From the field to the track to the tennis courts, the 2017 spring sports season is underway at Southmoreland High School.
Softball coach Todd Bunner, thinks that the team will be very successful this season.

“There is great leadership, good pitching, defense, and hitting,” said Bunner.

The team has a “good mix” of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors as well.

Coach Bunner believes there is still room to improve, but the main goal of the team is to be competitive in every game and setting the bar even higher during section games.

“We want to do well in our section,” said coach Bunner. “And if we do we want to go and play in the state tournament.”

Senior Katie Troisi-Clark is also very thrilled with how the scri
mmages went and has a very positive outlook on how the season will go.

“We all hit extremely well and everyone contributed to both wins,” said Troisi-Clark, “I think this season will be one of the best ones we’ve had in my four years.”

Troisi-Clark adds that there isn’t one weak link on the team and that even though everyone has individual goals they all share a few similar ones.

“All of us would like to win our section, make it to playoffs, and compete to go to states,” said Clark.

Daniel Boring, in his first year as varsity baseball head coach, is very positive about this year’s baseball season and is very pleased with how many players have joined the team this year and how many are returning.

“I believe they have a ton of potential to exceed what people are projecting,” said coach Boring. “I don’t see any reasons we don’t find ourselves in a battle for the 4th playoff spot in the section.”

Coach Boring believes that the defense makes the team one of the more “athletic teams” in the section. Coach Boring said Jaden Datz adds “a whole new dynamic to the middle infield at shortstop.” The coach said Pacey Cramer “adds length and speed at second,” and he said the freshmen will work their way in contributing with meaningful time. Even though they have work to do offensively, coach is confident that if they get on base, they will steal and score runs with the amount of speed on the team.

Even though the boys lost their first scrimmage 4-2, coach Boring said it was a good start since they played Greensburg Central Catholic, a team that went to state playoffs last year.

“My main goal this season is for the players to enjoy the game,” said coach Boring, “I think they lost a bit of that in the past few years. I just want to see us be competitive, game in and game out.”

Max Zimmerman also believes that they baseball team has a chance for a playoff spot with the many players that the team has acquired.

“We have a lot of new guys who have picked up the sport for the first time in a while and they’re doing great,” said Zimmerman.

Zimmerman is “extremely excited” for this season mentioning that “Kevin Richards has committed to Gannon, we have a lot of guys, and we have a coaching staff that cares and works hard for us,” said Zimmerman.

The team’s main goals include beating Mt. Pleasant, making it to playoffs, and “overall enjoying the great game of baseball.”

Moving on to the track, coach Dave Keefer thinks that both the boys and girls track teams will be very competitive and have a very good chance of meeting their goals of being in playoffs and being section champs. Coach Keefer was very pleased with house the scrimmage against Frazier went.

“The scrimmage went well,” said coach Keefer. “Some people opened my eyes that had good performances early and that was really good for the team.”

Junior Kaylee Farino thinks that the season is going to go really well for the girls side since they have so many girls on the team this year. Farino is confident with the distance team adding that Scarlett Davidovich and Joselyn Busato will be a great help on the team.

“A lot of girls came out this season that can help us with the different events,” said Farino.

Farino’s main goal
is to be able to place as a team at the WPIAL team championships.

Senior Vinnie Keffer is “really excited” for the season as well. Keffer believes that the scrimmage against Frazier went well and that fellow seniors Zak Leighty and Tommy Pisula are great additions to the team.

The track team has set a goal to go to championships that they believe is achievable this year.

The boys tennis coach, Jim Kessler, has the goals of winning the section and make playoffs and believes they have a good chance of that.

Junior Anthony DePalma believes that they have a very good chance of winning the section this year with that being their main goal.

“From 2011 to 2014 the tennis team won the section every year,” said DePalma. “And we want to try to bring that back.”

DePalma is confident that they can accomplish that this year and for years to come because the team had many underclassmen who will be returning. They want to build the team to make a name for themselves and keep a great team going.

DePalma is looking forward to playing with Luke Jacquillard, Braden Fox, and Matt Yezek for the third year.