There are plenty of new faces on this year's Mariner softball team, but the goal is the same for Head Coach Bill Bell improve each game out.
Photographer: Ben Stuart, Homer News
Homer Softball Coach Bill Bell pitches to catcher Sydney Fell Tuesday during practice at Homer Middle School. The team travels to Sitka this weekend to play five games against Southeast opponents.
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And if that works throughout the season, the last game you play will be the state title game.
Last season, the Mariners lost that game 16-10 to Ketchikan. And the year before, Homer blew past everyone, outscoring its opponents 46-3 to win everything.
This year's squad has some pretty big shoes to fill, including those left by the graduation of Northern Lights All Conference teammates Nyssa Baechler and Lauren Bell.
Still, coach Bell said he has some good talent on the field.
"There's a lot of new kids," he said. "But I think we have a good chance of being a fairly cohesive team."
The Mariners face Ketchikan in their first game of the season today in Sitka and also will play Sitka and Juneau in the five-games-in-three-days trip to Southeast Alaska.
On the mound for the new-look Mariners will be Piper Daugharty and Tasha Petska who have both looked good pitching in practice, Bell said.
Daugharty, Jessie Erickson and Sophie Smith among others also have shown some pop with the bat he said.
"They are getting some good aluminum on the ball," he said.
The schedule this year has thrown most small-school teams a bit of a curve-ball, as Seward dropped its program, leaving just three teams - Homer, Kodiak and Soldotna - to vie for two open spots at state.
Kodiak is going to be tough this year, Bell said, and SoHi is a bit unpredictable, but he's looking forward to this year and several to come.
The Mariners have just three seniors on the team Whitney Owen, Smith and Courtney Stage but is full of talented juniors, sophomores and freshmen.
"It's looking good," Bell said. "Nothing but strong for the next four years."
The Mariners only have three home games on the schedule this season. The first is against Soldotna on May 13. Homer also will host West Anchorage for a double-header on May 31, the last two games before the State Tournament which is scheduled for June 6-7 in Anchorage.
For a complete schedule, visit www.marinersoftball.net.
Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homernews.com.
