Play hard, play fast and play to win.

Those are just a few of the goals that Guilford’s softball team is taking on this semester. As the spring season approaches, Guilford’s softball team is gearing up for what will be an even bigger season than last year. 

To get the scoop on how the team is preparing for the upcoming season, The Guilfordian interviewed Grace Calus, a senior majoring in criminal justice, Kylee Duarte,  a senior majoring in early education, and Logan Monkus, a sophomore majoring in biology and business, all of whom are outfielders for the softball team. 

Q: What does the typical practice look like?

Calus: They’re pretty action-packed. We’ll stretch and throw and do daily tasks which are individual based on positions.

Monkus: The coach does a good job at making sure that no one is just standing around. We all always have something to do.

Q: How do you balance being an athlete with being a student?

Duarte: I usually plan everything out and make sure that I make time to do both.

Monkus: You just have to balance. There is no other option. Over time you grow like a strength to be able to manage your time with all the things going on in your life.

Calus: Communication is a big part of it. Something we all have in common is being able to communicate with everyone.

Q: Do you have any traditions you do before games?

Monkus: We pray, get some breakfast and listen to music. We kind of hype each other.

Q: How do you celebrate a win?

Calus: We get really excited. We try to be classy and respectful of our opponents as well.

Duarte: And it doesn’t matter if you’re on or off the field, everyone still played a part in helping us win. 

Q: What are some challenges you’ve faced in your athletic careers?

Duarte: The mental aspect. I’m a perfectionist but I understand that I do have that support group to help me out.

Monkus: The hardest part is realizing that in college you’re with the best of the best, it’s not high school anymore. It makes you realize that sometimes that comes with not playing on the field.

The Guilfordian also caught up with Nikki Tuttle, a Guilford junior majoring in political science and a former catcher for the team, to gain insight into her outlook on the upcoming season.

Q: How will you be helping out the team this semester?

A: While I’m not exactly a manager for the team, I will be helping them out every now and then when I can. And even though I’m not playing on the team this semester, my teammates still treat me like I’m still a part of the team.

Q: You guys just got a new coach. How would you say she’s been doing so far as the new head coach? 

A: I am in love with her. She has been doing an amazing job. I think the reason why we lost so much in the past is because of our old coaching staff. It just wasn’t good for us. But with our new coach, Charissa Duncan, I think it’s been a complete turnaround for us.

Q: How does the team bond outside of games and practices? 

A: We do lots of community service, for example, we planted strawberries in the fall. Plus we all live together on or off campus. Even though we get tired of each other, we’re best friends.

Q: How do you guys stay ready during the off-season?

A: We have a hitting facility where we hit three times individually. We’ll also go out to our field individually and practice there. Practice makes perfect.

Q: Tell me one of your favorite memories of playing college softball.

A: My favorite memory right now is when I left the team. I realized how much respect I had earned from them and they were very supportive of why I had left the team. It just shows how much of a strong program we have. That’s the best thing that you can have.

Q: What would you like to tell your teammates as the season starts? 

A: Smile, have fun and play for yourself, for your teammates and for your family.

You can catch the team’s first game on Friday, Feb. 23 at Haworth Field.