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Softball: The team to beat: Marcus top-ranked squad in state
By Justin Thomas, jthomas@starlocalnews.com
Marcus' softball team entered its 2013 season as the No. 1 team in Texas according to the THSCA.
And while the Lady Marauders are happy to receive the accolades, they are more concerned with proving it on the field as they look to return to the postseason after coming up short last year.
"It's nice to be recognized," said Christy Tumilty, Marcus head coach, "but I try to remind the girls of our goals and that while it is a nice bonus, we still have to stay grounded. We were really disappointed we didn't make the playoffs last year and we want to get back. We think we have chance to make a great run, but we have to work everyday for it."
"Last year, we were really young," she said. "This season, we have a lot of players coming back. They understand the expectations and know what they have to do. We've been talking about it since May. Don't forget that feeling."
Thus far, Marcus has proven its lofty ranking as they have raced out to a 13-0 start, including an 8-0 win Tuesday against Allen.
"We're coming along and are playing pretty well," Tumilty said. "The girls are working hard and put in a lot of effort during the offseason and have really built up a great chemistry."
The Lady Marauders bring back 11-of-13 players from last year's team.
Pitchers include three-year starter Hannah Null, who is 8-0 thus far, Jordan Gunderson (4-0) and Madison Greenwell (1-0), who is currently dealing with a hurt ankle.
"They're doing a great job so far," Tumilty said. "They're keeping hitters off balance and are doing an even better job of buckling down when runners are in scoring position."
Tumilty added all three pitchers bring different intangibles to the circle.
"We have confidence in each of them," she said. "If one of them is struggling, somebody else can go in and do the job. They all pitch a little differently, but they all three have good off-speed pitches."
The other half of the battery features Kelly Johnson behind the plate.
"She's been doing a good job at catcher," Tumilty said. "She really handles the pitchers well."
Around the horn are Audrey Pratt at first, Molly Conklin at second, Dani Warne at shortstop and Bonna Molina at third. Conklin and Molina are new to the varsity squad, while Kelly McGuire will also chip in at second.
"It's kind of a new infield, but the girls seem to be working well together," Tumilty said.
The outfield consists of Greenwell in left, Ashley Hardin in center and Whitney Wolkow in right. Gunderson and Katelyn Cooper also fit into the outfield rotation, often depending on who is pitching.
"We have a lot of speed and we're trying to use it where we can," Tumilty said. "Our fielding is one of our strengths, but we're still getting used to each other, especially in the outfield. There is a lot of speed and we have to make sure we aren't crashing into each other."
Production hasn't been an issue at the plate as the Lady Marauders have scored more than six runs in 9-of-13 games.
"I think we're going to score more runs than we did last year," Tumilty said. "We lost a lot of close games and we're hoping our offense can help make the difference. We've been more consistent so far and we have a lot of versatility. We have players that can do different things depending on what the game calls for. We have speed, girls who can get on base and players who can drive in runs."
If Marcus can continue to take strides on the field and with chemistry, they figure to be a contender out of District 5-5A, which gets underway March 19 at Denton Ryan.
"It's going to be another strong district," Tumilty said. "Flower Mound and Lewisville are looking really strong. And Hebron lost a lot, but they've proven to be a good offensive team each season. I haven't seen Ryan in a couple of years, so that will be a bit of a feeling out process, and Coppell might not be quite as strong as they've been, but we know they're going to work hard and will be tough.
"We know if we can make the playoffs, we're going to be very prepared."
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