After a three year hiatus from NWAC competition, the Highline softball team is back with a new head coach and a ten-woman squad.
To recap, the last time Highline softball hit the field was in April of 2021. The Lady T-Birds played just six games, going 4-2 in the COVID abbreviated season.
After a short spring season and a sudden head coach vacancy, the softball program remained on pause while other T-Bird sports slowly picked back up in late 2021 and 2022. It wasn’t until January of last year that Highline’s search for a head coach ended with the hiring of Kristine Foley.
That was one step closer towards getting the program up and running, but the recruiting process was tricky, explained Coach Foley.
“I was hired a little late in the season for recruiting purposes and COVID definitely had an impact on the number of athletes that were available. I also wasn’t going to lower the bar and bring on any athletes that weren’t team players. So it took a little longer than I expected but I’m extremely happy with all of our athletes,” said Foley.
Stephen Glover/THUNDERWORD
Freshman Haeley Diel fields the ball during last week’s practice.
Despite the odds, Coach Foley signed 10 new players to the program just in time for the 2023 season, five of them being dual-sport athletes at Highline. Oriana Muliaga, Daisylynn Laulu, Madison Maafala, and Bryanna Saelee are part of the volleyball program and Samantha Johnson is on the women’s basketball team.
“The team is new and we are building trust and chemistry with each other but that depends on each player on and off the field. I don’t think we can do our best without trusting each other,” said Coach Foley.
The NWAC preseason started this past weekend, with four games scheduled for Highline, but both Sunday games were canceled due to the rain.
Last Saturday against Mount Hood, Highline was out-scored and out-hit by the Bulldogs with a box score of 9-1. The Lady T-Birds made their sole run in the fifth inning of the game.
The following game, the Lady T-Birds were defeated by Columbia Basin 28-2 with Highline making one run in the first inning and one in the fifth while the Hawks found home plate often. The two T-Bird scorers were Jazlyn Furuya and Samantha Johnson.
“My feelings towards this past weekend’s game, although we lost, are still very positive. We’re not all softball players. But we were able to connect well with one another and be great teammates. The past preseason games were able to help us see what we need to work on individually and as a team,” said dual sport athlete Maddy Maafala.
On Wednesday, Highline traveled to play a conference doubleheader against 4-6-1 Edmonds. The first game was at 4 p.m., and the second at 6 p.m. with results unavailable at press time.
This Sunday, the Lady T-Birds will hit the road again to face 1-4 Olympic in a double header at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.