The state-qualifying varsity softball team is ready for their upcoming season. After two consecutive years of placing top three in the state, Antioch Community High School’s softball team is ready to set goals and prepare for a fantastic season.
In years past, the varsity softball team has practiced at McMillen Field, which is located behind the ACHS Stadium. The team is thankful enough to have a practice location, but there are some positives and negatives that affect the team’s playing ability.
Softball senior Grace Green has been on the team all four years of her high school career. She is very familiar with how state finals work and is very experienced.
“If it’s really bad weather, like raining or snowing, it pools up on the field which means you get a bunch of dirt and mud in your cleats,” Green said.
These weather conditions can make it difficult to practice because it might throw off the player’s game and practice play. The girls need to be on their “A game” to achieve their goals for this season. Since the location is not very convenient and the weather conditions have a negative impact, Athletic Director Mike Maloney and the Athletic Department are making changes and updates to improve the quality of McMillen Field.
Just this year, Mike Maloney became ACHS’ new athletic director and has done a fantastic job taking over this role quickly.
“Our summer and fall projects included having the infield excavated and professionally graded, the edges of the grass were removed, resided and precisely cut,” Maloney said. “Significant gaps in the backstop and fence lines were addressed and mended.”
Slowly but surely, this field is getting the attention it needs to provide satisfaction to outside teams, parents and players.
The varsity softball team hosts all of their games home games at McMillen Field. McMillen’s location is hard to navigate. It may be difficult for outside teams to travel and know where they are playing because of this.
“Outside teams definitely hate it,” Green said. “The field isn’t very nice in general.”
Even though the field currently is not in its best condition, the Athletic Department knows what is best for the softball team and they know that this is a good location for softball games and practices.
“I truly believe that the current location of lower-level baseball is a natural and appropriate location for the new varsity softball stadium,” Maloney said. “We will continue to consult with industry experts to identify the best options for ACHS students and athletic programs.”
As the softball season starts back up, the girls are already preparing to gain the podium placement once again. Now with the field being mended to the team’s liking, this sets them up for success. This year, the team is striving to secure the first-place title along with their new and improved softball field.
