SB: Foster, Sikes and company open fall practice
9/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By Brooke Ortale | UTAMavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - Seniors Mallory Foster and Shelbi Sikes as well as the rest of the UT Arlington softball team opened fall practice bright and early with a 7 a.m. practice Monday morning at Allan Saxe Field.
"It's really exciting," Foster said. "We have a lot of talent this year. A lot of freshman came in that are ready to play. We all want to be here and that's a huge thing."
The Mavs return 14 from a 2016 squad that started the season with a historic 19-0 run, but bring in nine newcomers, highlighted by eight freshmen. Of those freshmen, a highly touted recruit out of Mansfield's Timberview High School Mariah Denson is adjusting to life as a collegiate student-athlete.
"It was extremely exciting," Denson said. "Coming in with eight other girls and experiencing softball. We expected it to be hard, but we didn't expect it to be this hard, but it's worth it. It's what we are here for."
With Foster and Sikes entering their senior seasons, they have both seen the highs and lows over the previous three years, but both have recognized something different in this year's team.
"This year we are all positive and ready to get going," Sikes said. "Everyday someone is excited for practice and preaching it. I think coach Kristie Fox can see it and everyone can see it. We are jumping on the same page already."
With four-year starters and leaders Rebecca Stokes and Britnea Barilli gone via graduation, a big question was who was going to step into those leadership roles.
"I'm trying to get in that role," Foster said. "We have a huge leader in Sandra Mendoza and Sam Clakley and Shelbi have stepped up. I'm just kind of filling in where they're not."
The fall season has just begun, but Fox is very pleased with what she has seen so far and expects for it to continue.
"We have quite a few new players but the talent level of this group is very, very high," Fox said. "If we can get them all going in the same direction and pulling on the same side of the rope I think that good things are coming."
