Colts Softball: Big Team, Big Potential

 

Coach Kimberly Evans has a unique dilemma: Middle School sports are so popular in Lucerne Valley that she has lots of softball players. In fact, she has too many. With so many players going in and out of the game few get enough playing time to develop their skills.

 

So, on Friday, November 4th, the school’s softball program held tryouts for the first time. Prior to the tryouts — and subsequent paring down to a manageable number— the team had 20 girls with six returners.

 

Many of the players had never played softball or baseball before, so Coach Evans and her assistant coach Ashlee Ackerman (the new school counselor) are walking the young athletes through the basics such as fielding, base running and more.

 

“Right now it’s throwing and catching and hitting,” she said while in the team’s dugout, which features a newly cemented floor courtesy of the district’s Maintenance & Operations team and a snazzy helmet rack personally made by Principal Kelly Boeing.

 

Coach Evans also is impressed that some of her Middle School players participated in area softball programs during the summer.  “We’re excited about that.”

 

Kimberly Evans and her family have lived in Lucerne Valley for a number of years. She is the high school’s CTE culinary arts teacher, taking over from the late Nancy Spillman after Mrs. Spillman retired several years ago. She and her husband Brad Evans have four children, all current or former Lucerne Valley students. They are Lindsay Evans, 23, Brody Evans, 20, (who is a custodian at the elementary school), Chloe Evans, 15, sophomore and multi-sport athlete, and Abbey Evans, 10, an LVES student.

 

“We’ve been involved in sports forever,” she said.

 

While most girls are first-time players, the Colts do have some experienced standouts. They are Carlie Lacey, Ariana Garcia and Leanne Watson.

 

“I think we have some talent this year,” Coach Evans said. “They’re competitive, but they’re also highly coachable. I have high hopes for the team.”

 

Weather permitting, the Colts softball team will play its first game at Hesperia Christian on Tuesday, November 8 at 3 p.m. Two days later, on Thursday, November 10, the softball team will again face the Patriots, this time at home.