The varsity softball team is headed into playoffs with a record of 23 wins, six losses and one tie. They face Palo Duro in their last district game tomorrow in Amarillo.

Sophomore Cambry Hedger said the tournaments played at the beginning of the season prepared the team for district.

“We saw different types of teams who compete at different levels, giving us different types of competition,” Hedger said. “We only had a few losses from our tournaments at the beginning of the season, which put us at a really good rank in the state.”

Canyon was ranked in the top 20 teams in the state for part of the season.

“We were surprised because this area doesn’t get a lot of recognition, especially in softball,” Hedger said. “Our mindset going into games has helped us perform better. We strive to score before the other team does, which motivates us to stay on top and push our hardest to win.”

Freshman Sloane Precure said there was pressure knowing they are the “team to beat.”

“I wasn’t with the team during the fall, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Precure said. “Once I was surrounded by the team, I realized that I felt comfortable around them.”

Precure said her competitive nature made her come out every game determined to win.

“The seniors have taught me that no matter how young I may be, I can do anything I put my mind to,” Precure said. “They taught me to work as hard as I physically and mentally can and to push myself every minute and every second of games and practices.”

Team members say their positive attitudes and confidence give them drive going into playoffs.

“Our attitudes are really different,” senior Cheyenne Housh said.  “We all believe that we can go far in playoffs, and that’s an attitude we have never had before. My goal is to keep everyone’s attitude positive and come out scoring in the first inning. It would be awesome to go to the state tournament.”

Hedger said she was disappointed with recent losses.

“We know that we have the talent and dedication to beat many teams that we face if we come out with the mindset to hit and make the plays that are needed to win a game,” Hedger said. “I think a lot of us get down on ourselves when we make one mistake, but we are learning to shake it off and know that we will get the next one. I think we can make it far if we put our losses behind us, because there is a whole lot more softball to be played before the season is over.”