The 9-10 team is the only softball team competing with the rest of Plant City Little League. It is preparing to start its two-team tournament against Lake Wales Monday, June 27.
“Hopefully only two games — we want to win both of them,” manager Troy Whitman says. “I know they had a good team last year, but a lot of those girls moved up. I have no idea what their team’s like this year. Might be a young team.”
Whitman has been familiar with every member of the team, either coaching them or coaching against them for the past two years. He says that, while hitting and pitching will be the team’s strongest attributes, the bats will likely be what gets the team moving forward.
“They’re all pretty good hitters,” Whitman says.
Whitman says the most fun part about coaching this group of girls, in both All-Stars and regular-season play, has been seeing improvement.
“Especially last year, when they had never played before,” he said. “The first time they hit the ball, the first time they get somebody out — I like seeing the girls having fun.”
