Tritons building softball program

The rebuilding process continues for Edmonds Community College’s softball team.

The Tritons are coming off a tough 2008 campaign that saw the team manage just one victory in 36 games with several forfeits. So far 2009 is shaping up to be just as tough, with Edmonds winless in its first 13 contests.

“We’re just trying to build a program,” said second-year coach Jeannie Nieman. “We’re trying to get out of the hole of people not knowing about the program.”

Nieman admits she had a difficult time recruiting players and that the team is still looking to add players to its 11-women roster.

The biggest challenge for Edmonds is finding a pitcher. Nieman has turned to sophomore Cassandra Colony (Stanwood) and sophomore Sara Laush (Bothell), neither of whom had much recent pitching experience.

“(Colony) just stepped up,” Nieman said. “She hadn’t thrown in 10 years. She was just willing to give it her best.”

Catcher freshman Callie Backstrom is another player who switched positions because Edmonds needed someone behind the plate.

“She was willing to step it up and give it a whirl,” Nieman said.

The rest of the Tritons are playing in positions in which they are somewhat more familiar with. Sophomore Michelle Sanchez (Edmonds-Woodway) is at first base, freshman Laura Nishimura (Meadowdale) is at second base with freshman Blair Mills (Meadowdale) at shortstop and Laush at third base.

Edmonds has struggled to score runs this season. The Tritons managed to push across only seven runs in four recent losses to Shoreline and Everett.

Nieman hopes the bats will start to turn around.

“We just need to be confident and keep swinging the ball,” she said.

The on-the-field struggles haven’t dampened the players’ spirits.

“They’re just giving it their all,” Nieman said. “They’re trying to piece it together and see what we can come up with. … We want to improve and get better and get our name out there so people will start coming our way.”