As Townsend Harris welcomes the spring season, several spring sports teams began their practices for upcoming games. The Girls Varsity Softball team held tryouts on March 4 and have now officialized the team for this season. After finishing last season with an 8-8 record and losing their second playoff game to Hunter College High School, the team remains hopeful of advancing further in the playoffs this year.
Senior and captain Gabby Renzi has been playing softball for about ten years, and will take on the role of leading the team this year. “My goal as captain this year is to make sure all the girls have the most enjoyable season possible, and that they can remember me as someone who brought up the team energy once I leave for college,” she said.
Gabby believes that the team’s success will stem from their mindset and support for each other. “Everyone is so friendly and kind to each other that we’ve already established a sense of community and strong team chemistry that will translate into our playing once the season starts,” she said.
Other teammates praised the team’s chemistry thus far.
Junior Vivian Oskenhendler said, “We lost some strong players last year, but we gained a lot this year and the vibe of the team, socially, is also really nice. We all seem to get along really well so far.”
Junior Ava Pusing said, “I can already see the team being amazing this year, many of the new and returning girls are awesome players and the team dynamic is great.”
One of the new additions to the team this season includes freshman Jordan Tsao, who has had previous experience playing softball and looks forward to “having fun and creating memories with [her] teammates.”
The Girls Varsity Softball coach Daniel Largana expects the team to develop their skills in communication, fielding, and softball awareness to ensure a successful season this year. “This year I am focusing on having the team go back to the basics and really focus and build on the skills that they already have. In doing this I hope that they will be able to adjust their skills that they have already and make them stronger,” he said.
The team also expects a change in opponents this year due to PSAL moving the team from Division A to Division AA league—a more advanced league. Junior Jenny Ren responded to this change positively: “I am most excited to see new skill levels and compete against schools who we had never competed against. This will definitely be a fun challenge,” she said.
With new competition on the horizon, the team must make improvements to ensure a successful season. “We love to have fun and sing along to our practice playlist but with games starting soon, it’s time for us to lock in to reach our full potential this season,” Gabby said. Other players have more individual goals, such as Jordan, who added, “I hope to improve my footwork while fielding and my pitching.”
