In the first week of the season, the softball team has already faced off against three of the best teams in their conference.

Their season began on Tuesday, April 9 with a game against West Bend West. It was a 4-0 defeat, but the team maintained their confidence. The next day, they came out victorious against West Bend East, winning 3-2.

“In the first week of the season, we played three out of the four top teams in conference,” Lauren Strifling, junior captain, said. “While we didn’t win every game, we showed that we could challenge them and play right with them, and we got some tough wins.”

One of the team’s mottos, “ABC Big,” which stands for “Act Big, Breathe Big, and Commit Big,” reminds the girls what they want to accomplish this season. “We want to exemplify this motto in everything we do on and off the field,” Strifling explained.

“It’s going to be different from last year,” Livvy Boehlke, senior captain, said. “We have a younger team, and we started practice three months earlier than we normally do, so I think that really helped us with getting back into the softball groove.”

The girls all emphasized the importance of teamwork and friendship both on and off the field.

“I am looking forward to playing out my senior season with my teammates. I have been playing with most of these girls my whole entire life, so it is really bittersweet to be finishing out our last hours playing together as Highlanders,” Sophia Otto, senior captain, said.

“The beginning of the season gives us a great starting point and I am so excited to watch us grow,” Strifling said.