There’s no doubt that last year’s Houston Christian team was the best that audiences have witnessed on the softball diamond in recent memory.
The Mustangs finished the 2023 season with a final record of 18-12, highlighted by an appearance in the SPC State Championship, in which they ultimately fell to fellow powerhouse Episcopal.
That narrow defeat is still fresh in the minds of coach Cassidy Bowen and her team, which feeds into the mentality they possess this Spring.
“We expected our team to make a run for it and play in that game (SPC Championship) last year,” she said. “This year, we’re expecting to go and win that game. We’re back and we didn’t graduate anybody off that team. We’re not going to compete anymore, we’re going to win.”
All-SPC selections Jadyn Granere (Sr. C), MC Been (Jr. CF/1B), and Emily Thompson (Sr. 3B) return to the lineup, and will be complemented efficiently by the talents of Maddie Pickett (Jr. SS), Riley Warnica (Sr. OF/P), and junior 2B Lily Herveat, just to name a few.
Jadyn Granere
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MC Been
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Emily Thompson
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Maddie Pickett
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Riley Warnica
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Lily Herveat
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“The difference between this year and others is the fact that we just don’t have a weak spot in the lineup,” said Bowen. “Everybody, top to bottom, puts a bat on the ball and can hit with power.”
Their lack of any discernible weaknesses should put the Mustangs in prime position to fulfill their team’s ultimate motivation.
“Our motto for this year’s team is ‘Burn the Ships’,” Bowen said. “We want to leave it all on the field. The senior class this year has been the group that has built what Houston Christian Softball is today, and we’re trying to give them a send-off in a big way.”
With a 6-2 start to the season – highlighted by exceptional initial performances by the aforementioned Granere, Been, and Warnica – it would appear that HCHS is certainly starting off on the right foot.
April’s SPC Championship is already within throwing distance for Coach Bowen and company.