Gallery • 10 Photos

Magnolia Smith

BEAT THE HEAT: Freshman Maddie Beasley cheers during the softball team's first practice of the school year. The team has been limited due to the heat and restrictions related to outside workouts. Beasley stated that it has been very difficult not being able to practice outside, but that the team has found a way to work on other skills inside. “Spending a lot of the first couple of weeks inside was making me nervous as a new player who wanted to get out and play,” Beasley said. “Luckily, we used that time to build strength, agility and friendships.” For their first practice, the freshmen had the opportunity to practice the basics on their own. “We warmed up first as a team, and everyone was laughing,” Beasley said. “It was super chill, and then one of the dad coaches took me and the other three freshmen aside and practiced throwing with us one-on-one. Then we finished the day with hitting using the ball machine. No matter how good or bad you did the team cheered and supported you. I was the last one to go. At first, I was nervous, but then when everybody started cheering me on, my nervousness just melted away.” The team had their first game on Monday, and even though they had limited practice time, they were still able to win the game, with a final score of 8-2. “Even though we’ve only had one practice, I was super impressed by how we performed and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season,” Beasley said. Beasley has not had very much experience with the sport, but has already found her place in the softball community at McCallum. “I did one season about one or two years ago, but it was a random after-school thing,” Beasley said. “I wanted to do a real high school team sport and at first I was nervous, but I’m glad that I’m not the only new person and the team has been really welcoming. I love the camaraderie in softball. Every position is really important and we all depend on each other. It can be a really exciting sport that requires a lot of toughness. ” Caption by Evelyn Jenkins. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

With limited playing time due to the high heat index and a challenging field, the softball team has scrambled to secure enough playing time to prepare for the first non-district games of the year. The team has had to adapt to indoor practice in order to build strength and agility, while also building a strong team bond. 

We are proud to present a gallery highlighting the hard-working softball team this Thursday.

BEAT THE HEAT: Freshman Maddie Beasley cheers during the softball team’s first practice of the school year. The team has been limited due to the heat and restrictions related to outside workouts. Beasley stated that it has been very difficult not being able to practice outside, but that the team has found a way to work on other skills inside.

“Spending a lot of the first couple of weeks inside was making me nervous as a new player who wanted to get out and play,” Beasley said. “Luckily, we used that time to build strength, agility and friendships.”

For their first practice, the freshmen had the opportunity to practice the basics on their own.

“We warmed up first as a team, and everyone was laughing,” Beasley said. “It was super chill, and then one of the dad coaches took me and the other three freshmen aside and practiced throwing with us one-on-one. Then we finished the day with hitting using the ball machine. No matter how good or bad you did, the team cheered and supported you. I was the last one to go. At first, I was nervous, but then when everybody started cheering me on, my nervousness just melted away.”

The team had their first game on Monday, and even though they had limited practice time, they were still able to win the game, with a final score of 8-2.

“Even though we’ve only had one practice, I was super impressed by how we performed and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season,” Beasley said.

Beasley has not had very much experience with the sport, but has already found her place in the softball community at McCallum.

“I did one season about one or two years ago, but it was a random after-school thing,” Beasley said. “I wanted to do a real high school team sport, and at first I was nervous, but I’m glad that I’m not the only new person and the team has been really welcoming. I love the camaraderie in softball. Every position is really important, and we all depend on each other. It can be a really exciting sport that requires a lot of toughness.”

Caption by Evelyn Jenkins. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

JUST GETTING STARTED: Sophomore June Carney recently joined softball and is using this time in fall ball to refine her skills and practice for the upcoming season that starts in January. Fall ball is an after-school activity where students who play softball or are interested in playing it can practice outside of the regular season. According to Carney, fall ball has a more relaxed atmosphere and is lower-stakes, which she likes.

“Fall ball is more of a club environment,” Carney said. “For example, when we play games, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose, and it doesn’t affect our ranking at all. That’s why I like playing it.”

Carney plays outfield mostly, which she enjoys. Outfielders are players positioned in the outer part of the field to catch fly balls, line drives and balls that are hit past infielders.

“I like playing outfield because I like being out there and waiting for the ball to come at me and being excited if I’m going to catch it or not,” Carney said.

Carney is brand new to softball and has never played a game before. She is hoping to gain experience by playing games in fall ball and having fun with her friends.

