By Brian Anderson

Being ready and not starting off slow is how the Troy Ponytails want to begin district play. Although, a different team this year, the 11 to 12-year-old all-stars made it to the World Series last year and looking to rebound this time around after losing that game. He wants the girls to play as a team in their first game.

Head coach David Maulden has recruited two former Troy University softball players to help his young pitchers. Joe McAllister and her sister Kacie McAllister. Kacie was named to the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference team earlier this year.

The pitching coaches work with the girls four days a week for forty-five minutes to a hour on the fundamentals of pitching.

“We are hitting a lot better and the pitching is coming around with the help of those two young ladies and they are starting to play as a team,” he said. He plans on fundamentals and team defense being the recipe for success throughout district play.

“Obliviously we hope to win,” assistant coach Bruce Campbell said with a smile. He wants the girls to implement what they have been practicing and have a good game.

The biggest element of the game the girls had to work on has been pitching. Campbell said they girls have come a long way in these past few weeks of practice.

The girls start their run back to the World Series Friday at 8:00 p.m. They will play at the Troy Sports & Recreation Center on Enzor Road on Field 5 against Crenshaw County.

“I don’t want them to look back at last year, but take the game one inning, one game at a time and do the fundamentals we’ve worked on and to also have fun doing it,” Maulden said.