By Cooper Chadwick
As a freshman, Derby High School’s Ava Hastings is ready to make her mark on a talented and experienced team.
Head coach Christy Weve is already impressed with what Hastings is going to bring to the panthers.
“Ava works hard on and off the field. She is fast, has a strong arm and reads ball well,” Weve said. “Ava has a bright future in softball and I am excited to see how she develops.
Hastings plays shortstop and center field and is hoping to find her way after the loss of a couple players on last year’s 24-5 team.
“We are going to be solid,” Weve said. “We have some stuff to figure out, and once we do, we will be competitive. We may have lost some players, but we will reload and be strong.”
Coming into high school is always exciting, but it’s even more exciting for Hastings who gets to play with a mix of her friends and new people.
Hastings knows the difference between club and high school softball and the new obstacles she will have to overcome. That is why she has been putting in work this offseason.
“This year I want my hitting to improve,” Hastings said. Going to batting cages, working out will help me.”
Last season, Hastings had a batting average of .490 and a fielding percentage of .911, her role on the field is to motivate people when they are down.
Since it’s her first year, Hastings goal for the year is to make an impact for the Panthers any way she can, but she also wants to hit at least one home run.
