As the girls softball season begins, a brand new field is opening with it. A few years ago, the Baker family donated $2 million for a new softball field. After years of construction and building, the field will finally be ready by spring break. 

“We’re super blessed to have been given the softball field in general,” varsity Head Coach Kelsey Warren said. “I think it will boost the morale of the team and get people in the community to come out [and watch].” 

The new field is going to be turf and also contains a brand new scoreboard, according to Senior Ava Jacklin. 

“I really am looking forward to the new field,” Jacklin said. “Especially since it’s turf, we will be able to get outside a lot more, whether it’s for practices or games.”

The new softball field will be the same IHSA-regulated size, but the stadium and fan sections will be a lot larger, Warren said. Along with the brand new field, there will also be customized dugouts for the girls. 

“As a senior, I’m excited because we have been dealing with the old field for four years,” varsity player Avery Hicks ‘26 said. “Last year, every day we would have to carry our equipment all the way to the back of the field, and when we would get rained out, our field wasn’t prepared, and we would have to cancel our games.”  

Until the field is ready, the softball team plans to have its first two home games at the professional softball field in Rosemont. 

“The girls have never had this opportunity before,” Warren said. “To play on a professional softball field is crazy for the high school level, and as a coach, I’m so excited. The girls are even more excited.”  

Along with changes to the team’s field, the program has a new varsity assistant coach, Lindsey Onnezi. The freshman (JV2) team will also have two new coaches who are still being determined by the athletic director’s department. 

“As a coach, I’m really looking forward to giving my players a positive experience that they can remember,” Warren said. “I want everyone to walk away happy with how the season went, and come out of the season feeling good like they have gained something from it, whether it’s friendships, experiences, or even memories.”

This year, in their conference, the girls will play teams including Proviso West, Willowbrook, OPRF, and York, according to Hicks. To prepare, they have practices five days a week and on Saturdays for two hours, with a workout on Fridays before school from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. 

“We are hoping to make it to Regionals this year, and honestly just do the best that we can,” Hicks said. “This may be challenging, but as a team we just need to keep adapting to different skills and nailing our fundamentals.”

The girls’ tryouts took place on March 2 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. for all grades, on March 3 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. for freshmen and sophomores, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. for juniors and seniors, and ended with a 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. tryout on March 4 for all grades. 

“This year especially, I want to bring a friendly presence to practice and intramurals,” Hicks said. “Instead of scaring them as seniors we want to encourage them and make it a fun experience all together. And all of the seniors and I want to stick together, look out for each other, and help communicate for our team.”  

The softball teams connect when they bond as a team over the weekends, Hicks said. They  go out for breakfast before big games, and hang out at eachothers houses. They hope to continue these memories and traditions into their 2026 season. 

“I love our pink-out games for breast cancer awareness,” Hicks said. “In the morning, we always have breakfast at somebody’s house, and it’s so fun to get ready. We do glitter and eye black for our games. It’s a nice bonding moment, especially with the seniors.” 

The Pink Out games are always a great experience for team bonding; all of the girls enjoy the last few games with their seniors and connect with each other, according to Jacklin. 

“I am excited and looking forward to our big games like Pink Out and Senior Day on the new field,” said Jacklin.