The Triad softball squad is pictured from left, front row, are Mallory Hayes, Ava Phillips, Hailey Blackburn, Kaley Nott, Lilly Greene, Jessica Bernardi and Kaydee Roberts; second row, Gracie Goehring, Madi Bruce, Riley Haser, Addyson Feasel and Gracie Martin; back row, assistant coach Megan King, assistant coach Kristen Cooney, Autumn Feasel, Morgan Alexander, Jazz Ford, Jessica Bernardi and head coach Chelsie Matthews.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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Triad’s softball program expects to improve this season after an off-season of fundamental work.
In her first year the Lady Cardinals’ head coach, Chelsie Matthews took her program back to the fundamental aspects of the game.
Cementing a normal routine along with expectations, the Lady Cardinals took advantage of the offseason to improve on the basics.
“Last year was year one so it was a lot of fundamental work,” Matthews said. “This year is really going back to the basics and let’s make that better.”
Triad’s softball team produced a 3-13 overall record last season.
“We had a better season than the year before, but that is not good enough for us and this program,” Matthews said. “Continuing to build in the off-season was big for us.”
Several members of the program took part in travel teams outside of school.
Matthews and her assistant coaches took time to observe some of those games.
“They really have put in the work,” said Matthews. “It’s just staying consistent and putting together seven innings (each game).”
The Lady Cardinals were busy in the off-season doing as much indoor work as they could to build on what the team was able to put together in 2023.
With seven seniors returning this spring, the leadership core of Triad will be a plus for the team.
Returning senior Lilly Greene was tapped as a leader this season and will serve as one of the team’s main pitchers.
Morgan Alexander, another senior, will provide a strong bat to the lineup, according to the second-year head coach.
“We have several freshmen who will hopefully come in and make a difference,” Matthews said.
The coach has a pretty good idea what the starters on defense will look like, based on last year’s performances.
When it comes to the regular season, the Cardinals look to use the regular season schedule as a “practice” period leading up to the postseason tournament.
“The regular season just seems like practice for us,” Matthews said. “Our main goal is to get somewhere in the tournament… we need to stop losing in the first sectional game.”
Getting past the sectional brackets, Matthews wants her crew to compete for a district crown.
Going back to the Ohio Heritage Conference schedule, Matthews understands the level of competitiveness other teams in the conference offer.
Due to a lack of experience, the head coach hopes to bounce back against opponents Triad has fallen short of in the past.
“There are games we regret and we were just inexperienced,” Matthews said. “But mindset matters in this game and we just didn’t have it last year. That is something we’ve been working on.”
She expects Mechanicsburg and West Jefferson to be the top teams in the OHC this season. However, any team can be a challenge in the conference.
“We have a very, very competitive side of the league,” Matthews said. “Any team, any day can go either way.”
Matthews understands what it takes to be a member of Triad’s glory days during her time as a player.
In those days, she referred back to the team’s mindset heading into games as a big part of the reason Triad found success.
“They have to want to win and they have to believe in themselves,” she said. “They have all the athleticism in the world to make it happen, but they have to believe that they can win.”