By Ethan Moore, Sports Editor.
The softball program at Delta has been in transition for a while now. The school just hired on their seventh head coach in the past 10 years. So, will Randy Mullard, the newest head coach of the softball team, be the one to bring the program back to prominence? He is certainly laying down the foundation for it.
“We started out with 12 players, and now we’re up to 19,” explains Mullard. “We’ve recruited an additional seven players since I took over in September and the culture’s improving around here. We’re definitely growing.”
This job comes with many challenges at first, but the challenge is part of what attracted Mullard to the job in the first place.
“After having a comfortable job at John Glenn as both a softball and football coach, I was ready for more of a challenge,” explains Mullard. “It’s not about my ego; I don’t even care if they call me coach, but the kids in this area deserve a coach that’s going to be here for them.”
This year’s squad has nine freshmen on the roster including one player, in particular that Mullard is excited about.
“Shelby Bailey, a pitcher from Bullock Creek, is a great player and I can’t believe somebody didn’t scoop her up before us,” says Mullard.
The team also has 10 returning sophomores ready to make an impact.
“I think we have a core group of sophomores,” says Mullard. “They were all starters last year, and so I’m really excited for what they can do for us this year.”
Mullard has had six months to start implementing his coaching philosophy and his offseason workout program to get the team ready for their first year with him as coach.
“You have to think and act like a champion long before you become one,” explains Mullard. “The softball skills are obvious and we’ve been working hard on our communication for this season.”
The new coach did not have a problem finding recruits for this season, and as he explains, good season performance may be the most important part of recruiting.
“The more you win, the easier it is to recruit,” says Mullard. “The more stable the program gets, the more word will get out to schools in the area that Delta has a growing program that’s getting exciting.”
After a 6-18 season last year, the team is ready for a fresh start, and they have the goals to back up their newfound confidence.
“I believe our goal for this season as a team is to win the conference, and qualify for postseason play,” says Mullard. “We also have lots of daily goals so we can continue to get better every single day. That’s our goal, to get one percent better every day.”
The softball team is ready for a fresh start this season. According to Mullard, the talent is there, they just need the right coach.
“When I first saw the girls practice, I realized that these kids are really good, they just need to be guided,” says Mullard “Position by position, we have enough to win. Now we’ll see if I’m a good enough coach to get them there.”