“I’ve never played a game before, so I’m excited to get that experience and see if I like doing it or not. I’m also excited to just be out there with my friends,” Carney said.

When asked what her main goal for the year was, Carney said, “I don’t have a specific goal for myself, but I want to help my team out and make myself better so I can help the team win, especially since they don’t have a lot of players on the team.”

Caption by Reese Clinchard. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

Senior Zara Cacci catches for junior Natalie Myrick during the first fall ball practice of the year.

“She was just doing some warm-up pitches and we were getting back into the hang of things,” Cacci said.
This was Cacci’s first practice back since being injured. At the end of January, she tore her labrum and was out for the entire season.

“It was super sad not being able to play at all last season, but I’m excited for this season and hopefully everything stays stable in my shoulder,” Cacci said. “It’s definitely been a long journey, but I’m really glad I can start playing again.”

Cacci looks forward to playing with the new players on the team this year and overall having a stronger team. The team has many seniors, so she hopes to make the most of their senior year.

“I know we’re really trying to take advantage of our last year,” Cacci said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the season goes.”

Caption by Josie Linton. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

BATTERS UP: Senior Lila Brotherton swings back the bat at the McCallum softball team’s first outdoor practice last week. Brotherton has been playing for around eight years, and each time she steps up to bat, she gets in the zone.

“Honestly, when I am really hitting well, I think my mind is completely blank,” Brotherton said.

With practices just starting up, the team has been preparing every day. From using the weight room on B-days to doing hitting rotations on A-days, each one has been full of hard work.

“I think we have had very productive practices these past few weeks,” Brotherton said. “Getting to watch some of the freshmen play is also very promising, as a lot of them are very talented.”

The current construction on the track and near the softball fields has not impacted the softball team as much as it has others. However, there have been some instances where balls have been hit into the construction zones.

“We ended up having to ask a construction worker to throw two of our balls back over the fence.” Brotherton said.

That made for a very memorable moment out on the field. Brotherton enjoys the bonding and opportunity to be with her team.

“My favorite part of practice is definitely getting to joke around and have fun while also competing with my teammates and pushing each other to put in the work.” Brotherton said.

Brotherton is ready for the upcoming season and the challenges it will bring, particularly a tournament in Corpus Christi that the team will be competing in for the first time.

“The other participating teams are supposedly pretty good,” Brotherton said. “So I think it will be a nice challenge for our team.”

Caption by Adele Seeboth. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

ACE OF 1ST BASE: Junior Jazzy Urdy catches the ball on 1st base during the McCallum girls softball team’s first practices of the season. Due to the dangerous heat, the softball team has had to find ways to work around the Texas temperatures, but has found its rhythm as fall ball starts.

“Off-season has been very productive,” Urdy said. “The fall ball season just began, and we did amazing!”

After also playing varsity last year, Urdy is very excited for the upcoming season, especially because of the team environment.
“My favorite part of softball is definitely the community and spending time with my teammates,” Urdy said. “My least favorite would have to be the conditioning.”

Even with extra breaks and limited time on the field because of heat advisories, the softball team still keeps up their conditioning.
“Practices are looking especially efficient and effective,” Urdy said. “From the warmups at the start, to the drills and whatever Coach [Whatley] has planned for us, the practices are really bettering our team.”

With the especially focused plan and the enthusiasm for the team, Urdy feels the team will do well this year and can reach the things they are trying to achieve.

“My goals for this season would definitely have to be doubling my homerun record and getting more consistent,” Urdy said. “But I think our team can really improve by the district season.”

Caption by Sylvia Hurtado. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

END OF AN ERA: Jaylin Sanchez and her teammates sprint towards the end line, ending their dynamic warmups with a bit of running.

As the girls’ softball team wrapped up their first week of practices, Jaylin Sanchez reflected on their first outdoor practice of the season. She noted it was interesting for returning players and coaches to see the levels everyone was at while getting to introduce them to the program.

“We definitely had a lot of fun the first practice getting to know new people and teaching them little stuff like how we lead our warm-ups and our throwing progressions,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the first practice was important to mark the start of the season, because it helps them form friendships with the other players.

“It prepared us to build a bond because in softball, it’s much easier to play when there is a bond,” she said. “It also helped coaches see where everyone was at and where we needed improvement.”

As Sanchez enters her senior year and last year of high school softball, she looks forward to the memories she’ll create as her last year as a Knight.

