Play Ball: Blue Ponies set to open the season

The preparation for the season opener probably hasn't been under the exact conditions the Havre High Ponies softball team would have hoped for as the 2011 spring sports season got under way, but after a couple of weeks of indoor practices, the Blue Ponies are still excited about this weekend.

The Central A Ponies never got the full cooperation from Mother Nature that they needed to practice outside. But as they prepare to make their season debut on Friday at the Great Falls Jamboree in Great Falls, the Ponies know the caliber of talent they face will show exactly what they need to work on, even if practicing in a gymnasium didn't.

The Ponies were supposed to make their season debut on Saturday, but trying to beat the weather, play has been bumped up to Friday. The Ponies will face the Class AA defending state champion Billings West Bears, followed by the Class AA Billings Skyview Falcons, the Class AA Billings Senior Broncs and the Class A Laurel Locomotives.

"This is going to be a really good learning experience for this team," First year Havre High head coach Mike Theil said. "And after we're done, the coaches are really going to have a good idea of what we need to work on the next week to get ready for our double header with Browning and Butte Central."

This weekend's four games are nonconference, and only count towards two games on the Ponies' record. This is good news, as the Ponies will have adequate time to work on as many things as they need, as well switch up the lineup if necessary against some of the best softball talent in the state.

And the Ponies know it's going to be a very tough weekend.

Each team that steps on the field is going to show the Ponies a tough outing. And if the Ponies are lucky enough, HHS will get a chance to face all four teams best lineups. It would be a real benefit to the Blue Pony batters if the Golden Bears put Jessyka MacDonald on the mound, a returning First Team All-State pitcher and Montana's 2010 Gatorade softball player of the year.

"Hopefully they will throw her a few innings so we can see that caliber of pitching," Theil said. "She is the best and it would be an honor if they thought enough of us to throw their best pitcher. It would only get easier for us after facing her. But we are just fortunate they invited us to this tournament and we are able to open up our season against teams of such a high level. It's perfect, it's almost like having spring training getting to play four games."

With the lineup looking almost nothing like it did a year ago, when they won three games at the state tournament, in the practices leading up to Saturday, the Ponies geared their focus towards the fundamentals and conditioning.

HHS has yet to hit off a pitcher, mostly in part to being in a gym, but they have also chosen to focus on aspects of the game such as throwing, catching technique, bunting and getting into shape for the upcoming season.

The revamping of the lineup has also made this weekend about watching themselves. The Ponies have some talented and athletic softball players on the roster this season, but with no real action under their belts, Theil will be keeping a close on everybody, as well as their progress, when they take the field on Saturday.

The Ponies only have one varsity player returning to her same position as last season, and only have three regular starting varsity players overall. This will make the early part of the season a real learning experience.

Senior Chelsea Nottingham will return as the Ponies' catcher, while senior Andrea Nault will take center field after playing in left a season ago, and senior Dylann Williams will take over at short stop after playing second base last season. Sophomores Roxanna Jensen and Davee McLeod, junior Clarissa Martin and senior Alex Herrig also saw varsity time last season, but were not steady starters all season long. Jensen returns to the varsity lineup as the second baseman, while McLeod will handle all varsity pitching duties. And Martin returns to the varsity lineup as the third baseman, and Herrig will play first base, where she played off and on last season.

Rounding off the starting varsity lineup is sophomore Mary Lyons who will play left field and junior Michaela Boles, who play in right field.

"We've been working hard," Theil said. "So hopefully we don't get into those games, panic and throw things out the window. It's early, but it's early for everybody, so hopefully we go down there and don't get embarrassed because we can compete. Down the road we will improve, but the girls have been working hard and I can't ask anymore than that."

The Ponies will open up their season on Friday in Great Falls when they face Billings West, followed by Billings Skyview, Billings senior and Laurel. HHS makes its home dubut on April 9 with a pair of Central A Conference games.