Softball opens season with sights set on a playoff return

Mario Saldaña, Digital Content Editor

The spring semester is already in full swing, which means Bakersfield College Renegades softball team has already played its season-opener on Jan. 31, and has coach Christie Hill and the team hoping for another chance at the postseason.

The Renegades made the playoffs last season with a season record of 14-7, finishing second in the Western State Blue Conference.

The playoff run only lasted one game in a loss to Long Beach City College in the first round of the

Southern Regional Play-In.

This season, Hill’s two main goals for the team are to qualify for the postseason, and go further in the playoffs.

“I would love to see us qualify for the postseason again and make it past the first round of postseason this year, since last year we made it to postseason, now I want to see us go two steps further, past the first round,” Hill said.

As far as players, many of them from last season are back and ready to play, but with every new season, there is always room for new athletes.

Hill expects returning players to help the new players so that they feel part of the team quickly.

“Our returners are awesome, they’re really great with the new girls coming in and kind of getting them set on how we run things around here,” she said. “I have six returners, and they are all super helpful. They welcome the new kids with open arms and, we haven’t had any problems yet.”

The Renegades play at Fresno City College Feb. 2, and play two games at Cypress (against Cypress and Antelope Valley) on Feb. 4. The Renegades first home game of the season is Feb. 9 against Taft.

Hill said the weather has caused some problems for practices. The practice field has been flooded recently due to the rain, but that hasn’t stopped the team, who find any spot they can to get ready.

“It has been quite a struggle with the weather,” she said. “Our field is completely underwater, so we’ve been on the dirt for a total of five days, so we’re just doing hitting stations, stuff like that at our cages, and doing our best in the grass and at the gym.”