Last week was the start of Windham High’s varsity baseball and softball pitchers and catcher’s practices and the teams are rounding into shape.
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| Windham High senior Caden McCartney, center, throws some pitches during a practice session for baseball and softball pitchers and catchers indoors at WHS on March 25. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Baseball
“It’s a big week for building attitude and character,” said Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty on the first day of practice for pitchers and catchers.
By just the fourth day of pitchers and catchers practice Doughty said he thought WHS pitchers were well conditioned and had been working hard in the offseason. Doughty and his coaches said they are ingraining a team-first attitude for the players. The only name that matters is the one on the front of their shirt, not the back.
WHS pitcher Caden McCartney, a senior, first began pitching in Little League. This week his accuracy has improved, and he’s pitched to a variety of catchers with strong skillsets.
“Everyone has been working very hard,” said McCartney. “Everyone has been putting in a full effort and taking the throwing really serious. Catchers are all working really hard; they look good, like they want to play.”
Veteran player Cam Davis, a senior, stepped up and volunteered to be behind the plate as a catcher, although he’d never played there before. It was a huge example of leadership and an excellent example of putting the team first, Doughty said.
“It’s not as hard as it seems to be, but I’m definitely ready to keep learning it,” said Davis, who caught in his first bullpen on Tuesday, March 25. “I’m trying not to get in my head as much, breathe, talk it out with my teammates. This year I feel like it’s going to be different; there’s a great team chemistry.”
The WHS baseball season opens at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Biddeford at Windham High School.
Softball
Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner said her goal this early in the season was to see where the girls are fitness-wise. She knows many of them have been working in the offseason in preparation for the spring.
“It’s been going absolutely phenomenal,” said Gardiner on the fourth day of practice. “You can’t ask for more with a group of kids. It’s really nice to see the team bonding that we’ve already put in place four days in.”
Windham senior Kennedy Kimball will be in the pitching circle this season and catching for her will be WHS senior Stella Jarvais. They have been working together as pitcher-catcher duo since Little League and have a real strong sense of how to communicate with each other.
“It feels really good to be back in here and pitching full for a longer period of time and to be able to throw to Stella,” said Kimball. “It’s really nice to start that process of communication, we know what counts work the best, what pitches worked, it is easy since I’ve thrown to her for so long.”
Kimball said she sees the team is coming together and has gotten back in the swing of things.
“We just have this insane chemistry that honestly I’ve never had with another pitcher,” said Jarvais. “Just being able to have someone who understands you as a pitcher and vice versa. We talked through her pitching and when I’m able to be in her ear, like ‘oh you’re doing a great job’ that helps her confidence.”
The more they are practicing together as a team and the more Jarvais hears what Coach Gardiner tells her, the more prepared she feels each and every day, she said.
The WHS softball begins at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Bonny Eagle at Windham High. <
“Everyone has been working very hard,” said McCartney. “Everyone has been putting in a full effort and taking the throwing really serious. Catchers are all working really hard; they look good, like they want to play.”
Veteran player Cam Davis, a senior, stepped up and volunteered to be behind the plate as a catcher, although he’d never played there before. It was a huge example of leadership and an excellent example of putting the team first, Doughty said.
“It’s not as hard as it seems to be, but I’m definitely ready to keep learning it,” said Davis, who caught in his first bullpen on Tuesday, March 25. “I’m trying not to get in my head as much, breathe, talk it out with my teammates. This year I feel like it’s going to be different; there’s a great team chemistry.”
The WHS baseball season opens at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Biddeford at Windham High School.
Softball
Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner said her goal this early in the season was to see where the girls are fitness-wise. She knows many of them have been working in the offseason in preparation for the spring.
“It’s been going absolutely phenomenal,” said Gardiner on the fourth day of practice. “You can’t ask for more with a group of kids. It’s really nice to see the team bonding that we’ve already put in place four days in.”
Windham senior Kennedy Kimball will be in the pitching circle this season and catching for her will be WHS senior Stella Jarvais. They have been working together as pitcher-catcher duo since Little League and have a real strong sense of how to communicate with each other.
“It feels really good to be back in here and pitching full for a longer period of time and to be able to throw to Stella,” said Kimball. “It’s really nice to start that process of communication, we know what counts work the best, what pitches worked, it is easy since I’ve thrown to her for so long.”
Kimball said she sees the team is coming together and has gotten back in the swing of things.
“We just have this insane chemistry that honestly I’ve never had with another pitcher,” said Jarvais. “Just being able to have someone who understands you as a pitcher and vice versa. We talked through her pitching and when I’m able to be in her ear, like ‘oh you’re doing a great job’ that helps her confidence.”
The more they are practicing together as a team and the more Jarvais hears what Coach Gardiner tells her, the more prepared she feels each and every day, she said.
The WHS softball begins at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 against Bonny Eagle at Windham High. <
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