Preparing for the first round of a tournament can be tough when the team has been together less than three weeks, but the Troy Dixie Ozone National League Tournament team is doing its best to get there.

“It is awful hot out here, but these boys and girls have put in a lot of work to getting better,” head coach Lin Roberts said. “They have really put it all out there.”

Roberts said his team will have to do the little things right to make it far in the Dixie tournament season.

“We have 12 good boys and girls and I think that if they hustle and play hard we have a good chance of winning,” Roberts said. “I have been watching other teams during the practice games we have played and it will be tough. But sometimes you get good teams that are stacked with talent, but a lot of times the team that hustles more can pull out a win.”

The Ozone Nationals will try and be the team hustling the most on the field, Roberts said.

“We just need to do the right things at the right times,” he said. “I just can’t wait until Friday because I am ready to see what happens.”

Kayla Benton is happy to be still playing ball.

“It is fun to be out here and I love having fun with my friends,” Benton said. “I like hitting and I think we have a good chance to win if we hustle and hit the ball well.”

Reid Rials is excited to be a part of the Nationals.

“This is so much fun and I have been playing with this group since T-Ball,” Rials said. “We practice hard every day and I just hope we can go out there and win.”

The Nationals open sub-district play June 26 in Eufaula.