CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas high school softball teams took the diamond on Friday, Jan. 13, and like recent years the Calallen Lady Cats are hungry for another deep playoff run.
The Calallen Lady Cats have three seniors and five juniors on the roster, and many of them played on the Class 4A state runner-up team in 2021. They all know what it takes.
"Working hard every single day, no reps off or anything like that and never take anything for granted," Megan Geyer, Calallen junior third baseman and shortstop, said.
Last year the Lady Cats lost in the fourth round of playoffs, but now it's time to reload the roster.
"I love how I get to reunite with the girls and that there is a lot of incoming freshman," Alaunah Almaraz, Calallen junior third and first baseman, said. "We get to teach them all about Calallen softball."
The Lady Cats have a variety of batters.
"We have a lot of power," Almaraz said. "We have some slappers too as well."
Calallen has two main pitchers in the rotation with a strong supporting cast on defense.
"We have a lot of speed every where," Geyer said. "We have good pitchers and a strong catchers."
Calallen's success has led to some positive changes, and this year 11-year head coach Teresa Lentz added a few inspirational messages around the field.
"You got to work hard to get here, and it's just kind of a bold statement for us," Almaraz said.
"We have indoor batting cages that we didn't use to have and we didn't use to have the words on the press box and stuff," Geyer said. "It's improved since then, so I guess our whole program has just improved a lot."
Softball scrimmages start on Saturday, Jan. 28 and the first day of games begins Monday, Feb. 13. Baseball practice is back in action this Friday.
