BYU’s softball team winds down its fall preseason this weekend with a doubleheader in St. George against Dixie State.
The team has played a mix of eight scrimmages and games so far, but only at BYU, so coaches and players both look forward to new turf and a new outlook.
“In the fall, we always travel one time, and it’s a dual purpose: get better and have fun,” assistant coach Vaughn Alvey said.
[/media-credit]Alvey explained that team bonding away from Provo gives the newcomers an overnight opportunity to see what it’s like to travel with the team and what the policies are on the road, as well as a chance to get away from their everyday things.
“We spend the first eight weeks [of regular season] on the road,” Alvey said. “And this way, when we take off, they’re not overwhelmed when we go to Arizona State the first weekend.”
Senior pitcher Tori Almond views the only change as being on a different turf.
“It’s good for us to get away,” Almond said. “But we approach it the same way. It’s the same game, different place.”
Because Saturday marks the end of preseason for the softball team, things will take a different turn. Coaches will begin to work with players four at a time, so more individual attention is provided, Almond said.
Pitching continues to be the bright spot of preseason and, as a part of that, Almond offers inside opinions as to why that’s the case.
“[The pitchers] come out here and we work hard every day along with everyone else,” Almond said. “We’ve been pitching the whole summer and we do work really hard as a pitching staff, so I think good things are going to happen.”
Though their minds are always looking forward, Almond doesn’t believe any set-in-stone decisions have been made concerning the regular season.
“I don’t think starting positions are even close to being set,” Almond said. “I think we’re all working hard, and I think whoever steps up at the time, whoever is playing well at the time, will play. We all just have to keep working hard.”
Alvey’s weekend outlook is positive.
“We’re going down there and [will] win two ballgames; there’s no doubt about it. We don’t practice losing,” Alvey said.
Dixie State softball recently faced Southern Utah and emerged with two wins. The games against the Cougars will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
