By By Chandler Myers
After coming off two seasons with losing records, most teams would focus on rebuilding and trying to find ways to improve, but for the Escambia Academy Lady Cougars softball team rebuilding is not an option.
Lady Cougars head coach Larry Bonds said he does not associate his team with the word rebuild out of respect for his players.
The 2009 season is not starting off with a bang, but it seems to be getting better.
On the first day of practice, the Lady Cougars had seven girls show up, but that number has grown to 13 over the last week.
Bonds said his team has not looked strong, but they seem to be getting their feet under them.
“We looked fairly rough the first couple of days,” Bonds said. “Now that we have 13 girls and two seniors in Malori McGhee and Sara Beth Davis, we are looking much better.”
The main focus of the Lady Cougars is developing young talent and finding a go-to pitcher.
Bonds said his team is made up mostly of seventh through ninth graders with a few varsity players, and he added that some positions are still open and could be filled by younger players.
McGhee and Davis are locked into positions in the infield, with McGhee starting a short stop and Davis as the starting first baseman.
Bonds said Amber Huskey is going to start at catcher, while Grayson Emmons starts at second and Nikki Bryan at left or center field.
Bonds said Tori Rodriguez could be a starting pitcher for the team. He added that McGhee could work into the rotation as well.
The Lady Cougars are looking to charge their competition head-on.
Bonds said the team should jell in the next couple of weeks when the season starts.
The Lady Cougars first game is March 3 at home against the Patrician Lady Saints.