Softball season is here, and the Lady Bulldogs are ready to mix it up for the new season with a solid group of players.

Last year, King’s Fork High School’s season ended in the conference tournament with a loss to Wilson, which Lady Bulldogs coach Richard Froemel believes left a bitter taste in the team’s mouth.

“We are ready to start a fresh new season,” Froemel said. “The girls have been working hard in practice, and their attitudes are good. We want to make sure we keep hitting balls and score more runs this year.”

King’s Fork has three seniors returning who plan to lead by example on and off the field. Dani Arzillo, Mallory Moore and Lauryn Bailey are the three seniors expected to produce a great deal for King’s Fork this year. Bailey is a Bluefield College signee. Junior Madison Froemel is another piece added to the Lady Bulldogs production puzzle.

At pitcher, Froemel has decided to go young. Freshman Cali Hinnant will be on the mound for the Lady Bulldogs this year. He has other freshmen, such as Lauryn Maher, who will step in and play significantly throughout the season. Hinnant and Maher may be young but they are experienced players, as they play softball year around.

“Some coaches make it look at it a negative way that you start some ninth-graders,” Froemel said. “Il tell you what, it’s like money in the bank. It’s just going to draw interest and get better and better. I’m expecting good things from them this year.”

King’s Fork will reutrn its whole infield from last year, so fielding should be a strength for the team. Froemel likes how the team has been hitting the ball hard all preseason and believes if his team continues to hit hard and take advantage of what teams give them, they can have a quality season this year.

“We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot,” he said. “We have to take advantage of what other teams give us. If we play our style of softball, we should be fine. The ladies are ready to go, and we’re going to control what we can control.”

King’s Fork will play Indian River at home at 5:30 p.m. Friday.