Mercer Island softball | Spring sports previews

Coach: Dale Watanabe (first season)

Coach: Dale Watanabe (first season)

Last season: Tied for sixth (with Sammamish) in KingCo standings.

Captains: Shaune Lam, Kayla Varney, Lilly Blakey

Other key athletes: Maddie Rowe

Strengths: “Fielding is strongest,” Blakey said. “The infield and outfield is looking good.”

“There are a lot more girls that are capable of playing different positions,” Varney said. “We can taking any of the girls and put them almost anywhere on the field because our fielding is pretty strong this year.”

“It’s a young team but it’s also an experienced team because quite a few of these players have club ball experience,” Watanabe said. “It’s a positive group, that’s 90 percent of playing. At least what I’ve seen so far, they all enjoy playing together.”

“I’ve been on this team since freshman year. Every year, I’ve always seen new growth and more potential,” senior Shaune Lam said. “The team has just gotten stronger since when I joined.”

Needs to improve: “Based upon what I saw from last year, we’re going to have to work on our hitting,” Watanabe said.

Goals: “This is going to be a learning year, see how things go as a team and as individuals,” Watanabe said. “But I think there’s a lot of potential here. The vision for me is for these girls to have fun.”

“I think this year it will be really fun with the people we have and I think we’re going to do well,” Blakey said.

Games to watch: 3/25 @ Bellevue, 4/12 vs. Bellevue, 5/2 @ Bellevue