Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Payton Howard, HHS Softball

Blue Pony senior third baseman Payton Howard excited for her final year on the diamond

There are a number of talented multi-sport athletes walking the halls at Havre High School and one them is Payton Howard, who will soon be wrapping up her Blue Pony athletic career.

Howard, a senior, has played both golf and softball for Havre at the varsity level and is getting ready for her final season on the diamond for HHS. Howard has been a member of the varsity team for the past couple of seasons and she has become the team’s everyday player at third base.

Howard has been an important contributor on the past two teams that have qualified for the Class A state tournament, and she has done so mostly, through her outstanding defense at the hot corner.

“My freshman and sophomore year I usually played second or short and when I was playing in summer league, I got moved to third,” Howard said. “And now, it’s my favorite position. I love it.”

Last season, Howard locked down the spot at third base and turned into a very reliable defender as the season progressed, and while she may not have been one of the top hitters in the Havre lineup, she was far from a liability at the plate.

As a junior, Howard got to experience playing for Havre at the state softball tournament where the Ponies played two games and lost a pair of closely-contested games to Miles City and Butte Central. However, that experience will prove valuable for Howard and the Ponies as they attempt to get back to the state tournament and advance even further this season.

Howard also got a chance to experience the Class A state golf tournament this past season as a senior. She earned her way into the tournament by finishing sixth at the Central A Divisionals.

Now, Howard and a team of experienced Pony softballers, who also include Dani Wagner, Jacey McDonald, Scout Boucher, Claire Worm and a number of other returning players, is ready to start the 2015 season, which they will this weekend in Great Falls at the Great Falls Jamboree.

One major difference though, from this season compared to last, is that Bob Evans Sr., will no longer be the head coach. That position now belongs to Whitney McNally, although Evans is still going to assist with the team.

Howard said it would be an adjustment, not having him around all the time, but that the team was just happy to still have Evans around. But, the change in leadership signals a new era in Havre softball, which Howard and her teammates will kick off Saturday in Great Falls.

Before Howard and the Ponies make the trip to Great Falls for the jamboree, the Havre Daily News caught up with the senior for five questions.

HDN: So what is it about third base that makes you like it so much?

Howard: "I just like the action there. There never seems to be a dull moment, and I just like being in the center of everything that is going on."

HDN: So do you like playing defense better than offense?

Howard: "Yes. I like hitting, but I just like playing defense more. You get to communicate a lot with your teammates and that makes it fun."

HDN: What will it be like not having Bob (Evans Sr.) be your head coach?

Howard: "It will be different. It will just be weird not having him at every game, but he is still going to be at a lot of the practices, so he is still with us a lot."

HDN: What is your goal for this season?

Howard: "I hope that we can get better as a whole. We have a lot of good girls and we have a good team this year. If we can just get the bat on the ball, I think we will be fine."

HDN: What has been your favorite part of playing softball for the Ponies?

Howard: "I think the bus rides. Those are always fun. I have made a lot of memories on those and just on the field, we have a lot of inside jokes, so it's always a good time."