Spring Swing Softball Tournament preps teams for 2024 season
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Spring is finally back, and brought with it some early action on the softball diamond for high school teams on Easter weekend at the Superior Dome in Marquette.
“We’re having the Spring Swing. We’ve had it for a number of years now, and we have 17 teams from throughout Wisconsin and through the U.P.,” said Marquette High School Softball Coach Derek Swajanen. “We all get together and it’s a competitive tournament. A lot of teams use it as their preseason scrimmages that they’re allowed to use.”
Games began in the early afternoon on Friday, continuing through Saturday evening. Despite the overall mild winter, the tournament gave teams an opportunity to stretch their legs after months of mainly indoor practices.
“We’ve just been practicing outside, inside, wherever we can because the weather’s been kind of bad,” said Kaylin Morrison, first baseman for Manistique. “But it’s been a pretty good season so far.”
“I think it’s a lot of evaluation,” said Swajanen. “And seeing where they want to put those puzzle pieces during the regular season. A lot of discussions regarding that.”
“It’s fun. (The Dome) is definitely different from the ground or your average field,” said Cece Fuller, a shortstop and pitcher for Marquette. “But I think it’s fun. A lot of teams are coming together. We’ll see these teams a lot this season, too.”
“I think with how many new people we have, I think it’s going very, very well,” said Manistique pitcher Alexis McDade. “And everyone’s learning positions because our whole team couldn’t come, because some are on spring break. Adapting to new positions, because no one’s been in the same one, has been very good.”
While providing a unique venue away from the cold, playing in the Dome still brings its pros and cons.
“It’s definitely a little bit different,” said Alice Hancock, an outfielder for Superior Central. “There’s a ceiling in here and there’re those lights that kind of shine your eyes, but it’s not bad. Outside there’re more weather conditions like rain, wind, sun, storming, and it’s actually better for playing in here on the turf.”
“It is different, because obviously you have the lights that are going right through the middle. So if you get a low line drive to the outside, the lights really, really hinder trying to field,” Swajanen said. “And then, obviously, you’d think that a field in here would be really fast because it’s artificial turf. But it’s actually pretty slow when the ball starts going, so it’s surprising to people.”
“It’s a very fun experience to learn because we’re also we’re going to have other tournaments coming up this season, so it’s nice to get the handle of hearing (other teams) with their calls and just getting used to all the noise around you,” said McDade. “And when you’re pitching it’s good to know ‘Okay, I need to like dial out all that sound and just get going.'”
As the teams set their sights on the regular season, it’s another opportunity for players and coaches to continue building their foundation, and get excited for what their teams can accomplish in the coming months.
“I feel like we’re a stronger team this year,” Fuller said. “So we have a lot more to show. The best one out there or the most aggressive is going to be the most athletic, you know, whoever gets it done the best.”
“Coach has been really focusing on defense,” Hancock said. “Getting those double plays, easy outs, things like that to just get the game rolling. Because on defense, it’s all about the outs and you want to get three outs so you can go bat again. I think we’re going to do pretty well. We have a pretty young team, only having two seniors, but all of our younger girls, they’ve had some really good experiences with travel and things like that. So I think we’ll have a successful season.”
“You’ve got to know how to read things,” Morrison said. “You’ve got to know where the ball has to go when you get it.”
“Continuing to stay positive, no matter how much you’re down or anything like that. I think it’s very important because it can affect the whole team atmosphere,” McDade said.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com.
