Northwestern State University of Louisiana Lady Demons softball team is 9-10 in the first month under coach Lacy Prejean, and with a rocky start in the beginning of the season coach Prejean is still standing optimistic.
So far in the season all but two losses have been one score and the Lady Demons heading into the ninth is in every game. Coach Prejean talks about the games and praises her team, but also acknowledges the seriousness in closing out some of these games.
“I saw a lot of good things and I also saw a lot of things that we need to clean up and some of our losses were one hit runners,” Prejean said.
With these close losses Coach Prejean still praises the pitching team and batters.
“You know that is all you can ask from your pitching staff is to give us an opportunity to win and the last inning and I challenge the hitters to be able to put us in a position to win and that’s what they did,” Prejean said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t close out those games and that comes with experience and something we will be able to correct.”
Maggie Darr, pitcher and senior health and exercise science major, recalls the preparation the team did last fall and the leadership that arose from the off-season.
“Over the fall we have been so well-prepared Coach Prejean talks about making practice just as hard as the games and I do think we are working some kinks out just like everyone else in the season, but I believe we will win a lot of games,” Darr said.
Coach Prejean mentioned the goals of the season, what they are looking for from there and what she hopes to gain from these losses and from the wins game-by-game.
“When I brought my staff, I met with the seniors. One goal of ours was to make the seniors’ last run with us the best run and the most fun as much as possible,” Prejean said. “And two was to change the culture of our work ethic and dealing with adversities and how to handle failure.”
Kat Marshall, first baseman and senior health and human performances major, addressed the buy in to the team. For some players, being fully engaged as a player, or buying in, takes longer than others, but Marshall explained that it comes as the season advances.
“It varies from person to person, I think it’s obvious for some and some not to say they’re not bought in but some have a hard time grasping it,” Marshall said. “When it comes to leadership it’s very important having a senior/freshman team it is up to the seniors to buy in and show the younger players how to buy in to a new team.”
Coach Prejean mentioned that despite the close losses, she praised the team for how close all these games were. She also said the team is close to piecing the plays together to improve the rest of the season.
“You know, in some of our games the ball just bounced off why we easily could have won all those games and to see how close we are to being great,” Prejean said.
Despite the close losses Marshall brings up the energy and how the team must stay locked in.
“I am a big energy person so for me even in these close losses I still like to keep a positive energy going to the team and I know some of our players are like that and the senior leaders also play a part in that with working with the team and bringing the energy every game and practice,” Marshall said.
