Troy softball team taking shape

Keith Haggerty is stepping up to the big leagues this year. After coaching youth baseball for nearly a decade, Haggerty is taking over for Brendan Miller as head coach of the Lady Trojan softball team. Miller led the team for three years.

Practice begins for softball teams across the state on March 9. The Lady Trojans will take the field for their first official game on March 27 against a Plains team that took third place at the state B tournament last year in Great Falls.

Last year the team finished the season with a pair of wins against 18 losses. Haggerty plans for the team to make strides this year, which will hopefully guide them into the state tournament in Belgrade at the end of the season. “Our goal is to not need the play-in game to make it to the divisional tournament at the end of the season, that’s the plan,” he said.

Haggerty said he doesn’t have a one size fits all philosophy to getting the most out of his players. “You have to take what you have and develop them to the best of their ability,” he said.

Baseball training videos often show the ideal technique for a given position, but Haggerty said that’s not the way things often work in reality, especially when drawing from a small pool. “Our numbers are low, but it’s not an excuse, it’s all the more reason to try harder and do our best.”

The roster for the Lady Trojans team is still taking shape, with paperwork needing to be signed and physicals to be turned in, but Haggerty said about 14 players have expressed interest in stepping up to the plate this season.

If all 14 decide to don Trojan maroon and gold jerseys, the team will have three seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen. “Our returning players will give some stability to the team. At the plate, the power will be coming from seniors Brenna Garrison and Jaelyn Kelso, and speed and athleticism from senior Rebecca Rotolo,” Haggerty said.

“The junior group has some sneaky-quick speed and grit with returning players Cheyenne Jordan, Lexi Tunison, Tana Thill and Miriah Britton.” Haggerty added. Rounding out the list of returning players are sophomores Kylie Carr and Riley Maggi.

Supporting the veterans on the team will be a group of five multi-sport freshmen, some of whom have seen varsity action already this year. “Kaitlyn Downey, Aurora Becquart, Grace, Dolan Haley Hickman and Cheyenne Hake will only help this team with power, speed and all around athletic ability,” Haggerty said

Haggerty said the team will rely on defense and small-ball to get things started this year. “A lot of little things to increase their knowledge of the game and shore up any areas that need to be worked on,” he said.

“I expect a quality season full of improvement from this group with the goal of competing as hard as we can every second we are on the field for practice or games,” Haggerty said.

Lady Trojans practice begins on Monday, March 9. Haggerty said right now the teams’ schedule is tentative, but the first game is set for March 27, with a weekend tournament in Libby starting on March 28.