The boys won’t be the only players on the diamond this spring.

Softball season is less than a week away, and for some teams, like Goshen High School the games couldn’t come any sooner.

“We are all excited,” head coach Dee Hughes said Wednesday night.

“Practice has been going well so far. We have been battling the weather the past couple of days – the team is looking forward to getting the season started.”

Last season the Eagles just missed out on the playoffs, finishing third in the 2A Area 1 standing.

However, the team only lost one senior which means this year’s club will be returning with experience.

“We have our main nucleus coming back, which is going to hopefully payoff for us,” Hughes said.

On last season’s roster, the team had four sophomores and three freshman.

“We were real young last year,” she said.

“A lot of our girls went to camps and played in travel ball [during the offseason], so on top of last season, this team has had a lot of experience, which should help us out,” the coach added.

That experience gained is something Hughes believes could potentially be beneficial for her team to make a run towards the playoffs in May.

“We are all hoping that we make it to the playoffs,” she said. “I don’t want to get to far ahead of myself or the team before it the season starts. “I think we have a good team, but we are going to have to prove ourselves during the season,” she added.

One addition the Eagles arsenal this season is its ability to hit the long ball. In 2008, GHS had just one player hit a home run, however, last season the Eagles had six players hit home runs.

“The fact that our girls are getting stronger and developing into power hitters is a good sign, and something we hope continues this season,” Hughes said.

Driving in runs will be key this season, especially with the schedule GHS has, which includes playoff caliber teams like Pleasant Home, Kinston and Charles Henderson.

“Playing good teams is going to make us better,” Hughes said. “This past week [at practice], I could really tell that the girls realize the reality that it’s almost game time – and I think they are ready for it.”

GHS will get things started with a double header, on the road against Airton and Zion Chapel on Monday morning, Feb. 15.