being similar to the Seattle Mariners.
“No power in the bats and we can’t put it over the fence, but we do have girls that are gamers. They eat dirt. They get down and dirty and they give me 110 percent,” Hansen said.
Hansen said he used Moorehead as his primary pitcher last year, and will this year as well.
“Her goal is second team all-conference,” Hansen said. “We’re just looking to get a little more control and a little more consistency out of her.”
Ashley Beck will help with the pitching this year as well. Hansen said Beck has good ball control and throws strikes.
Seniors returning to the team this year include Heather Lewis, last year’s honorable mention at centerfield, Dana Luizzo, rightfielder and team captain, and Becky Hart at second base.
The girls’ softball team has to be ready early in the season for some tough competition, said Hansen. Their game schedule has them playing Sammamish, Skyline and Liberty early in the season, some of the best teams in the league.
“Sammamish is ranked to finish No. 1 in KingCo this year,” Hansen said. “We’re a young team, if we finish fourth or better, we should be sitting pretty good. We can certainly beat those teams.”
Mount Si made it to district last year but lost a state berth by losing to Holy Names and Ballard, both of which went on to state.
“Holy Names had the best pitcher in the state last year.” Hansen said. “But we are a very good team, and we think we have the talent and the players to finish fourth in league.”
Hansen is hopeful about the next few years of Wildcat varsity fastpitch as well.
“The freshman class looks real good,” Hansen said.
Hansen said freshman Karin Brevick has good fielding and throwing skills and will help play first base for his varsity team.
