Central Cass Softball looks to defend Class B title for fifth-straight season

CASSELTON, N.D. (Valley News Live) - What makes a great sports dynasty? It isn’t just winning, but winning on a consistent and dominant basis.

“Coming into the year, it’s the main goal to have the championship mentality, is what Scott preaches,” senior Squirrel pitcher and second baseman Tori Richter said.” We can have those championships before, but every year, you have to come in with the mentality that you gotta work hard every single day, and nothing’s going to get handed to you.”

The Central Cass Squirrels are on a four-year streak of blazing through Class B for the softball crown... But this season may take a little more time than normal to heat up.

Record low temperatures and high piles of snow block off the outdoor training, so the Squirrels are still stuck inside for the winter-like spring.

“I’ve done it long enough right now, where I have a couple of weeks of good content of things that we can work on indoors, ya know, the basics, the fundamentals, we can work on what our team defense needs to look like, we can work on hitting, we can get some good work done,” Central Cass head coach Scott Cost said. “But we’re really anxious to get outside, because that’s where you really have an opportunity to see where you’re at.”

The players respond well to the unorthodox indoor softball training, able to run hitting, pitching and defensive drills, even though the turf of outside is still missed.

“I think every year when we start in the gym, all of us, it’s kinda hard to just see that there’s still snow on the field and out on the sidewalks,” said Richter. “This year especially it’s hard, because we know that it’s going to be a while until we get on the field.”

“It’s not as fun as being outside, but, I mean, I’m glad we get the opportunity to practice and just to all play together,” freshman Squirrel catcher Aspyn Prien said.

The season is currently scheduled to begin April 17 on the road against the Thompson Tommies.

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