“Every “last” like my last first game, last tournament, or last at bat will mean so much more,” she said. “My bond with my teammates will be stronger than ever, and I’ll get to play with all the experience I’ve built over the years.”

Caption by Priya Thoppil. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

BALANCE IS KEY: Freshman Lucy Grantham runs the bases during softball practice on Sept. 10.

Grantham plays both volleyball and softball, and because practice times overlap, she is only able to go to the last 30 minutes of softball practice on Wednesdays. She says during practice, she focuses on hitting and fielding.

“The practices have been very fun, and everyone is very nice,” Grantham said. “But I think one thing we’re struggling with is finding people to play.”

According to Grantham, many of the girls on the team are also multi-sport athletes, so they face the same scheduling challenges she does. She says team chemistry is the main thing the team needs to work on.

“Mostly the biggest challenge is to get comfortable with [one] another,” she said. “The incoming freshmen are going to need to be familiar with the upperclassmen.”

Additionally, the team has had more limits during practice due to the heat and rules surrounding practice in hot conditions.
“We usually need to take longer breaks because of the heat affecting us,” Grantham said.

So far, the softball team has been focusing on their fall league games.

“Playing fall ball helps us be prepared for the opponents that we will be seeing in the season,” Grantham said.
They won their first fall league game against Vandegrift on Sept. 15, and will play LASA on Monday.

Caption by Julia Copas. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

COMEBACK SEASON: Senior Zara Cacci runs to first base during the softball team’s first practice on September 10th. The team is heading into fall ball, a shorter season focused on player development and adjustment before heading into regular play. Having been out last season to a shoulder injury, Cacci looks forward to getting back into the game.

“I look forward to getting back in the swing of things,” Cacci said. “I feel like I really need to use this time to get the rust off and get back into being able to play like I used to because it’s been so long. I know it’ll be challenging because I’m still in some pain.”
As a senior, Cacci looks forward to seeing the new players maintain the team’s legacy.

“I’m super excited to have new players,” Cacci said. “They’re all looking really good. Especially since I’m gonna be leaving next year, they can keep the program going and growing, and everyone can be better together.”

As the team heads into fall ball, Cacci has high hopes for the team to use the opportunity to bond and refine their skills.

“Fall ball is really good to get everyone back into the hang of things,” Cacci said. “It’s really helpful for new players to learn more about how the game works, even if they’ve played before, to bring the team together and create some camaraderie. It’s a good starting point for the real season and I think it’ll be a fun time to get to know everyone.”

Caption by Katie Martin. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

CALLING THE PITCHES AND THE SHOTS: Senior Grace Yemington catches pitches behind the plate during the softball team’s fall ball practices.

For Yemington, softball has been a part of her life for 12 years and catching’s a family tradition.
“My older sister was a catcher, so I decided to follow in her footsteps,” she said.

Consistently serving as a reliable player for the team, Yemington now thrives in the leadership side of the position.
“I like being able to sort of conduct the infield; help call pitches, remind infielders of the play, and play an important role on the field,” she explained.

Looking ahead, Yemington is primed and ready to close out her senior year strong.

“I’m looking forward to this season and excited to continue playing fall ball with the team this year,” she said.

Caption by V Overstreet. Photo by Magnolia Smith.

GEARING UP: Senior Grace Yemington gets back into the swing of things at fall ball practice, a pre-season softball league that runs throughout the beginning of the school year. It is coached by the parents and is more informal than the spring season. To Yemington, it is an experience that allows the freshmen and newcomers to capitalize on obtaining minutes before the team’s season starts.

“It’s not as competitive, but it gives the younger girls a chance to get started before season in January,” Yemington said. “It gives an opportunity to people who might not be able to play because then when you get into season, it’s just not as equal of playing time.”

Fall ball practices serve as an extension of the 4th and 8th period softball classes, lasting for around an hour each. In addition to extra practices, the softball team competes in pre-season games, which differ from the regular season in terms of the teams they play. This means they will be facing different levels of competition, which Yemington sees as an advantage.

“I think it’ll be good practice, especially because there are a couple who have never played before,” Yemington said.
Heading into her fourth and final year on varsity at McCallum, Yemington looks to what’s ahead in the season.

“[I’m looking forward to] getting to know all the new people – I think they’re a good group of people,” Yemington said. “And I just like playing softball!”

Caption by Hannah Kahn. Photo by Magnolia Smith.