This story has been updated to correct Paige Rees' name, she was originally listed as Paige Campbell. The Record regrets the error. 

The Wright City softball team is entering its season with seven seniors on the roster. With 24 girls and six or seven players each all being in one grade, seniors Paige Rees and Sophie Wegrzyn credited the upperclassmen’s leadership as their biggest strength. 

“We expect to have very good leadership which really transitions to helping the new girls and helping the program come up, which is the part that I am very excited about,” Head Coach Fred Ross said. 

With Ross recovering from a hip replacement, the seniors noted that this has allowed more upperclassmen to take on that leadership role. 

“When the [underclassmen] have any questions, they ask us and the upperclassmen have also been very helpful and we basically make sure everyone’s on task and make sure we’re being good role models,” Rees said. 

Wegrzyn noted their communication on and off the field has also been an asset, along with the team’s chemistry. 

“I feel confident and I feel like our varsity team is going to be pretty good this year,” Wegrzyn said. 

Ross noted that the team has five returning starters. In addition, the Wildcats currently have a few girls that are very versatile and can play multiple different positions. Ross added this is handy since pitcher and third baseman, Lorelai Kellner, is currently out for three to five weeks due to an injury. 

“Right now, we’re really getting through our drills and fundamentals and we have five or six girls that play club ball and three or four girls that can play multiple positions,” Ross said. “I think that’s going to make us flexible and fill out some of these other positions. 

The team has been focusing on their defense and moving some people around in other areas. Currently, the squad has three open positions. 

“I don’t know who we’re going to play there yet, so we still have some competition until Bloomfield,” Ross said. 

Ross added that the team is always striving to have a winning record, as well as feeling prepared going into districts. He said that their conference is tough, but he would like to see them finish in the upper third of those rankings. 

With many of those seven seniors having been with Ross for four years now, he wants to push them to be better than last year, while also having fun. 

In addition, Ross said this group could be the first group where the team has been an all-academic state team for four years in a row. He credited the girls for both excelling in academics and athletics. 

“I’m excited and they’re excited and hopefully we’ll open up with some good competition,” Ross said. 

The Wildcats will open up their season with the Lady Pirate Leadoff Classic on Saturday, Aug. 31.