Head coach Dale Martin's outlook on 2012 is good. The depth and flexibility he believes the Wood River softball team has will bode well for a strong push into the postseason.
"We have the talent to win district," Martin said. "We have two deep at every position."
After his team finished second place in league with a 12-13 record (10-5 in league), Martin seems optimistic that it will pack some punch this year.
Second team All-Great Basin Conference player Sydney Tidwell is back after leading Wood River in batting with a .457 average last year.
Tidwell, a junior, will head a hodge-podge of seniors (4), juniors (6), sophomores (3) and freshman (3).
With the talent and wide array of players, look for Wood River to have power deep in the batting lineup.
"There's not much weakness on this team," Martin said. "Offensively, we'll have power. We can hit home runs at the seven, eight and nine slots."
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With a loaded roster, there are plenty of athletes to help the cause. Martin believes he has a strong and versatile infield and a great outfield. He said his outfield will be the best in the past 15 years of Wood River softball.
"We have four to five great outfielders," he said.
Seniors KT Martinez and Haylee Thompson are coming off the hardwood and onto the grass as they both star in the outfield casts. They'll be joined by freshmen Ashley Hicks and Ciceley Peavey and junior Rachel Conover.
In 2011, Wood River placed fourth in the state tournament. With hopes of building on the past, Martin is convinced that with time and patience to get all the kinks out, his team will compete for a district title.
If Wood River is to be competitive this year, responsibility also lies heavily on the mound.
With the departure of Ali Levy and Madison Gove at pitcher, Wood River is going to have two pitchers with just two years of varsity experience between the two of them. Junior Favi Ruiz and freshman Britney Bradley will try to form a one-two combination for opposing batters.
Martin thinks he has a couple of aces to work with.
"We have some very young and very good pitching this year," he said.
The season begins Friday, March 9, at Filer and again on Tuesday, March 13, at Buhl.
As the weather permits, Wood River is trying to get in the swing of the season on its own practice field. The field will have some time to get ready because Wood River doesn't play its first home game until April 3. Wood River plays only five home games all year.
2012 WRHS Softball Schedule
A total 22 games on the regular-season schedule for the 2012 Wolverine girls, 7 home and 15 away—and 15 are conference games. Home varsity games at South Valley Sports Complex softball field near the Hailey high school are listed in bold. Great Basin Conference West league games are marked by an asterisk. Wood River will play its home games back-to-back on one field when the varsity and JV teams are competing in single games, with the varsity playing the first game of the day. Home doubleheaders on Saturdays will have 2 games on 2 fields, the varsity playing at South Valley Sports Complex field and JV at Nelson Field near Hailey Elementary School.
DATE, DAY OPPONENT LOCATION
March 3, Saturday Mt. Home Jamboree (3) Mountain Home
March 9, Friday Filer (V/JV-1) Away, 3:30
March 13, Tuesday Buhl (V/JV-1) Buhl's North Park, 4:00
March 15, Thursday Kimberly (V/JV-1) Away, 4:00
March 22, Thursday Canyon Ridge* (V/JV-2) Twin Falls, 3:30/5:00
April 3, Tuesday Canyon Ridge* (V/JV-1) Home, 4:30 (JV after)
April 6, Friday Jerome* (V/JV-1) Away, Forsythe, 4:30
April 7, Saturday Jerome* (V/JV-2) Home, 12:00/2:00
April 13, Friday Kimberly varsity tourney Kimberly, 1:00
April 13, Friday Kimberly varsity tourney Kimberly, 5:00
April 14, Saturday Kimberly varsity tourney Kimberly, 1:00
April 14, Saturday Kimberly varsity tourney Kimberly, 5:00
April 20, Friday Minico* (V/JV-1) Rupert, 4:30
April 21, Saturday Minico* (V/JV-2) Home, 12:00/2:00
April 26, Thursday Twin Falls* (V/JV-2) Away, 3:00/5:00
April 27, Friday Twin Falls* (V/JV-1) Home, 4:30 (JV after)
May 1, Tuesday Burley* (V/JV-1), Sr. Day Home, 4:00 (JV after)
May 2, Wednesday Burley* (V/JV-2) Burley Jr. High, 4:00/6:00
May 5, Saturday Great Basin Conference 4A Top seed, TBA
May 8, Tuesday Great Basin Conference 4A Top seed, TBA
May 10, Thursday Great Basin Conference 4A Higher seed, TBA
May 12, Saturday State 4A play-in (4B/3C) Glenns Ferry, 1:00
May 17, Thursday State 4A tournament Twin Falls High School
NOTE—The 6-school Great Basin Conference gets 1.5 berths in the 2012 state tournament, so the state play-in May 12 will match the GBC second-place team vs. the Boise-area third-place squad......At the State 4A tournament May 17-19 at Twin Falls High School, the GBC champion plays the Boise-area runner-up in the first round, and the winner of the 4B vs. 3B state play-in meets the Idaho Falls-area champion in the first round.
