Centralia is excited for the softball season.

Centralia Softball Camp Photo Gallery

Like any year, it doesn’t start until the fall, but the Lady Panthers have played scrimmages, including through home camps in the last two weeks. Centralia split into three squads at its home camp and went a combined 6-8-1 two weeks ago and then 7-2 on June 17 between two squads last week.

Head coach Liz Bostick said the summer can be exhausting for her players because of how much softball the team plays and how several of them also play travel ball or other sports. However, Bostick said she is seeing chemistry develop in the new roster.

“For us, it’s giving a lot of kids opportunities and figuring out who is going to fill spots next season,” Bostick said. “I really like what I’m seeing out of the some of the kids who I’ve been thinking will be in those spots.”

As always, there will be freshmen and others filling empty spots left by graduated players. Through June, Bostick said she believes a new “family” is forming.

The Lady Panthers have a fundraiser in which they sell dumplings at the town’s annual Anchor Fest. Bostick thinks that helps the team bond, especially the freshmen. 

“We’re starting to build chemistry as a team,” Bostick said. “Trying to get us to learn each other, trust each other and come together as our family moving forward to the fall is what I’m hoping.”

Bostick said Centralia plans to play in scrimmages away from home but said her team benefits from playing in several all-day camps in Centralia. She said the Lady Panthers see all different types of pitching, which forces them to adjust through many at-bats. 

Centralia has seen many girls in different spots and situations, Bostick said, so the team has a sense of who is strongest in which role. In the Lady Panthers’ remaining time together, she said they need to fine-tune their play. 

“Fatigue makes us not very focused and not very sharp,” Bostick said. “For sure, in the fall, we’ve got to be able to minimize errors and routine popups — those have to be caught.”

Bostick said Centralia hasn’t played its full roster at times this summer, with three or four varsity kids able to play in its camps. However, she said that has elevated some girls. Raleigh Dutton and Brooklyn Hardin have pitched plenty of innings after pitching some a season ago, and Karli Andersen has time in the circle and has been hitting the ball well after serving mainly as a pinch hitter last season.

Centralia’s returning varsity players have impressed, too. Cora King and Kassena Ridgel each swatted home runs in the team’s final game and victory on June 17 against North Callaway, winning 11-6 after North Callaway tied the game at 6.

“Those kids have done a really good job and all of my varsity kids from last year keep building and keep growing,” Bostick said.