56 MARCH 2018 Arc A d A News By Rachael Bouley The Arcadia High School softball team is ready for its season to get underway. The Titans are looking to build upon their success from last year while strengthening their defense and maintaining a strong, game-winning mentality all season. With a strong senior class and many returners on the roster, there’s a lot of talent in the lineup, including five soon-to-be graduates signed to continue their careers at colleges across the country. “Haley Denning and Kelly Flynn really set the table hitting wise,” said head coach Jason Foster. “Both hit over .500 last year and have great speed and great defense wherever they play.” Flynn is a true utility player for the Titans, covering the outfield, middle infield and even the pitcher’s mound when needed. She says she’s more than happy to play wherever the team needs her. Denning, who plays shortstop, is feeling confident ahead of the season, knowing how hard the girls have worked to improve on both offense and defense. “We are pretty well-rounded, we all like each other and want to win for each other,” she said. “We all know what we want to accomplish on the season, winning tournaments and going deep in the playoffs.” Another player to watch is standout catcher Mae Forshey, who may see some time at third base this year. “I’ve been playing third base in club,” Forshey said. “It’s something new which I’m always willing to try. Hopefully I can rise to the occasion.” Foster is hopeful they will score plenty of runs and get good pitching and quality innings from junior Ellie Richardson and senior Abby Holloran. Seniors Regan Kerr and Morgan Ash contribute with a combination of speed and power, which the team will need if it hopes to win its region. Arcadia and Chaparral each only had one region loss last year, but the Firebirds ended up as region champs based on power points. “They are our big competition,” Foster said. “Making the state tournament is also one of our big goals and we hope to get into the final eight.” The team aims to cut down on mental mistakes in the field. “Defensively we need to be a little more sound. We made a few key errors last year that cost us some ball games,” Foster added. “We need to play outstanding defense and then make sure we hit the ball the way we are capable of.” To prepare for the season, the team has been working on fundamentals during its two-hour practices and making sure it’s prepared for anything that comes its way. “I try not to overcoach and give the girls too much to think about,” Foster said. “They know how to play the game, so it’s just making sure they are in a good place and trust their ability.” A secret weapon for the Titans is the fact that these girls have been playing with each other more often than you might think. “A lot of us have played club together and been playing together for a long time,” Forshey added. “We all need to come together as a team and work harder every day, and as long as we keep pushing each other we will have a really good shot at playoffs.” “We are so close and I think we will really be able to put together the puzzle pieces,” Kelly said. “We click, especially with our offense, and that’s going to be really fun to watch. If we do everything right and give our best effort, then there’s no doubt in my mind we are set up for success.” By Max Bechtoldt The Arcadia Titans baseball team returns to the field with a new look and a new attitude after a season that saw the squad finish 22-11 and come within one win of advancing to the State Championship game. Coach Troy Gerlach will return for his sixth season with the Titans. Though he was disappointed with how last season ended, he was incredibly proud of his team and how much the program developed, setting the stage for this young squad. “To be able to get to one game from the state championship means a lot and looking back on it, we were right there,” Gerlach said. “To realize you were so close and all the work that group of kids put in over those four years, it hurt to end the year like that, but I think we put ourselves in a great place moving forward.” The team will have to replace some great players from last year. Star pitcher Matt Schroer, who led the team in home runs and batting average last year, graduated and has moved on to play at Louisiana State University. Another tough replacement will be Nick Dicarlo, who provided a dangerous bat and was sure-handed with the glove at shortstop. The Titans will also have to find new arms to replace 95 percent of the innings pitched from the 2017 team. Regardless of the losses, Gerlach remains very optimistic about his 2018 team thanks to a senior class filled with leadership and a taste for victory. Gerlach is especially excited about outfielder Bobby Peirce, who batted .362 last season and was third on the team in homeruns with three. Gerlach knows this season will be a learning experience for a lot of players, but he is confident that with the help of the seniors, the transition will be quick. “We’ve got to see if we can get those guys to mesh with the younger guys and help them, which is what is fun about this group,” Gerlach said. “We got to teach them everything.” Peirce is ready for the challenge of being a leader. “All the seniors, we’ve got to be leaders because there’s only six of us and we’ve got a lot more guys on the team” Peirce said. “All of us have to step up and play our role.” Also returning to the team is senior outfielder Clay Wasson, who is coming off a monster year at the plate batting .389, which is the best for a returning player. Wasson is also an extremely talented fielder, boasting the best fielding percentage of all players who played in at least 20 games last season. “Playing on varsity as a freshman is a surreal experience, you’re playing with guys that are 18 years old and getting ready to go off to college,” said Wasson. “It’s nice to be the older guy now and be a leader for those younger guys.” Strong defense, teamwork set the scene for AHS softball season Titans’ baseball team looks to build on last season’s success The Titans are looking to improve on their 22 wins from last season. After a 2017 season in which the Arcadia baseball team came within one win of the State Championship game, this year’s team is stocked with talent and leadership to make a repeat run deep into the post season. PHOTO BY MICHELLE SASONOV PHOTO BY MICHELLE SASONOV

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