Nelson and Shawna Danberg are leading an inaugural team of 14 players.
A few of those have played softball since childhood. A few have never played before. Most took up the sport within the past two years.
Nelson and Danberg are eager to teach fundamentals, skills and strategy.
They won’t need to teach enthusiasm. That’s a trait the team has already shown.
“They all want to play,” Danberg said. “They give their all every single practice. They’re excited to be here. They’re all teachable and coachable.”
The first time King’s Way took the softball field was against some of the state’s toughest competition. At a season-opening jamboree on March 9, the Knights faced reigning 2A state champion Woodland and 1A Trico League champ Castle Rock.
Playing three-inning mini games, King’s Way lost 2-0 to Woodland and held Castle Rock to a 0-0 tie.
The first time a Knight stepped into the batter’s box, it was against Woodland’s dominant pitcher Olivia Grey, last season’s 2A state player of the year.
“You haven’t faced anyone before and suddenly you’re facing Olivia,” Nelson said. “But they went in there confident. I didn’t see anyone shaking in their boots. They were up there swinging.”
Some of King’s Way’s most talented players are freshman. Left-handed pitcher and coach’s daughter Sophia Nelson has played since she was 5 years old.
At the jamboree, she immediately felt comfortable in the high school pitching circle against high-quality hitters.
“It was pretty cool,” she said. “It’s a great experience playing against a state championship team.”
Infielder Annabelle Atwood, another freshman, has only played softball for two years. But she was on a varsity soccer team that reached the 1A state title game and a varsity basketball team that qualified for its first state tournament.
Atwood hopes to help her softball teammates learn to be successful like the soccer and basketball teams.
“Soccer and basketball, we got to go a long way,” she said. “Starting out as a new team, we can make our mark and keep going.”
The Trico League will have only four teams this season. Columbia-White Salmon won’t play due to low turnout.
Castle Rock is seeking another league title after placing fourth in state.
La Center will look to give the Rockets a run behind senior Macy Randolph, a first-team all-league infielder the past two years.
