The Newport Lady Buffs Softball team is swinging into a new season with fresh energy, many new faces, and a determined mindset. Melissa Briggs, who has coached Newport softball for 11 years, has been the head coach for the past four years. She reflected on the team’s preseason work, noting that “the girls have shown strong effort, positive attitudes, and a lot of growth already with the 21 girls that we have.” The team’s hard work will set the tone for what Newport hopes to be a strong year on the field.
The Lady Buffs carry a proud history from spring to spring; they finished last season with an overall record of 6-8. The team hopes to fully unlock their potential this upcoming season.
This year’s leadership rests in the hands of three seniors: Jordin Briggs, Jasmin Corkle, and Korimae Reisinger. All three have been part of the program since their freshman year, bringing experience and stability to a roster that blends our veterans and our newcomers. Corkle, who missed her junior season due to injury, returns this spring with a renewed determination to make her senior year count. “Returning to my senior year from being injured my junior year has me putting in the work to be very successful this season. I feel that this season our team has a lot of potential to win games… we have a lot of freshmen that are filling out missing pieces to make this team successful,” Corkle states.
Adding on to what Corkle said about the underclassmen, this season, a young group of freshmen fills nearly half of the roster. Their numbers will allow Newport to field a JV schedule, giving the underclassmen valuable game experience and strengthening the softball program’s future.
A talented group of juniors, most of whom had significance last year as well, will be playing a major role in shaping this year’s lineup: Peyton Esienhart, Emma Whisler, and Allison Zerbe. They have familiarity with the varsity level, and they will continue to contribute to the team, whether it is Esienhart being a wall behind the plate as catcher, Whistler diving for any ball in left field, or Zerbe blowing strikes by the batters.
Before the season began, the group gathered to set individual and team goals. Among the goals that stood out, they stated: holding each other accountable, strengthening communication, and building strong team relationships. The team also hopes to make it back to Districts and win the District championship.
The Lady Buffs already opened their season against Midd-West on March 20, in the hard weather conditions of pouring rain and freezing temperatures. Newport struggled to find their rhythm, and the scoreboard reflected this challenge with an ending result of 17-6. Despite the difficult start, the team will continue to remain focused on the rest of their schedule. They are determined to show what they are fully capable of as the season progresses.
