Sentinel softball rebuilding after graduating nine seniors

Sometimes in sports, you have to start over. The 2019 Sentinel Softball team is coming off of a deep AA playoff run, but also the graduation of nearly all of their starting lineup. Lone senior Jalen Cooper says this team knows it’s young, but winning is all about visualizing success. “Being young and inexperienced is probably our low point, but we have worked a lot on visualizing and believing in ourselves, to believe in our teammates,” Cooper said. “That’s a huge thing that [head coach] Dustin Delridge has taught us.” Part of that success, the Spartans insist, will come with time. As one of nine underclassmen on the roster, Mackenzie Wright agrees that familiarity and communication are key. “I think we can definitely work on playing together and being able to communicate a little better. I think our talk is a little bit lower,” Wright said. “But I think as we continue through the season, I think it’ll get better and that we can learn to work together.” In his third season as head coach, Dustin Delridge understands every season is a process and that enjoying the journey will lead to eventual success. “We certainly don’t want to get burned out on the season,” Delridge. “These girls play a long time and we don’t necessarily want to be good in March, we want to be good in May and still have the energy and excitement. So with that said, sometimes we’ve actually cut back and certainly tried to have more fun and again, save the best for the end.” And with more than half of their regular season ahead of them, the Spartans are certainly saving the best for last.