In his 27th season as Head Coach of the HSE Royals softball team, Dave Cook always has high expectations for the season. “We consistently have a strong and talented team,” he says.
The preseason rankings listed the Lady Royals as No. 1 in the state after finishing runner up last year in the IHSAA 4A Softball Championship. The Royals are a seasoned team with seniors taking up 10 spots on the varsity roster.
Recently The Indianapolis Star selected the all-time best teams in each high school sport in our state. The 2007 HSE Royals softball team made the cut for the best all-time team. That year, the Lady Royals went 31-0, ranking 22nd in the national poll and becoming the most dominate 4A team in Indiana history.
The girls on the team are pumped for the season that is in full swing. Senior Ashley Rohr shares, “I love this team! We all get along so well, our chemistry is absolutely incredible. We aren’t just teammates; we are family. We are all so excited about this season, it’s fun to be on the field playing with this group of girls.”
Coach Cook is credited with creating a solid foundation for which his girls thrive. “Coach Cook is an awesome coach. He really pushes us to be the best people and players that we can be,” says senior Maggie Armstrong. “I can’t thank him enough for the past four years. I would not have wanted to play high school softball anywhere else!”
Madi Maloof echoes the sentiment, “Coach Cook is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. I’m honored to play for him! He pushes us to be on top of our game and be the absolute best we can be.”
The Lady Royals are working to rekindle the fire down the stretch into sectionals, leading to another state title.
College commitments: Sophomore pitcher Savannah Copeland – FSU, Maggie Armstrong – IUPUI, Madi Maloof – Dayton, Shelby Mager – Franklin College.
Please visit the HSE Athletics website for the game schedule: HSE.k12.in.us/hhs/athletics. Text 40404 to receive updates.
Twitter: @HSEAthletics
