The 2007 Citrus College softball team has had an incredible season, setting the Citrus marks for most wins in a regular season, and moving head coach Jackie Boxley in to the top spot as Citrus College’s all-time winningest softball coach. As the playoffs progress, Citrus College freshman short-stop Melanie Hansen and freshman second baseman Denise Hernandez will be giving the Fighting Owls fans an inside track to what the team and players are doing and thinking prior to and after their games. The following is the inaugural player’s blog that will track the Citrus College softball team on their quest for their 1st State Championship! First up in the Lady Owls quest is a best 2 out 3 home series with Golden West. Game 1 takes place on Saturday May 5th at 2:00 PM at the Citrus College Softball Field in Glendora, CA.
Melanie Hansen
The whole team is super stoked for our games tomorrow! This weeks practice has been really grueling especially with the extra conditioning. We have been working really hard on our flaws and we think that they have been worked out. Us infielders, worked on the tricky grounders and the outfielders worked on long flies and bloopers. We all dread the four tours we run at the beginning of practice, but we all know that they will help us with the intense games.
We also have been concentrating on our hitting because we know that we have to get hits to win the game. The team is really pumped to play Golden West because we know that we should have beat them the first time we played them, and know that now it is time for redemption. We hope that there will be a huge crowd at the game tomorrow and Sunday. We are really excited for the thunder sticks to be on sale at the snack bar so that there will be tons of noise.
We have made history this year at Citrus and we all hope that we will make even more! We worked really hard this year, and we know that we can go all the way. The trainers and other staff have also helped us to remain healthy and strong so that we can play to our full potential. I’m so ready for this game tomorrow that I will be sleeping with my glove tonight to become mentally prepared. Hope to see everyone there!
Denise Hernandez
This week practice was a little difficult. Not that we did anything out of the ordinary, but I think it’s the fact that we were getting ready for playoffs. Today was probably my favorite practice. I think it is because we started off practice by getting thunder-sticks. Everyone is doing their part to get excited, I mean Rachel our outfielder even got the Nike red contacts that help her see the ball better. I just think we are ready for the first round. We are even more exited to get the chance to get payback on a team we lost to previously in the season. When we played Golden West we were up, but they came back in the bottom of the 7th to beat us. Nope, not this time. This time we are taking it to them, and I am sure everyone on the team is with me on this one. The best part about this is all the support we are getting from the staff at Citrus. They’re just as excited about this as we are.
I am especially excited because in high school I never got the chance to get to any playoff games, so this would be my first. I am super excited and ready to play. I felt a little scared at first because I didn’t want to mess up, but when it came down to the end of the week I felt better and more confident, so I am not so scared anymore. I think I am ready just to play my game and do everything I can to help the team out, whether it’s a sac bunt or diving for everything close to me.