IT’S BEEN AN UNCONVENTIONAL SUMMER FOR THE CODY PRIDE 14U SOFTBALL TEAM. THEY’VE BEEN IN ACTION SINCE MID JUNE, STAND AT 7-6-1 ON THE SEASON AND ARE ALREADY GETTING READY FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 8TH THROUGH THE 12TH. IN A REGULAR YEAR THE SOFTBALL TEAM WOULD NORMALLY GET STARTED IN APRIL, PLAY SOME TOURNAMENTS AND GET IN CLOSE TO 40 GAMES. WHILE THIS YEAR THEY’LL MANAGE ABOUT 20 GAMES, IN TALKING WITH HEAD COACH KEITH UNGRUND, HE SAYS THEY’RE HAPPY TO GET IN ANY SEASON THEY CAN.
“WE’RE JUST, HONESTLY, THANKFUL AND HAPPY TO BE OUT THERE PLAYING. I KNOW THE GIRLS ARE, TOO. THEY WERE SUPER EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. YEAH, IT’S A SHORTENED SEASON. I THINK TYPICALLY WE TRY TO GET IN 40 PLUS GAMES IN A YEAR AND TRY TO HIT SIX TOURNAMENTS OR SO. THIS YEAR MUCH SHORTER SEASON BUT STILL WE’RE GETTING QUITE A BIT OF PRACTICE TIME IN THROUGH THE WEEK AND JUST THANKFUL AGAIN THAT WE’RE GETTING TO PLAY SOME GAMES.”
THE CODY PRIDE 14U SQUAD IS COMING OFF A WEEKEND IN WHICH THEY WON THREE GAMES AT THEIR OWN HEART MOUNTAIN ROUND ROBIN. THE PRIDE 14U SQUAD PUT UP 55 RUNS IN FIVE GAMES AND COACH UNGRUND CREDITS THE HARD WORK OF THE TEAM FOR THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
“WE WORKED A LOT ON HITTING THIS YEAR. IF THERE’S ANYTHING THIS TEAM HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT WEAK ON, I SAY WEAK, YOU KNOW THEY’RE PRETTY STRONG IN ALL AREAS BUT SOMETIME THE BATS GO COLD, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE LINE-UP. WE’VE REALLY FOCUSED A LOT ON HITTING. I THINK THE GIRLS, RIGHT NOW, JUST IT’S PAYING OFF FOR THEM. THEY’RE ALL SEEING THE BALL WELL, MAKING CONTACT AND HITTING THE BALL HARD.”
THE CODY PRIDE SOFTBALL TEAM HAS SHOWN SUCCESS AS A UNIT OVER THE YEARS WITH THE 10U TEAM MAKING IT TO STATE AND THE 12U TEAM WINNING STATE IN THEIR TIME. THAT DOESN’T MEAN COACH UNGRUND DOESN’T HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE GIRLS ABILITY TO KEEP GETTING BETTER.
“HOW FOCUSED THE GIRLS ARE THIS YEAR. THIS IS DEFINITELY THE MOST FOCUSED THIS GROUP OF GIRLS HAS BEEN. THIS YEAR THEY’RE JUST MORE FOCUSED. I THINK THAT COMES WITH SOME MATURITY AND ALSO I THINK THAT THEY REALIZE THAT BECAUSE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL IS PROJECTED TO HAPPEN IN THE SPRING THAT, THERE’S AN URGENCY OR THERE’S SOME COMPETITIVENESS THERE TOO. YOU KNOW, WANT TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN, THAT THERE’S A GOAL, END GOAL FOR THEM. SO REALLY FOCUSED.”
THE CODY PRIDE 14U TEAM’S NEXT TOURNAMENT WILL BE THE STATE TOURNAMENT THE WEEK OF JULY 8TH THROUGH THE 12TH. NO DISTRACTION THIS TEAM HAS FACED HAS WAVERED THEM OFF OF THE MAIN OVERLYING GOAL, WHICH IS A STATE TITLE.
“THIS GROUP OF GIRLS HAVE WON IT TWICE IN THEIR CAREERS, SOME OF THEM THREE TIMES IN A REC DIVISION WHEN THEY WERE AN 8U TEAM OR A 9U TEAM. THEY’VE HAD THAT TASTE. LAST YEAR WE FINISHED SECOND IN THE STATE TO GILLETTE, WHICH WE’VE FACED THEM EVERY TIME WE’VE BEEN IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT AND ITS ALWAYS BEEN A BATTLE. SO THEY’RE DEFINITELY MOTIVATED FOR THAT. IT’S ALWAYS A RIVALRY AND I THINK GILLETTE WILL BE ONE OF THE TEAMS TO BEAT IN THE 14U DIVISION THIS YEAR.”
THIS IS A GROUP OF GIRLS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO LONG THEY’VE BUILT UP A CHAMPIONSHIP DNA THAT CAN’T BE BEAT.
“YES. I THINK THAT ALWAYS, THAT’S PROPELLED THIS TEAM. YOU KNOW WITH THEIR ENERGY WHEN YOU’VE HAD SOME SUCCESS IT’S EASY TO BUILD UPON THAT AND THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, WHERE SOMETIMES IF YOU’RE REALLY GETTING BEAT UP ALL THE TIME YOU CAN LOSE SOME ENTHUSIASM. YEAH, I THINK THAT’S BEEN A BIG FACTOR FOR THIS TEAM.”
THE CODY PRIDE 14U TEAM WILL BE IN PLAY AT THE STATE TOURNAMENT JULY 8TH-12TH. STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK FOR MORE ON CODY PRIDE SOFTBALL.
