This is the next part of our series of fall sports previews. To see the other sports previews, click girls golf, volleyball, football or boys tennis. 

When a team has only three seniors and multiple freshmen and sophomores, it’d be tough to not have a rebuilding year. The Westside softball team has exactly this situation. The team only has two seniors; Brittany Loney and Lauren Sandoval; to lead them this season.

“This season, we have an extreme amount of underclassmen starting,” Loney said. “Most of the starters are sophomores with some juniors too. We only have two starting pitchers as well, and both are sophomores, so they are going through some learning experiences. It’s mostly a learning season. We’re trying to win, don’t get me wrong, but it’s mostly a learning season.”

Although the team is young, it doesn’t mean it will not push to get into the state tournament.

“We have one goal: state,” Loney said. “That’s the only goal we ever set for ourselves. Not to win state, but the goal is to get to state.”

If the team wants to get to state, it will need to rely on its leaders, and none are bigger than Loney. Loney has committed to play collegiate softball at Hastings College, and the team will need all of her talent to reach its goal.

“A successful season would be feeling accomplished with the team we have,” Loney said. “We’re not going to be the most outstanding team out there, but we want to accomplish what we set out to do at the beginning of the season.”

For softball coverage throughout the year, check Westside Wired’s sports section.